Virginia Baptists and Americans United for Separation of Church and State

by Martha Wiles                                                                                             Vol. IX, No. 9, October 1996

Over the years, many controversies have arisen within the Southern Baptist family. For the most part, these controversies have dealt with how you believe something in the Bible or how you live your life according to the way you interpret certain passages of Scripture. Now, there is upon us a new and more dividing dispute. Some Baptists are firm that the guidelines for living found in the Bible should permeate every area of their lives, while many others prefer to keep the Bible and its teachings within the church walls. This is evident by the plateaued church growth and the number of Baptists required to win one soul to Jesus.

The dispute goes deeper. In the battle to keep Jesus within the church walls, Baptists are being pressured to forget the principles of the Bible and lean only on the manmade historical accounts of Baptist history. It is alarming that Baptist history has become the battle cry for so-called "religious liberty". It is even more alarming to see the energy expended to preserve "religious liberty' instead of soul winning.

Most Southern Baptists believe that the Bible is a treasure book. Hidden throughout the passages are treasure chests of promises, words of encouragement and direction for daily living. Southern Baptists have the reputation for having the very best plan for missions and for how to share the gospel with others. But now, some Baptists have the distinction of spending tithes and offerings to keep Bibles away from children. "Surely not!” you say; but alas, it is true. Some Baptists believe that "religious liberty” should be protected at all costs, even if payment is an eternity in hell for men and women and boys and girls. Never before has such a controversy been heaped upon the lives of those calling themselves Southern Baptist.

In the false name of religious liberty, one group stands out above the rest when it comes to stopping the spread of the gospel: a group called Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Americans United is responsible for several lawsuits around the country and has successfully stopped Bibles being handed out to school children, the only Bible these children may ever own. First the schools and then the prisons; any institution that receives government monies shall in no way inherit the word of God. Thus sayeth Americans United. In a never ending battle to stop the spread of the gospel ... all under the guise of 'religious liberty'... Americans United has also been working hard to prohibit school children from saying prayers out loud during the school day. And guess who doubled their giving to Americans United in 1994? The Baptist General Association of Virginia.

In 1994, the BGAV cut its budget by $500,000. The financial minds of the Commonwealth's Baptists reduced giving to all entities, except Americans United and the BGAV Administration. Americans United thrived in 1994 with the BGAV doubling their gifts to the very agency that would spend the money to make sure Bibles could not be given to school children in America. Bibles are now the most dangerous weapon on the school yard according to some psychologists and lawyers. Praise God, someone knows the real power of the Holy Word. Too bad Virginia Baptists fear the perceived loss of "religious liberty” more than they fear the commands of a Holy God who tells us to “Go ye therefore and teach all nations."

What a controversy! And most Baptists do not even know it exists. The powers in control of the churches that support AU are certainly never going to openly admit AU has gone way over the boundary of protecting religious liberty. AU is in the religion destroying business, and their partners are the American Atheists and the ACLU.

 Should Virginia Baptists fund political groups engaged in an effort to stop Christianity? We all know the answer to this question, but how do you convince those giving to Americans United that AU should not be part of their church budget? It is almost impossible to change the mind and heart of someone so wrapped up in preserving "religious liberty.” For some reason these people are blinded by Satan and would rather gain political safety for keeping Bibles away from children than gain jewels in their crown for sharing the gospel. What's wrong with them? Don't they remember the days when we, in America, were on our knees praying for those smuggling Bibles into Russia? Have they forgotten the fervent prayers to tear down the wall in Germany, so people could be free to own a Bible?

John Rankin, president of Theological Education Institute, says it best: "First the gospel, then politics." Once the gospel is introduced, taught, shared and lived, then the area of politics will have been addressed, attended to, affirmed and improved.

As Virginia Baptists, we will never win the lost for Christ if we continue supporting political organizations that insist on keeping the message of salvation out of the market place.

For more information about Americans United for Separation of Church and State, please write: Martha Wiles; 16375 Norman Road; Culpeper, Virginia, 22701.

[Editorial note: Just before going to press I learned that the BGAV budget to be voted on in November will not include any funds for Americans United. Nevertheless, for the information of Virginia Baptists who may wonder about the change, the above article is included in its original form. The bad news is that the money that would have gone to Americans United is being added to that given to the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs, another extremely liberal group. TCP]

[(Mrs.) Martha E. Wiles is the wife of Rev. Tom Wiles, pastor of Mt. Lebanon BC, Boston, VA.]