sorry wrong board

I am so so sorry. Just isnt fair.

People on here say it is irresponsible. I am one week past my 2nd shot. I dont want to cause a 4th wave. I want to have fun snd enjoy myself without a damn mask like everyone else. I want to laugh and have a great time and not worry about consequences. But life isnt about doing what you want, but caring for others.

I am sorry if I whine, but who do I have to vent to. There is a bridal shower(inside) at the church tomorrow that I would normally be helping with. I really want to go. I have served often with this sweet couple in various ministries. Their wedding is in May. Huge outdoor church function outside in a few weeks. So many other things on the calendar. Sorry. I mean Dreamergal’s situation sucks. I know many have it worse. But I don’t know how to change what I feel, nor do I have anyone to talk to except you.

Then I will have almost no one to hang out with and no activities to go to.

But most of my friends are not vaccinating.

Do you really think the majority of the world lives like most of the board is able to??? My husband was helping several families who live in trailers tgat were falling apart. No they cannot.

They think they are or if low income, cannot afford it. I just don't see how you think these people are going to magically understand the need to do what you think they should do. They won't. They don't.

The guidelines here are everything open 100 percent. Wear a mask if you feel like it. I just know I will struggle to continue to be the only one masked after I am vaccinated.

Yes they can, but like the businesses we visited. These people work their tails off. And not 8-5. The help customers, install plumbing, etc. They come home from work exhausted and watch Netflix. Go to bed. They have no motivation to be searching for these sources, nor have any idea they need them . I would imagine low income people are working 2 or more jobs. They need to survive and hopefully. not get shot. If they have internet in their homes, which is a huge if, it is slow and they don’t have time to be on it.

But John Q public wont do that, nor do many know they need to do that. This board is an anomaly. How do real normal people do it?

So life here is pretty normal. The Shakespeare Festival as well as karaoke nights at restaurants, outside big events, restaurants at 100 percent, etc. I see no difference since before the pandemic with the exception of a few people wearing masks at Walmart. No businesses I went to this past week had anyone wearing a mask. We are remodeling and went around to different places. For those of you that said to choose a different business, we went to carpet stores in 3 different towns, 2 plumbing supply places in two towns, etc. Covid did not affect my town very much. Most of those that got it, it was a non-event. I am still wearing my mask. No one says anything. But in one more week I will be fully protected. I am getting left behind in friend groups and activities. I do not have a clue what to do. Still avoid renaissance festivals? Buy a ticket but don't go to the Shakespeare Festival? I need to interact. I do not want to infect anyone. I don't particularly want to get it. That said, husband and son at home are done. They are just doing life as normal. They are tired of my "the sky is falling." How do you decide what is safe? How do you have friends? I am just at a loss.

Explain.This always seem so fuzzy. I always feel like I am being yelled at for not doing enough, but do not know what to do?

Honestly, most people that want it have gotten it in our area. We are at atoun 23 percent vaccinated. I have talked to many people this week that have already had Covid. No big deal. Won’t vaccinate. Just way it is.

So how do we change this? I agree with you.

Praying everything is ok.

I agree there should be consequences. I also hope that they have her under suicide watch. I don't believe she meant to kill him, and I have a feeling her remorse and guilt will send her over the edge. I know how I would feel if it were me and probably what I would do to myself. I would not be able to live with the fact that I took another life. Police really need to just quit stopping vehicles unless it is something deadly. Just ignore expired stuff, things hanging from mirrors, tail lights that are out, etc. Our technology is such that I get stuff in the mail with pictures from toll roads. Surely they could just take a picture and send it to the owner. Just not worth the risk.

Congrats! Great start!

Disclaimer: I have not listened to this at all. I have no idea in which camp this lies. Just thought I would share that a radio station in Dallas has this on their blog today: https://www.kcbi.org/what-is-biblical-submission/?fbclid=IwAR3mWlbuewdfggfWgtjPKY4V2kRp7g-R8VEzD89aLbnlh6fIPVLDx3upV-E

Interesting turn. For what it is worth, here is part of my doctrinal synthesis talking about the Trinity: Brief Statement About Trinity and Christ I believe in the one true God, (Deut 4:35,39;6:4;32:39; 1 Kgs 8:60; Isa 42:8; 43:10b-11; 45:21-22; Mark 12:29) eternally existing as three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit;(Matt 28:18-19; 2 Cor 13:14) the same essence, equal in glory and yet distinct in persons. Christ is the eternally begotten son of the Father (John 1:14) who is both fully God (John 8:58; 10:30; Heb 1: 1-3; Rev 1:4-6) and fully man (Col 2:9; Phil 2:6-11). He was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt 1:20) and born of the Virgin Mary (Matt 1:18-25; Luke 1:35). The Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son and is fully God (John 14-17; 2 Cor 3:17-18). He serves as a Counselor or Advocate for believers (John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7, 13-15). Exposition on the Trinity and Two Natures of Christ Though the word Trinity[i] is not used in the Bible, the doctrine is revealed in scripture.[ii] [iii] [iv] Trinity means that the one true God eternally exists as three persons:[v] [vi] the Father,[vii] [viii] the Son, and the Holy Spirit[ix] —one in nature,[x] equal in glory, and distinct in relations.[xi] God set the stage for the doctrine of the Trinity in the Old Testament.[xii] He provides a clearer picture of the Trinity in the New Testament.[xiii] God’s attributes of all-sufficiency,[xiv] omnipresence,[xv] omniscience,[xvi] omnipotence,[xvii] goodness,[xviii][xix] love,[xx] and holiness[xxi] are eternally active.[xxii] God is all-present in himself alone,[xxiii] displayed in creation and history,[xxiv] [xxv]also above and separate from creation,[xxvi] and yet, within creation as well.[xxvii] Each person in the Trinity contains all the same attributes of God.[xxviii] [xxix] The three persons of the Trinity[xxx] experience perichoresis,[xxxi] a mutual indwelling that does not diminish their individual distinctiveness. [xxxii] God is a mystery[xxxiii] to our limited minds.[xxxiv] The first person in the Trinity is God, the Father.[xxxv] He is the Divine Source of everything,[xxxvi] including the Son[xxxvii] and the Holy Spirit.[xxxviii] He is a loving[xxxix] Father. [xl] He is the Sovereign Ruler,[xli] Holy Judge,[xlii] and compassionate reconciler.[xliii] Just as all things originated with the Father, they will also return to him as well.[xliv] Jesus, the Son,[xlv] is the second person in the Trinity. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit[xlvi] and born of the Virgin Mary.[xlvii] He is eternally[xlviii] begotten[xlix] [l]- there was never a time when he was not.[li] [lii] Jesus is the Son of God,[liii] [liv] Messiah,[lv]Son of Man,[lvi] and Savior.[lvii] He was crucified,[lviii]dead and buried and on the third day he rose again.[lix] He was fully God[lx] [lxi] and fully man.[lxii] Without this hypostatic union,[lxiii] he would not have been able to atone for the sins of humanity. Through his life and death on the cross, he “perfectly reveals”[lxiv] the Father to believers.[lxv] [lxvi] The third person[lxvii] in the Trinity is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit as revealed in the Old[lxviii] and New Testament is a person who has always existed,[lxix] proceeding from the Father and the Son.[lxx] The Holy Spirit is God.[lxxi] The Spirit inspires the Word of God[lxxii] and draws us into a relationship with the triune God.[lxxiii] He helps us to know and love the Godhead. [lxxiv] A special relationship exists between the Holy Spirit and Jesus.[lxxv] The Spirit convicts the world,[lxxvi]glorifies Jesus,[lxxvii] and helps the believer to experience the Christian life.[lxxviii] [i] Tertullian came up with the term Trinitas to describe the doctrine. Alister E. McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction, (Oxford: John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2017), 304. [ii] Dr. Chafer rightly observes that though we can and should use our reason in construction our doctrine of the Trinity, because the Bible is true, “seeks no support from finite reason.” Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1993,290.) Logos Bible Software. [iii] The baptismal formula in Matthew 28:19 is a primary passage. [iv] The doctrine of the Trinity is seen in the following four areas: 1. In the historical evidence of Jesus Christ. 2. The Bible 3. Personal Experience 4. Church Tradition J. Scott Horrell, “Ch 1 Revelation and Mystery,” unpublished class notes for ST 102 (Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall Semester, 2019), 21-29. [v] Dr. Chafer discusses how there must be objects and agents of the attributes. You can only give love to a person. Yet,, he also stresses the one essence of the three persons. Chafer, 293-294. [vi] Elohim and Adonai are plural terms for God, but the Bible uses a singular verb. J. Scott Horrell, “Ch 2 Veiled Glory,” unpublished class notes for ST 102 (Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall Semester, 2019),15-17. [vii] In today’s culture, feminism has objected to the name of Father for God; however, Bruce Waltke cautions, “God, not mortals, has the right to name himself. It is inexcusable hubris and idolatry on the part of mortals to change the images by which the eternal God chooses to represent himself. We cannot change God’s name, title, or metaphors without committing idolatry, for we will have reimagined him in a way other than the metaphors and the incarnation by which he revealed himself.” Bruce K. Waltke, An Old Testament Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), 244. [viii] Although God was only described as Father 14 times in the OT. His progressive revelation in the NT uses the term 245 times. J. Scott Horrell, “Ch 3 Father Who Draws Near,” unpublished class notes for ST 102 (Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall Semester, 2019), 8-11. [ix] Saint Augustine wrote “this Trinity is indivisible, and that the three persons of it are one substance, and that there are not three Gods but one God.” William Benton, “Augustine,” in Great Books of the Western World, (Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. 1953), 339. [x] In Deut 6:4, called the Shema by the Jews, the word ehad is used for the word one. It means “one-through-many,” a sort of composite type as opposed to the word yahid which translates “only, solitary.” Yahid is never used for God. This wording certainly works with the one essence of God having three persons. Horrell, “Ch 2,” 13-14. [xi] This definition is taken directly from Scott Horrell, “Ch 1,” 17. [xii] Augustine said “in vetere testament novum latet et in novo vettus patus,” commonly translated “The New is in the Old contained and the Old is in the New explained.” Augustine, Quaestiones in Heptateuchum, 2.73. quoted in Horrell, “Ch 2,” 8. [xiii] The gospel of John is particularly good at fleshing out the doctrine of the Trinity. [xiv] All-sufficiency means God does not lack anything. He did not create because he was missing something. (Acts 17:24-25; Ps 50:9-12; 90:2, Rev 4:11) Nathan D. Holsteen and Michael J Svigel, ed., Exploring Christian Theology: Revelation, Scripture and the Triune God, (South Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2014), 147. [xv] 1 Kgs 8:27; Jer 23:23-24; Isa 57:15. [xvi] “Omniscience means that God knows everything, things actual and possible, effortlessly and equally well,” Ryrie, Basic Theology 41. quoted in J. Scott Horrell, “Attributes of God,” unpublished class notes for ST 102 (Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall Semester, 2019), 14. [xvii] Rev 4:11; Ps 135:5-6; Isa 43:13, 44:24, 45:7 [xviii] “The substance of God consists in nothing else but in goodness” Thomas V. Morris, Our Idea of God, Intervarsity Press, 1991, 47) quoted in Horrell, “Attributes of God,” 25. [xix] Ps 25:8, 34:8; Mark 10:18. [xx] D. A. Carson suggests five aspects of the Trinitarian love of God: 1. God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit love each other. 2. God loves creation. 3. God has a “salvific love” for a fallen world. 4. God has a particular love for the “elect,” whether that is Israel, the church or individuals. 5. God’s love is conditional. D.A. Carson The Difficult Doctrine of Love, (Crossway, 200). quoted in Horrell, “Attributes of God,” 27. [xxi]Both the Old (Isaiah 6:3) and the New Testament (Rev 4:8) contain the Trisagion, which means “three times holy.” Holsteen, 153. [xxii] This gives evidence of the Trinity as it would make no sense for God to be loving if he had no one to love. So, these qualities have existed before creation. Chafer, 291-2. [xxiii] Theologians use the term immanent Trinity. Horrell, “Ch 1,” 19. [xxiv] Theologians use the term economic trinity to describe God’s work in creation. Horrell, “Ch 1,” 20. [xxv] See Holmes for an in-depth discussion of Rahner’s Rule which says that the economic trinity is the immanent trinity and vice versa. Stephen R. Holmes, The Quest for the Trinity: The Doctrine of God in Scripture, History, and Modernity, (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press Academic, 2012), 9-12. [xxvi] Theologians use the term transcendence. Jeremy Begbie stresses that transcendence and immanence work together. Transcendence does not imply “disconnection or detachment, let alone disinterest or remoteness.” Rather God is “propelled by ceaseless and holy love” most when working in the world. At the same time “God’s immanent presence to the world can never mean that the creature is crushed or robbed of its integrity, but rather is established, enhanced, and brought to fulness, immanence presupposed transcendence.” Jeremy Begbie, Redeeming Transcendence in the Arts: Bearing Witness to the Triune God, (Grand Rapids: Wm. B Eerdmans Publishing Co, 2018), 120. [xxvii] Immanence means God is present within creation. Horrell, “Attributes of God,” 18. [xxviii] Augustine wrote: To all three belong the same eternity, the same unchangeableness, the same majesty, the same power. Benton, 625. [xxix] Chafer, 295. [xxx] It is important to reiterate that these three persons exist at the same time so as not to fall into the heresy of modalism. Modalism considers each of these to be different modes of God. See Alister E McGrath to see the difference between chronological and functional modalism. Alister E McGrath, 308-310. [xxxi] Many theologians see this as a model for all relationships in a Christian life: marriage, the church, etc. Alister E McGrath, 305. [xxxii] John Zizioulas sees the Trinity as monarchical whereas Leonardo Boff focuses on perichoreses, resulting in very different interpretations. Boff prefers the freely giving love and submission serving as a model for the church rather than Zizioulas’ strict hierarchical approach. Holmes, The Quest for the Trinity, 25-26. [xxxiii] “As he [God} draws near to us, we begin to realize how high he is above us, and as he unveils himself to us in truth, we begin to grasp how far he is beyond our understanding.” Hans Urs von Balthasar, Theo-Drama: A Theological Dramatic Theory, 5 vols., trans. Graham Harrison (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1988-90), 3.530. quoted in Horrell, “Ch 1,” 37. [xxxiv] Augustine said, “Si comprehendis non est Dues” sermon117. [xxxv] In modern culture there as been debate about using masculine terms for God. Bruce Waltke rightly observes, “God, not mortals has the right to name himself…We cannot change God’s name, titles or metaphors without committing idolatry, for we will have reimaged him in a way other than the metaphors and the incarnation by which he revealed himself.” Bruce K. Waltke, An Old Testament Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), 244. [xxxvi] Eph 1:11; 4:6; Acts 17:24-25, 28. [xxxvii] Hongyi Yang discusses the implication of the Son’s submission to the Father on salvation. See Hongyi Yang, “Conclusion,” A Development Not a Departure, (P&R, 2018), 299-305. [xxxviii] Church tradition has supported the doctrine of fons totius divinitatis as evidenced by the Nicene Creed. [xxxix] McGrath discusses “three major personifications” of God in the Old Testament: As wisdom in Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, the Word of God in Psalms and Isaiah, and the Spirit of God in Isaiah and Ezekiel. Alister McGrath, 303. [xl] Jesus refers to Yahweh as Father in Matt 7:21; 10:32-33; 12:50;18:10; 20:23; 25:34; 26:29, 30, 42. In the Garden of Gethsemane he refers to him as Abba in Mk 14:36. Allan Coppage, The God Who is Triune: Resolving the Christian Doctrine of God, (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2007), 26-27. [xli] This is the primary role for God the Father (Deut 10:14, 17; Matt 11:25, Luke 10:21), though he does give the authority to the Son at times. God rules over all nations (1 Chron 29:11-12; 2 Kings 19:15). Scott Horrell, “Ch 3,” 16-18. [xlii] God is the plumb line for what is considered right and wrong. Sin is “anything contrary to God’s moral perfection and declared will.” He will judge the nations. (Exod 12:12) Horrell, “Ch 3.” 19-21. [xliii] God the Father is the one who gave the world His son. (John 3:16; 1 John 4:8-9; 2 Cor 5:18-19). [xliv] 1 Cor 15:24-28; Rev 1:8. [xlv] Some scholars have issues with Jesus being referred to as prototokos “firstborn.” This does not refer to him being born first (hence implying he has not always existed and is not divine), but rather has the meaning of his being God’s chief heir or object of a special love. J. Scott Horrell, “Ch 4 God Made Flesh,” unpublished class notes for ST 102 (Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall Semester, 2019), 43. [xlvi] A rich, multifaceted relationship exists between Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Not only was he conceived through the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit descended on him at his baptism (Matt 3:16) and lead him into the wilderness (Matt 4:1). Yet, he also seems to command the Spirit such as when he baptizes “with the Holy spirit and fire” (John 1:33). He promises to send the Holy Spirit from the Father to the disciples. (John 15:26, 16:7). [xlvii] This sentence is found in the Apostle’s Creed which dates to around A.D. 150, showing it was widely accepted by the early church. [xlviii]Jesus has always existed. (John 1:1-3; 17:5, 24; Col 1:15-19; Heb 1:2-13) [xlix] As opposed to Arian who believed that God created Jesus sometime after creation. Therefore, he was not equal to God, nor made of his essence. Michael Reeves. Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith. (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2012), 21. [l] The term begotten is important. C.S. Lewis noted that the word implies begetting “something the same kind as yourself. A man begets human babies, a beaver begets little beavers,…” whereas the word create implies making something different than itself. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York:Macmillan, 1952), 138. quoted in Horrell, “Ch 4,”47. [li] See Holmes “Quest for the Trinity” for a detailed exploration of Barth’s thoughts on Jesus being eternal. [lii] Barth did not like the term persons but rather German word, Seinwiese. He felt like using person implied tritheism. Holmes, 9. [liii] See Coppedge, 26-30 for a detailed description of Jesus referring to God as Father and the Father relating to Jesus as son. [liv] He is called the Son of God by Nathanael (John 1:49), demons (Mt 8:29), the disciples (Matt 15:33, Peter Mt 16:16). Jesus makes the claims in Matt 27:43, Jn 10:36 11:4 . Coppage, 27-28. [lv] Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament coming as Messiah: Greek christos or Hebrew mashiah. Alister E McGrath, 209-210. [lvi] This term describes the humanity of Christ, but it can also refer to the prophesies of Ezekiel and Daniel. See Alister E. McGrath, Christian Theology, 211 for a more in-depth discussion of the nuances of meaning. [lvii] The Greek term kyrios had been traditionally reserved for God, but the apostles and Paul (Rom 10:9) use this word to refer to Jesus. [lviii] Phil 2:7 refers to kenosis, Jesus emptying himself. He could not empty himself of his divinity or he would not be God. Some have interpreted this to mean he chose not to use some of his divinity. However, this verse is difficult to understand. [lix] Again, this is from the Apostle’s Creed. [lx] Biblical writers in “high Christologies” identify Jesus as divine: Col 1:13-19; 2:9; Phil 2:5-11; Heb 1:1-14 [lxi] Jesus is not a similar substance (homoiousios) but the same substance (homoousios) as God. Alister E. McGrath, 301. [lxii] The Council of Chalcedon in 451 explicitly detailed the “truly divine and truly human” form of Jesus. Alister E McGrath, 207. [lxiii] Several other terms can be used to describe the humanity and deity of Christ. First is enhypostatic union where the divine essence sustains the human nature. The second is anhypostasis which means would not have been a human nature without a divine nature. Finally communicato idiomatum which specifies that although they shared the person of Christ the divine and human natures did not comingle. J. Scott Horrell, “One Person, Two Natures of Christ,” unpublished class notes for ST 102 (Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall Semester, 2019), 3-5. [lxiv] Michael Reeves, 97. [lxv] The idea that Jesus was the “revelatory presence of God” is unique to Christianity. Alister E. McGrath, Christian Theology, 208. [lxvi] John 14:9 [lxvii] It is important to reiterate that the Holy Spirit is not some nebulous force. The Holy Spirit has intelligence, volition, affection and is capable of relationships. Tradition J. Scott Horrell, “Ch 5 The Other Comforter,” unpublished class notes for ST 102 (Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall Semester, 2019), 31. [lxviii] The Hebrew term ruach has a variety of meanings in the Old Testament: 1. wind (Ex 14:21) 2. Breath (Gen 1:2; 2:7; Job 26:12-12; Psalm 104: 27-31; and Ezek 37:1-14 3. Charism – filling someone with the spirit of God (Gen 41:38-9; Ex 28:3; Deut 34:9; Isaiah 61:1; Ezek 2:1-2; Micah 3:8; Zech 7:12) Alister E. McGrath, Christian Theology, 280-281. [lxix] The Holy Spirit participated in creation (Gen 1:2; 2:7; Job 33:4; 26:13; Ps 104:30; Ezek 37:9). [lxx] The controversy over adding filoque (which means from the Son) to the Nicaean Creed was a major cause of the division between the Western and Eastern churches. Alister E McGrath, Christian Theology, 287-288. [lxxi] Matthew 28:19 equates the name of the Holy Spirit with the name of God. In Acts 5:3-9 Peter equates lying to the Holy Spirit as lying to God. In 2 Cor 3:17-18 Paul writes, “Now the Lord is the Spirit.” Horrell, “Ch 5.” 23-25. [lxxii] 2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20-21 [lxxiii]John Paul II wrote in the Redemptoris Missio that the Spirit “serves as a preparation for the Gospel and can only be understood in reference to Christ…” Alister E McGrath, Christian Theology, 295. [lxxiv] Reeves says the big problem atheists have with God is their conception of God like the ruler of North Korea. “The picture changes entirely, though, if God is fundamentally the most kind and loving Father, and only ever exercises his rule as who he is—Father.” Reeves, 110. [lxxv] Allan Coppedge discusses the six types of relationships 1. Jesus is conceived by the Holy Spirit ( Mt 1:18,20; Lk 1:35). 2. The Holy Spirit descends on Jesus at his baptism ( Mt 3:17, Lk 3:22 ) 3. He anoints Jesus to do his work. 4. Jesus teaches about the Holy Spirit. 5. Jesus will send the Holy Spirit as a Counselor and Comforter (Jn 14:16). 6. He breathes on them telling them to “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (Jn 20:21-23) , Coppedge, 30-33. [lxxvi] John 16:8-11 [lxxvii] John 16:14 [lxxviii] Jurgen Moltmann put it this way, “It [Holy Spirit] is God himself, the creative and life-giving, redeeming and saving God. Where the Holy Spirit is present, God is present in a special way, and we ezperience God through our lives, which become wholly living from within.” Jurgen Moltmann, The Source of Life: The Holy Spirit and the Theology of Life, trans. Margaret Kohl (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1997), 10.

Thank you. That is helpful. My classmate pretty much told our class that cannot be true. Absolutely we hurt POC. I think we are a better place now; however, as I begin to be able to participate again, I will be able to ask POC how they think we are doing. For example, one young woman in my class who has been mistreated by her SBC church as an intern is Asian. Mistreated may be too strong a word, but pretty much her opinions are ignored. I am going to a wedding shower this weekend for one of our college students from Japan who is marrying a young Hispanic college student who grew up in our church. She has spoken at our ladies' retreat (pre-Covid). So I think she would say we are doing fine, but I can ask her. She is so sweet and would be completely safe. I can ask her how she thinks we are doing.

Well, when I here things like below I will show you what I hear. Yeah, not safe. I do follow several of them on Facebook and in their eyes I am probably just a fragile white woman. I had one of these young ladies in another writing class. We had to write an OP ed on a controversial subject. Mine made her curse out another classmate during class. (She didn't get mad at me. I tried to be balanced, but she brought up some possible problematic points which another classmate vehemently disagreed, at which point she cussed out the older woman. The prof had to call a time out. No, would not feel safe talking to her. So what I hear when I read the two quotes is this: You are an idiot for not knowing that is how it started. You are racist for even attending. If you were truly anti-racist you would leave. If not then you are an ugly racist or you are just really stupid and naïve. That is what I hear in between the lines.

Yes, this is why my pastor and other pastors I knew advised me STRONGLY not to go to that seminary. Also interesting is that out of our class of 20, 10 are from a SBC denomination. I do not know that they will go serve in a SBC church. In fact, I doubt they will. My pastor's daughter is a worship leader serving in a non-denominational church. So, I think the SBC will eventually die off if they do not change. I think my pastor ( and probably me) are just too old. The idea of making some huge statement at this age. Not going to happen.

So you think I should convince my husband to leave? I grew up Methodist and married into it. Here we go again. I just cannot handle the conflict. So tired of this. I don’t want another hour of it like class. I do understand the POC view. Just tired of feeling like I am being condemned whichever way I turn.

I was in class and the professor started with talking about this tweet. Then several young Black women in the class were like, "Big whoop. We know the racist beginnings of the SBC, so she should have left a long time ago." Which then someone brought up the fact that Baptist churches are not like Catholic. We don't have a Pope that we follow. But then several other young women, some POC some not brought up their bad experiences in their Baptist churches. Women have had every single position in our church with the exception of head pastor. I think our current pastor is egalitarian, though he has never used that term. His wife is a very strong woman and speaks her mind. He has said that if you are threatened by a strong wife, then you have the problem, not your wife. As far as the denomination being racist. If we are honest, in the south, ANY denomination that dates to before the Civil War has a racist history. So are we just supposed to burn all of the denominational names and just start all over? The truth is even if our congregation withdrew from the SBC, the same history, the same people are there. Having a new name would not change anything. Just made me really sad. I like my church.