*from a published Amarillo Globe-Times 'Letters to the Editor' Baxter sent in.
DEAR EDITOR:
In your sensitive series of articles about the hospice, there was mention of one confrontational event that, as a minster, troubles me. It concerned the perception of the homosexual community toward gospel ministers. In a moment laden with emotions, the homosexuals are quoted as saying to a room full of pastors, "You are the people we fear. You are the people that condemn us." There is enough truth to that statement to make me, as a minster, uncomfortable. But there is some explaining that needs to be done.
The role of a minster is not that of a judge, as he is often perceived, rather he is a messenger -God's messenger. His duties can be compared to the man who sees the house fire; the fire should be reported if the house is to be saved. And the one doing the reporting is a friend, not an enemy. The minster's attitude, if he is true to his calling is to love the sinner and hate the sin. That's what Christ did. The crux of the minister message has to be, "we cannot break God's laws; God's laws will break us if we flaunt them." One danger to the soul of a person who rebels against God's laws is that the minster will become his conscience rather than the objective word of God.
The Apostle Paul, in speaking of unnamed people of the past, said: "...God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error (Romans 1: 26-27)."
It would be wrong for me to bring to mind these scriptures except it be with the intent of informing and lovingly warning, and offering hope to the penitent. Judgment does not belong to us poor preachers, rather it is God's word that judges. I have no apology for that.
If I could be allowed to draw a conclusion about AIDS, which is part of the thrust of your series, I would like to state -warn is a better word- that it appears to me that we are seeing the beginning of a scourge that is without parallel in history. Not even the numbers in the black plague of Europe can compare with what appears to be looming ahead -unless a cure is found. This means that a cleansing of the world is about to take place; one that will claim many innocent lives along with those who have refused to practice chastity. Now, morals aside, it behooves parents to warn their children that their very lives depend upon the practice of chastity.
As a minster, I have never seen graver problems than those facing the world and neither have I ever been as optimistic about the future.
BAXTER LOE
4606 River Road
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