During the campaign against the lottery, we (Baptists) said we supported public education, yet our state convention took no position regarding how to improve education. Yes, the convention said we should pray. I would have though we were praying for all the schools, before the lottery became an issue.
My concern is our credibility. Have we reduced our rhetoric to situation ethics? Is not our word our bond? The next time we take a public stand on a moral issue, will the proponents for the lottery or other issues we may disagree with denounce us as being dishonest or at least being unethical? We have placed our credibility on the line, therefore we must follow through.
I personally do not think the church should be involved in the politics of education. We should, however, offer real solutions for fixing the problems by being involved. I do not mean by talking about problems. We all know the problems. We should be proactive in supporting plans that will fix the many challenges before us. To do otherwise, our rhetoric and wonderful victory last fall may come back to haunt us and damage our work for our Savior, Jesus Christ. Was this action just a situation where we had to take a stand? But each situation is different and must be evaluated when it comes up. WWJD?
Calvin Patrick
Hoover, Ala.
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