A Glimpse of Oklahoma
By David Flick

On August 29, Anthony Jordan wrote an article in the Oklahoma Baptist Messenger. The gist of the article was that Mainstream Baptists do not represent the thinking of historic Southern Baptists. In the article, ("Mainstream or extreme?"), Jordan compared Mainstream Baptists to lesbians and Mormons. It was a feeble attempt to discredit moderate Baptists in Oklahoma.

I wrote a rebuttal and posted here in the forum. ("Historic Baptists or Revisionists") I would have sent it to the Baptist Messenger, but John Yeats would never have published it. Jordan would never have allowed it. Thus, my article will be seen by very few Oklahoma Baptists. I doubt that Jordan himself has seen it. If he has, I'm pretty sure he would not acknowledge it.

On Sept. 19th,  Paula Meese of Tulsa wrote a letter to the editor that appeared in the Messenger. Since there's no available link to this letter, I'm scanning it.

Mainstream Agrees 

Anthony Jordan’s "Perspective" article in the Aug. 29 issue was right on. ¹For several years, I have wanted to find a way to express my indignation with "mainstreamers," but have never found a way to do it without being offensive. ²Jordan accomplishes that quite well.
      Many groups with minority status (I, too, am speaking mainly of religious, political and personal preference minority status) wish to force us, the majority, to accept their behavior or beliefs as normal. Yet should the majority even try to imply that the opposite is true, we would be directly labeled as bigots. ³I fail to see how and why a small group of people can accuse the masses of intolerance and yet in reverse, use intolerance to disallow the masses their traditional beliefs.
      ⁴Jordan is to be commended for stating his stance in love on these controversial issues. ⁵I hope he realizes that the real mainstream of American culture agrees with him, regardless of what a few may say.
                      --  Paula Meese, member, Tulsa, South Tulsa

1) I don't know Mrs. Meese. Thus, I have no way of knowing whether or not she has expressed indignation toward Mainstream Baptists without being offensive. I do know, however, offensive indignation toward Mainstream Baptists in Oklahoma is  pretty much the order of the day.

The fundamentalists in Oklahoma despise the fact that moderate Baptists in Oklahoma possess the name they dearly want to claim for themselves. In fact they do claim it for themselves. They continually declare that they are the real mainstream Baptists. Their jealousy over this matter has embittered them to the point that they lash out at Mainstreamers whenever and wherever they can. The fundamentalists think of themselves as being in line with the "historic faith and practices of Southern Baptists" (cf. Jordan's article). They are determined to prove that moderate Baptists moved away from the historic faith and practices of Southern Baptists. They don't have a leg to stand on. Moderate Baptists have not moved. The fundamentalists have moved and they have their hands covering their eyes.

2) Mrs. Meese doesn't know Anthony Jordan as I do. To say that Jordan expresses his indignation toward Mainstream Baptists without being offensive is simply laughable. I have been in his presence on many occasions when he openly expressed his indignation toward Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists and Bruce Prescott. Make no mistake about it. Jordan can turn on the "indignation" spigot. I've heard him with my own ears.

3) Here's where Mrs. Meese and her fundamentalist friends have their eyes covered. Mainstream Baptists do not "disallow" anyone, much less "the masses," of whatever beliefs they choose hold. Such a notion is ludicrous. Mainstream Baptists are free Baptists. How can any Baptist "disallow" another Baptist his personal convictions and beliefs? Meese just isn't using her head when she makes such a declaration.

Furthermore, Mainstream Baptists are not the "intolerant" ones. They have never sought to superimpose their beliefs upon the masses. They have expressed their views and declared their position on theology and denominational politics. Examples of intolerance in the fundamentalist camp abound. Fundamentalists are intolerant on the issue of inerrancy. This intolerance manifests itself in the way they treat those who disagree with their views. Fundamentalist intolerance says that Southern Baptists who do not agree with their view of biblical inspiration are those who surely "don't believe the Bible." 

Fundamentalist intolerance is expressed toward missionaries who choose not to sign the 2KBF&M. This intolerance has caused many missionaries to be fired. Fundamentalist intolerance is expressed toward seminary professors who refuse to sign the 2KBF&M. Fundamentalist intolerance is expressed toward women in ministry. Fundamentalist intolerance is expressed toward women in the marriage relationship. Fundamentalists say that women are to be subjugated to the second rung in marriage. If Mrs. Meese thinks Mainstream Baptists are "intolerant," she needs to take a look at the attitude without latitude which she and the fundamentalists have.

4) Paula Meese doesn't know Anthony Jordan as I do. He expresses love toward his friends, but not toward those who disagree with him. I know. I have personally experienced the other side of the man.

5) I would like to ask Mrs. Meese who she thinks represents the "real mainstream of American culture. More specifically, I would like to ask her who she thinks represents "real mainstream of Southern Baptists." Here in Oklahoma the "real mainstream Southern Baptists" are rather scarce. True, in Oklahoma Mainstream and moderate Baptists are a minority. But since when is the majority always on the right track? In the case of Southern Baptists, the majority has gotten off the beaten path of "historic faith and practices of Southern Baptists." Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists are still on that path and moving forward.

Mrs. Meese dosn't know what she's talking about…