SBCOutpost

Upon my return to Oklahoma this morning, I was excited to receive a certified letter from Mr. J. Shelby Sharpe, attorney for Defendant Paige Patterson, and a man who apparently reads SBCOutpost. An electronic reproduction of Mr. Sharpe’s letter to me can be accessed below:

Defendant Patterson Attorney’s Letter to Benjamin Cole — February 27, 2008

And here is my drafted response, which will be sent today via certified mail:

March 5, 2008

Sent Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested

Mr. J. Shelby Sharpe
6100 Western Place Suite 1000
Fort Worth, TX 76107

Dear Mr. Sharpe:

Please be advised that I have received your letter, dated February 27, 2008, which concerns your opinion that a post entitled “Breaking News: Patterson won’t take oath . . . ” constitutes defamation of Paige Patterson. I am not familiar with what constitutes your particular area of legal expertise, except to say that I have followed your representation of various Baptist interests in Texas since you filed articles of incorporation on behalf of the Southern Baptist of Texas Convention in 1995. I have also listened attentively to an audio recording of your chapel message delivered to the students of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary on September 5, 2006. It is clear from that message that you have a sincere love for the Word of God and for its faithful exposition.

I applaud your efforts to represent your client faithfully and aggressively. It is clear that you have distinguished yourself as an honorable and resourceful advocate. Whether or not you will receive the commendation of heaven for your efforts (”Well done, good and faithful servant”) is not a matter for my judgment. Nevertheless, I will consider the best way to allow my readers a full opportunity to hear “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” If you will please provide me with a full and complete transcript of Paige Patterson’s deposition from February 25, 2008, I will be happy to reproduce it in full.

Please do not interpret this response as any fear on my part regarding the potential for a lawsuit brought against me by your client. I have the firm conviction that the Court would be most disinterested in hearing it anyway. Furthermore, I will not interpret your letter to me as a “threat,” though I can not help but interpret your letter to me as another example of hysterical paranoia on the part of your client. I know of no other Southern Baptist leader who would retain counsel to read blogs and correspond with their authors. I do hope you find a great sense of career satisfaction in the noble height to which your professional expertise has lifted you.

For the record, I am merely expressing my ecclesiastic opinion that your client struggles to tell the “whole truth,” as my biblical understanding of “whole” and “truth” guides me. Now is not the time, however, for me to encumber your immense responsibility in the Klouda lawsuit with numerous examples to support this claim. You may read my book when it is published.

Finally, I have written many things about your client during the course of the Klouda lawsuit. This is the first occasion that you have taken occasion to refute anything I have written. I must, therefore, accept your letter as tacit admission that all other posts are accurate and truthful.

May God add his blessing to your every effort that honors his Son.

Sincerely,

Benjamin S. Cole

cc: Defendant Paige Patterson
Gary Richardson

Last year when the Klouda ordeal became publicized, SWBTS Trustee Chairman Van McClain — himself an Old Testament professor at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary — responded to media inquiries from the Dallas Morning News.  In McClain’s affidavit, on file with the Federal District Clerk, the trustee chairman alleges that his statements in this attached email were misinterpreted.

Klouda’s hiring, McClain suggests, was a result of a “momentary lax of the parameters.”

From this email with Dallas Morning News reporter Sam Hodges, we learn that former SWBTS President Ken Hemphill has been interviewed about Southwestern’s policy on women teaching Hebrew in the School of Theology.  McClain also references former SWBTS Professor Karen Bullock, though he fails to elaborate on the circumstance of her dismissal.

Nevertheless, I find it interesting that McClain can allege that a combined thirteen years of women teaching in the School of Theology at Southwestern is “momentary.”

Van McClain email correspondence with Dallas Morning News

Late in former SWBTS President Ken Hemphill’s tenure, the seminary trustees thought it best to strip him of his academic oversight of the seminary and create a provost position for Craig Blaising. At the time, trustees jokingly referred to Blaising as the “Platinum Provost.”

“His bedside manners are terrible,” one seminary trustee told me upon Blaising’s election. “But he will finally get the job done.”

Blaising hit SWBTS like a storm, reorganizing the administrative structure and negotiating the reassignment or release of professors and staff deemed “not conservative enough” for seminary trustees. When the Karen Bullock fiasco hit the fan, it was Blaising who reportedly carried the message to Hemphill that he had lost the trustee support. At one point, the former Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Dr. Jack Terry, offered to tender his resignation if Blaising wasn’t relieved of his sweeping executive authority.

Not long after Patterson arrived at SWBTS, Blaising’s “platinum provost” position was downgraded to silver. And there was much rejoicing.

Today, Craig Blaising is doing his best to cover Defendant Patterson’s hind quarters. In fact, no greater loyalist at SWBTS can be found among Patterson’s two-legged colleagues. His affidavit reveals the nature of his involvement in negotiating Klouda’s contract with the seminary, in revising the conditions of her faculty responsibility to satisfy hesitant trustees, and in doing the dirty work of giving her the boot when Patterson determined that his “sincere religious belief” warranted a unilateral vacation of the trustee majority opinion regarding the suitability of a woman to teach Semitic languages in the School of Theology.

With that, I give you:

The Sworn Affidavit of Craig Blaising

SBCOutpost is pleased to release the sworn affidavit of Defendant Leighton Paige Patterson, but before I post it I have some general observations to make:

1.  It seems that Defendant Patterson had no objection to swearing before a Notary Public.  In fact, if Defendant Patterson’s objections to swearing were sincere, it seems that he would have refused to sign an affidavit that reports him to have “sworn.”  Either that, or something happened between 1/21/2008 and 2/25/08 that altered Defendant Patterson’s willingness to “swear.”

2.  Defendant Patterson swears that the seminary offers “only religiously oriented courses.”  I guess sewing, curtain-hanging, and cookie-baking are “religiously oriented.”

3.  Defendant Patterson swears that he learned of “the concern of some of the trustees of the propriety of Dr. Klouda [sic] serving on the faculty of the School of Theology.”  It seems that Defendant Patterson believes that he retains the prerogative as seminary president to reverse the decision of the  majority of trustees when his own preference is for the minority position.  A minority plus Paige equals a majority.   It also seems that Defendant Patterson does not understand the proper grammatical construction of possessive nouns and gerunds.

4.  Defendant Patterson swears that his decision “not to continue” Dr. Klouda’s service on the faculty was “theologically determined and brought the Seminary’s policies and practices in line with the positions adopted by the ecclesial body with which it is affiliated.”  SBCOutpost regrets that we can find no position adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention that speaks to women serving as seminary professors, except for  this resolution from 1983 that doesn’t seem to support his case.  We also are interested that elsewhere Defendant Patterson is attempting to argue that Sheri Klouda resigned of her own free will.  His sworn testimony regarding his decision “not to continue” her employment seems at odds here.

5.  Defendant Patterson swears that he met with Dr. Klouda on August 18, 2004, at which time he confirmed his decision “not to recommend her for tenure” and that she should “find other employment.”  First, Defendant Patterson is disingenuous here.  Neither does he plan to recommend any faculty member — male or female — for tenure, nor had he done so since his election in June 2003.  Second, a full one month after Defendant Patterson has sworn he told Klouda that she had no long term opportunity for employment at Southwestern Seminary, she was affirmed across the board by her supervisor, Dr. Paul Wolfe.

Maybe he didn’t get the memo.

And now, I give you:

The Sworn Affidavit of Leighton Paige Patterson

Count Dickula has caught the attention of the folks over at Ethics Daily for a recent lecture at the Criswell College wherein he referred to New York Senator Charles Shumer as a “shmuck,” a word of interesting Yiddish derivation.

Senator Shumer is Jewish.

Of course, this bit of news has distracted us momentarily from following the ERLC president’s acrobatics to support John McCain in light of the campaign failures of his preferred candidate Fred Thompson Mitt Romney.

More episodes like this and Criswell College President Jerry Johnson will have to lower his asking price to sell the school.  In related news, it has been reported that Criswell College is receiving an on-site accreditation review today.

Dr. James Dobson is probably a good man. He loves his wife. He loves his children. I’m pretty sure he loves Jesus. He also loves the spotlight that comes with political influence. For this, of course, I do not fault him. Something about glass houses comes to mind.

Yesterday James Dobson released a statement opposing John McCain’s candidacy, and thus he lined up with Limbaugh and Ingraham and Coulter. The reasons for Dobson’s opposition were clearly enumerated: McCain would not support a constitutional amendment to “protect” the institution of marriage; he supports embryonic stem cell research; he opposed ending the “marriage penalty tax”; and he “has little regard for the freedom of speech.” In his bill of particulars, Dobson might have revealed more about himself than he did John McCain.

James Dobson is an idealogue. You’re either for him, or you’re against him. More than ten years ago Dobson rattled his sabre during a plenary session of the Council for National Policy meeting in Phoenix by threatening to bolt from the Republican Party. The party bosses got weak at the knees, and Dobson’s little tempter tantrum won him greater influence in the GOP. But Dobson’s tribe is diminished, and not a day too soon.

Pat Robertson went with Rudy Giuliani. Paul Pressler went with Fred Thompson. Jack Graham and Danny Akin went with Huckabee. Jerry Falwell, by some estimates, was poised to support McCain before meeting his Maker last May. The Religious Right has come of age and no longer looks to God’s gurus in Colorado Springs or Lynchburg for election day directives.

Unlike other prominent religious conservatives who possess deeply-held religious views, James Dobson has never tried his hand at public office. Huckabee left a Texarkana pulpit for the Arkansas governor’s mansion. Pat Robertson mounted a tremendous effort to gain the Republican nomination in 1988. These men knew that there are two options in life: you can either stay on the sidelines and whine, or you can get into the field and make a run for it. Huckabee has had more success than anyone imagined. Robertson learned his lesson another way.

But Dobson just sits on the sidelines — election year after election year — and threatens to pull his support or stay home. Ten years ago, most evangelical voters would have listened attentively. Many would have followed his lead. Today, we just watch with waning interest as James Dobson grows increasingly shrill and unimportant.

I wonder what might have happened if the child psychologist turned evangelical superstar had made a run for the United States Senate from Colorado a decade or so ago. He very well could have won. If he ran today, he would suffer resounding defeat in a state where twice as many Democratic voters went for Barack Obama as Republicans went for Mitt Romney. I’m sure that Dobson would tell us that “God didn’t call him to run for public office.” It’s funny how God seldom calls evangelicals to suffer political defeat.

Ronald Reagan was responsible for giving the GOP their eleventh commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.” I’m not asking Dr. Dobson to observe laws from Simi Valley with the same commitment as he would observe those from Sinai. Neither am I asking Dr. Dobson to stop exercising his right of free speech.

All I’m asking is for evangelicals in the Republican Party to give James Dobson the same kind attention we would give to our senile and increasingly erratic grandfathers.

Love them. Listen to them. Laugh with them.

Then make sure they take their medicine.

Our contributor, Benjamin Cole, is attending the New Baptist Covenant Celebration this week in Atlanta. Come back regularly for thoughts, reflections, and sundry digressions from one of the SBC’s most provocative bloggers.

Outpost contributor Benjamin S. Cole was interviewed today by Bruce Prescott of Mainstream Baptists, discussing a range of topics including the New Baptist Covenant, Wade Burleson, and the SBC presidential candidacy of R. Albert Mohler.

Listen to the archive.

It seems the thing to do these days, so SBCOutpost is pleased to publish the final post — a poem — by one of our contributor’s until the New Year comes.

Twas the night before Christmas, and at the Nut House
The Grinch was a-grumbling. The Hat, all a-grouse.
Ten thousand square feet of bourgeois, humble manor,
Was bustling and busy making ready for Santa.

The nativities were strewn ‘round the rooms on the tables.
The only reminder of our Lord’s birthing stable.
The black lab was snoring in canine elation,
While Big Daddy was struggling to write Revelation.

When out on the blogs there arose such a riot
That the master and missus nearly went on a diet.
Away to his laptop, like kudu he ran.
Flipped open the cover, and swallowed an Aspirin.

The shadow of Dottie cast over his shoulder
Like Wylie Coyote when crushed by a boulder.
Then, what did their wondering eyeballs behold?
But this little poem on SBCOutpost.

With a mean, nasty writer, so bitter and bold.
They knew in a moment, it must be Ben Cole.
More rapid than rabbits, he multiplied their pain.
And posted and posted and posted again.

“Now Klouda! Now Prescott!
Now Rankin and Chapman!
On Hempill! On Rainer.
On Tomlin and Schatzmann!”
To the publishers run.
To the editors flee.
And write them all. Write them all.
Each biography!

With no end in sight, he fumed and fomented
Causing many to think that he must be demented.
Undeterred, he blogged on about money and mansions
And firings, and failings and sundry dissensions.

And then, when no end was seen to his plight.
He laid down his sword, and whispered “Good Night.”
A new day is dawning, in our Baptist Zion
With Dock’ry and Akin and Rainer and Hammond.

A Resurgence of Mission, these men call us toward.
To leave behind rancor and all our discord.
Whether baking their cookies or parsing their verbs,
Baptist Blogger will leave them to tend to their herbs.
The Hat, with her self-loathing misogynation
Is free to promote it without satirization.
And Patmos will continue whether wrongly or right.
Or whether seminary trustees provide oversight.

Now some, how they’ll comment with gleeful responses
And assume that yours truly will rest on his haunches.
But détente is the word, not surrender or quit.
If needed, I’ll come back with more fire and spit.

For now, I’m contented to let Christmas truces.
Allow all combatants gather round fir, pine or spruces.
With families singing, glad tidings of joy.
About Bethlehem’s manger, and God’s baby boy.

Let’s focus, each of us, on orphans and Lottie.
Not trustees and censures and stuff in the potty.
So with Christmas blessing imparted, I go:

“Praise to the Savior. In excelsis Deo.”

There is no question about it, Baptist Press loves to cover abortiongaymarriagepresidentialpolitics. For many of us who are pleased that Baptist Press has grown in its nationwide readership, owing in no small part to the skill and savvy of BP Editor, Will Hall, we are often disappointed at the new prioritization that directs Baptist Press headlines. If you doubt me, take some time and do a story comparison and discover how many times the name of Lottie Moon is covered versus the name Richard Land. Or check how many more times the word abortion is used than adoption.

Yesterday’s edition of Baptist Press is a case in point.

Headlining yesterday’s edition of Baptist Press was a heart-warming, well-written story by a freelance writer on Rick Warren’s Global Summit on HIV/AIDS. The commendation stops there.

Next in line is yet another article on 2008 Presidential politics, though this one does have some tangential relationship to Southern Baptists’ immediate theological concerns. It deals with GOP candidates — of course — and their views on the Bible. Then it gives us a run-down on the GOP candidate debate. I’m curious just how many people these days are rushing to Baptist Press for their political scorecard? Why do Southern Baptists need somebody to ruminate the Washington scene for us “with a Christian perspective?”

Just under the GOP story, is another GOP story about the death of former U.S. Congressman Henry Hyde (IL). Of course, his obit gets top billing because — well, he was a “pro-life champion.” Oh, and he chaired the House Judiciary Committee when Bill Clinton needed impeaching.

Then comes a few articles on the very important, very Baptist-related conference at Ridgecrest where Calvinists and non-Calvinists had opportunity — courtesy of Thom Rainer and the Lifeway crew — to fellowship, dialogue, and seek common ground for the sake of unity in the convention. One of the hottest issues facing Southern Baptists is the growing tensions between Calvinists and non-Calvinists. By all accounts, this peaceful discussion over three days is quite important for the conversation in Southern Baptist life. By BP accounts, however, GOP presidential politics is more important.

Tucked way down under the death of Henry Hyde is an article about the death of Jesus Christ. I suppose his pro-life credentials didn’t quite measure up. Neither will his Judiciary Committee convene in Washington D.C.