Honest Talk About God ... From An Unlikely Source
Southern Baptist Big-Wig Lands In Hot Water -- Honesty To Blame
Finding a good, intellectually challenging book in a Baptist bookstore is
like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack. So, it's no surprise
that more than 60 Baptists bookstores have refused to carry the new book
by Kirby Godsey, "When We Talk About God ... Let's Be Honest."
(Smith & Helwys, $19.95)
Godsey is the President of Mercer University, a Southern Baptist backed
school in Macon, Georgia. He affirms that Jesus is the center of his life
and of the Christian faith, but he refuses to by ruled by creeds. His book
is an honest, open and touching dissertation of his experiences with God.
Heresy is what the Baptists are calling it ...and not surprisingly. Godsey
makes some rather un-Baptist statements. For example:
- "In the world of religious faith, we will have to learn that no one
has the final answers. When you set forth our belief as the only right belief,
we are wrong."
- "To ascribe infallibility to the written words of the Bible is wrong."
- "Turning the Bible into a rule book distorts the power of the Gospel
and misappropriates the teaching of Scripture."
- "Jesus is not a god to be worshipped or the founder of a world religion
to be admired."
You can see why the Baptists want his head on a stick. They have formally
admonished him and have asked him to "prayerfully reconsider his theological
convictions."
I believe it is a blessing to see that someone with the stature of Godsey
has finally gotten it -- God loves everyone, without exception and without
regard to denominational preference. God is not impressed by creeds or piety
or blind faith. We are saved only by God's grace, not our own efforts.
Godsey's book also holds great promise for gays and lesbians. He admonishes
modern day religion for identifying "ourselves by the people we exclude."
Further, he tells the reader, "whether it is global warfare in the
Middle East or personal prejudice toward a gay Christian, every act of rejection
is an act against God."
He also plainly states, "it is immoral to account for the HIV infection
as evidence of God's wrath toward gays."
Get this book and prayerfully read every page. You will be richly blessed.
You may not agree with everything Godsey says, but it will both intellectually
and spiritually enrich you. Godsey leads you through his beliefs, his doubts
and his convictions. It is truly a personal journey you'll enjoy taking
part in.
At the end you'll surely agree when Godsey writes, "...faith does not
flow from getting our doctrines straight. Genuine convictions flow from
the inward experience of God."
