Last month in Richmond, VA, the Westboro Baptist Church picketed the local Holocaust Museum, carrying signs and chanting "God Hates Jews." On the same day, other Richmond Baptists stood up for the Jewish Community and in opposition to the anti-Jewish protestors. Both groups call themselves Baptists, but have radically different beliefs as to how Christians should relate to people of different faiths. The Westboro Baptist Church should have the right to peacefully express their beliefs. However, if they had picketed against our Huebner Road neighbor, Congregation Agudas Achim, Woodland is the kind of Baptist church that would have disagreed with the Westboro protestors and stood up for our Jewish neighbor’s religious rights. CBF (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship) churches fight for religious freedom, even for those who have different beliefs.   

From its beginnings, the most distinct contribution Baptists have made to the world of religion and to the formation of America was our stand for religious freedom. It was the unpopular, biblical idea that freedom of conscience, the unrestricted freedom of the mind and the absolute freedom of every human being to worship God or not, is a God-given right. No person, group, church or government should ever be allowed to take away that sacred right. This week in an art function, I sat next to a woman who is on the Board of Congregation Agudas Achim. I expressed my appreciation for her congregation’s invitation a few years ago to Woodland to attend the Bible festival of Purim (Celebration of Esther). A large group of Woodlanders enjoyed the service and their gracious refreshments. I asked if she thought that her congregation would enjoy coming to Woodland for a joint musical service with our congregations. She’s talking to her Rabbi this week. Woodland is that kind of Baptist. We do not fear diversity. We do not merely tolerate others’ beliefs. We welcome and respect them. We wish to learn and grow from them. We look for opportunities to share our unique faith and to allowing others to share theirs. See you next week for more about why we are a CBF church.