Comments on: They’re Booing Herschel Hobbs!!!

By: texasinafrica

texasinafrica — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 21:42:00 +0000

Oh, back to San Antonio. Daddy and his pastor friend went the last time, but they had the good sense to leave us and our mamas to play for the week in Austin. We missed Gregory’s sermon, but I was introduced to Barton Springs, and my life has only been better for it.

Ben, the Mary Poppins link was pure genius. I’m going to refrain from quoting my favorite line, which ends with “but as a group they’re rather stupid.” Oops.

By: Michael Westmoreland-White

Michael Westmoreland-White — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 20:08:00 +0000

Let’s see: We are in year 5 of an illegal, immoral, and disastrous war; poverty abounds throughout Africa; Genocide continues in Darfur (and even were we willing to stop it with unilateral military action, all our troops are stuck in Iraq and, more justifiably, Afghanistan!) and is returning to Rwanda; the AIDS pandemic continues; new forms of slavery and the expansion of old forms like sex slavery are spreading; our total lack of good stewardship of the earth has led to a major threat to God’s Creation; Lifeway is marketing pro-war/pro-nationalist Bibles; sexual exploitation of children by pastors continues apace; etc., etc.

But this year’s Southern Baptist Convention, while maybe avoiding the “hotbed issue” of whether a Christian may drink a beer (!), will focus on tongues, whether anything involving Jimmy Carter is anti-Christ, and, perhaps, the evil of evangelicals becoming Catholic.

And they wonder why baptisms are down.

Oh, and Frank Page should get a clue–the SBC had a terrible reputation long before Jimmy Carter said anything about it. In fact, Carter’s presence as an SBC layperson caused many to give the SBC a second look until he left for CBF circles.

By: Big Daddy Weave

Big Daddy Weave — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 16:30:00 +0000

Our daughters' daughters will adore us. And they'll sign in grateful chorus. Well done. Well done! Well done Sister Suffragette!

Classic!

Finn,

I was reminded of the Hobbs-booing incident after reading a piece in the Southwestern Journal of Theology written by Terry Mattingly. In the article, Hobbs tells Terry that the difference between the "fussing and feuding of the 60s" and the 1980 booing was that there was never a reconciliation in St. Louis.

"I had never, ever, seen us leave a convention, no matter how bitter the fighting had been, without having some kind of reconciliation at the end, some kind of love feast. Now it seems like I can't even remember what the old days were like. What is haappening?"

I just have a hard time believing everyone kissed and made up during the Elliot years.

By: Nathan Finn

Nathan Finn — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:20:00 +0000

Aaron,

Marse Grant’s comments notwithstanding, 1980 was not the first time Hobbs was ridiculed on the platform. In 1962, when Hobbs was SBC president, the SBC was going through the Elliott Controversy. Hobbs was trying to mediate between pro and anti-Elliott factions, and messengers began shouting him down during his comments. Not exactly “boos,” if you will, but still pretty raucus.

Personally, I hope that nobody, whether the “booers” of days gone by or the ones Ben thinks will be doing the booing next year ever become the booees. We don’t need any of that in the SBC. These are off times indeed.

NAF

By: Benjamin S. Cole

Benjamin S. Cole — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:19:00 +0000

Aaron:

I think some of the booers might become the booees in the next convention.

You liked my little link to Mary Poppins? I thought the fundies would get all excited that I had a chart or a document exposing some nefarious scheme to inject pant-wearing Pennington-Russells all over the SBC.

These are odd times.

Oh, you forgot last years messenger who shouted at Jerry Vines from the balcony. I think he said:

"Just because you're Jerry Vines doesn't mean you get special privileges."

Bobby Welch reproved him, and tempers subsided.

BSC