Our world changed forever on Sept. 11, 2001, when America was attacked on its homeland shores by fanatical Muslim terrorists.
As the one year anniversary of this catastrophic event approaches, Alabama Baptist leaders and scholars shared their conclusions as to what they think Americans have learned and what effect the terrorist attacks have had on the world.
In the opinion of D’Linell Finley, adjunct professor of political science at Auburn University, Montgomery, one of the most important lessons Americans have learned is the reality of being vulnerable. “We can no longer take our safety and security for granted,” he said. “Americans have finally realized there are terrible things that can happen in our own country.
Finley, who is pastor of Tuskegee’s Rock of Ages Baptist church in the Tuskegee Lee Association, said although America is very familiar with its own type of domestic violence, it is not in the forefront of American society. “We were familiar with our own form of urban violence that was hidden under the surface, but we were not prepared, nor even envisioned a terrorist attack of the 9/11 magnitude taking place on our own soil,” he said.
Anger and indignation are words that come to mind for Finley, who says Americans have a right to be indignant and mad. But he also warned that Americans should be aware of protecting their civil liberties. “We shouldn’t let the events of Sept. 11 force us to forget who we are as a nation with regard to our basic civil liberties. Finley says he questions wether there has been a spiritual revival in America.
“Immediately following 9/11 I saw it. I just don’t think it’s the case anymore. In spite of the talk of a spiritual revival there is little proof it has continued.”
Finley said he has definitely seen a patriotic revival in the nation but stated, “I’m just not sure about a spiritual one.”
And like Finley, Jerry Gunnells, retired pastor of Mobile’s Springhill Baptist Church, also agrees that the biggest lesson Americans learned from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was, “the fact that we are vulnerable.
“I’m not sure we fully understood that until the Sept. 11 events,” he said. Gunnells said that because of the vulnerability issue some of the actions taken to protect American citizens has infringed upon rights of privacy. “As unfortunate as these restrictions are, I agree with them. They are necessary.” Gunnells feels the impact of Sept. 11 has had a major effect on world missions. “The need for missions work around the world is all the more apparent because of this situation,” he said. This tragedy has had worldwide repercussions. We can’t sit here on the other side of the world and think that what happens in the Middle East doesn’t affect us — it does,” he said.
Wayne Flynt, Distinguished Professor of History at Auburn University, and expert on Alabama Baptist history, sees the biggest lesson Americans have learned being the fragility of life.
19th century mentality
“Up until Sept. 11 we still had the 19th century mentality that we’re separated by two vast oceans and the rest of the world’s problems don’t affect us. The reality is we’re not protected at all. We now know that violence can come here. As a result, we have a stake in solving problems that create this kind of violence. That would include anything from military action in Afghanistan to dealing with problems of poverty and historic injustice in the Middle East,” he stated.
Flynt said another lesson Americans have learned is the impact of the Islam religion in today’s world. “There is a world of religion out there that we didn’t know about but we need to learn about,” he said. Using an analogy, the Baptist scholar said, “Muslims are a lot like Baptists in the sense there is no way to generalize them. Much like Baptists, they too are split in their ideology, nationality, region and temperament.”
Flynt said unfortunately he has seen little impact on how the terrorist attacks have made permanent changes in the world. “There was an initial spurt in church attendance but it has sputtered out,” he observed. “Unfortunately, 9/11 type of events don’t have long-term effects on people’s behavior. People have a tendency to return to their old habits. I’m just not convinced that short-term crises drive people back to their faith,” he admitted.
In the opinion of Roger Willmore, pastor of First Baptist Church, Boaz, the Sept. 11 events changed the world of Americans by forcing them think about their own mortality. “Shortly after 9/11 Americans came face-to-face with our own mortality. We had developed a mindset that we were invincible. People suddenly had to deal with the realities of death.”
Intensity diminished
Willmore said the biggest disappointment for him was the initial impression that the Christian world appeared to have come closer to God. “But the intensity diminished,” he observed. He said the drop-off of church attendance should be a lesson for the pulpiteers across the nation. “Some polls have indicated that church attendance has dropped even lower than it was prior to Sept. 11,” he stated. Willmore said he puts much of the blame on the preachers of America. “After Sept. 11, people returned to church needing to hear a relevant word from God. They did not hear an authoritative word from pulpits across the land.”
Willmore said the world has changed by putting other world religions on the same playing field as Christianity. “We’ve had to learn that Christianity is not seen as the one true religion in the world today.”
Changed the mindset
In the eyes of Samford University Provost Brad Creed, the tragedies of Sept. 11 changed the mindset of the nation’s young people. “Working with college students, I can see how the 9/11 events forced them to see life is not as predictable and secure as they once thought.” Creed said the attacks resulted in the loss of innocence for the nation’s young adults. “These events have made students think more about the world in which they live,” he observed.
Creed also pointed out that college students across the nation have been forced to see the dark side of humanity, but in contrast, to also see how people come together in the midst of a national crisis.
“I think Christian young people today have learned to turn more to God for guidance and strength,” he said, adding, “I hope these tragedies have caused Samford’s students to think about their sense of calling and what they will do with their lives that will be of eternal significance.”
Making an observation, Timothy George, dean and professor of divinity at Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School, said, “It’s not so much that the world changed as much as American society and culture has changed.
“Sept. 11 brought the world to our doorstep. We are now aware of the fear and vulnerability that others have felt around the world.”
The theologian thinks Americans have learned they need to move beyond “trusting in the institutions that were all powerful,” and “start seeking the Lord for a true reformation and revival in our land. I sense a deeper urgency in seeking God’s faith.”
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