RSS feed for TOM ASCOL @ Florida Baptist Witness (FBW) Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0900 I have mixed emotions about the recent statement on the “traditional” Southern Baptist understanding of salvation. On the one hand, I applaud my Baptist brothers, some of whom I know and esteem, for stating plainly what they believe on this important doctrine. Baptists have always been unafraid to confess our faith in plain language so that everyone will know exactly where we stand and we have always been willing for anyone to evaluate our views in the light of Scripture. This document is extremely important for just that reason. On the other hand, I am concerned that it could become unnecessarily divisive because of some of the statements it makes in the Preamble about the so-called “New Calvinism” (NC). Some of the claims are misleading, some are mere gratuitous assertions and others are simply erroneous. Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0900 The furor created by Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida has stretched around the world. In July, Jones announced that he and his followers would burn copies of the Quran on September 11, in memory of the attack on America by radical Muslims on September 11, 2001. Everyone from Sarah Palin, to General Petraeus to the Vatican to President Obama have condemned the planned burning and asked Jones not to do it. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0900 Tom Krattenmaker thinks that religion and sports don’t mix. At least certain kinds of religious conviction shouldn’t be allowed in the realm of athletics.