Ten Commandments

As hard as it may be to believe, Alabama Baptists have been accused of being soft on the Bible. Dean Young, director of the Christian Family Association, told reporters after the state convention, “It’s a sad day in the state of Alabama when the largest denomination, the spiritual leaders of the state, could not get enough votes to support the Ten Commandments.”

He made these charges because messengers refused to suspend the rules of the convention and allow him to offer a resolution from the floor. The resolutions committee had reviewed his resolution affirming the public display of the Ten Commandments, but elected not to present it to the messengers. The whole committee felt the convention had adequately addressed the issue in a 1997 resolution.

But it was not adequate for Mr. Young. He apparently believes that the ultimate act of scriptural faithfulness is to publicly display one portion of God’s Word in strategic places. Failure to do this, it would seem, results in a failure to affirm the Bible.

Alabama Baptists also believe that scriptural faithfulness should be public and visible. In Baptist life, obedience to “the one commandment and the one commission” results in feeding the hungry, housing homeless children, strengthening marriages, caring for the elderly, teaching English as a second language, serving as tutors in public schools, teaching adults how to read, providing educational programs about youth violence, providing disaster relief, offering counseling services, providing medical services, meeting basic health needs and providing education concerning the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse and gambling.  And this is the short list.

I am not sure why Mr. Young does not recognize these, and many other ministries, as legitimate means of making the Scriptures visible.  Maybe he was out of the room when these matters were presented.

I am not sure why Mr. Young believes that the only way to affirm the Bible is to display it in schools or courthouses.  Maybe he does not know Jeremiah 31: 31–34.

I have no idea why Mr. Young would criticize us so harshly.  Maybe he has not read 1 John 2: 19.

What I do know is this: the Christian life is more than building a monument to the Ten Commandments. The Christian life is about being faithful to the great commandment and the Great Commission. If we will do that, God will be pleased.

James L. Evans
Pelham, Ala.