February 23, 2008

Pickles Have Souls


David Rogers posted on his blog, Love each Stone: "One of the most referenced (and misinterpreted) quotes of my father, Adrian Rogers, by those who opposed the "Conservative Resurgence" is that SBC seminary professors must teach "whatever they are told to teach. And if we tell them to teach that pickles have souls, then they must teach that pickles have souls!" Of course, the point he was making, and with which I agree, did not have anything to do with whether or not pickles have souls, nor whether or not a small group of people in the SBC ought to be able to dictate what others believe – but rather the need for those who receive their salary from the Cooperative Program to be accountable for their doctrinal views to those who pay their salary: the churches of the SBC. "

The phrase, "pickles have souls" is about money. Adrian Rogers speaking to a group of ministers in Atlanta 1987 as SBC president on the subject of seminary presidents' responsibility to the SBC had a mental lapse and stated a phrase, I'm sure, he wishes he had never uttered. I'm sure most of the pastors looked stoned faced as they understood that ministers are servants of the Lord and are not employees of men. They are priest of the most high God and receive under God's direction portions of the sacrifices men offer to Him.

In 1987 Paul Williams was sodomizing his own young son and would continue doing so for 12-18 months. Dr Rogers was starting LWF, president of the SBC and leading his congregation in a gigantic step of faith and then this slip of the tongue. It makes one ask if a statement like this was on his mind then he had heard it before from someone. Had someone in a personal conversation reminded him that they had given sufficient financial backing that they owned him. You must know that in every large church (as well as small churches) there are men who do not separate business from spiritual matters. Sadducee's! The probability is that the pastor who says that these men do not control him is a liar. Most ministers know that the bottom line is they owe more to these men than they do to God! (If people commented to my posts then I should get more denials of that statement than I could handle. You can say you are God's servant till you are blue in the face.)

When people contribute more than you could personally repay them then they are in a position to tell you what to do. Not every contributor does this but men who are exceptionally successful entrepreneurs and have rich family backing tend to think of people in terms of ownership. They attend church with this mindset. They care less if the Bible is inerrant or not. Sadducee!

What an unbelievable notion, pickles have souls, but if men say it you had better believe it!





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