No drugs at Furman

A former president of Furman University, John E Johns has died. Memorials are being posted in steady tribute at a site at www.furman.edu
Johns came the fall, a month after I officially graduated though I count 75 as my class. Here is one of the more memorable tributes.
Johns was also the President of Stetson. So in the Baptist aspect of his career he ran the table as president of the alma mater of not only Marshall Frady; but at Stetson, Adrian Rogers and Bill Self.


Post your comments > "No drugs at Furman"
Coming from Boston, my father was pleased with my choice of college when during a freshman orientation speech at Macalister Auditorium in 1986, Dr. Johns bellowed in a fine southern drawl, "If you came to Furman to do drugs, then get back in your car with your mommy and daddy and go home!" Dr. Johns promised my parents a drug free learning environment, and for the most part, Dr. Johns delivered a clean campus and he kept the focus at Furman on learning. I saw alcohol on campus, but never in four years did I see any illegal drugs on campus, and I was in a fraternity. Dr. Johns set the tone that Furman was a place for people of high character and he helped us young people develop into adults with integrity. I was lucky to watch Dr. Johns lead by example. "FU ALL THE TIME!!!" Dr. Johns. RIP.

Burma; the Morgans and the OTMtn Dems

Update October 3. Got an email today with an entreaty for people of conscience to stand with the Burmese
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_burma/



Original blog


I had made a pledge to myself to give the Collinsville John Morgans some slack cause I think they are good people at heart, even though none of us may ever know this side of heaven what role some of them played in me sliding off the Hill, the premises of Collinsville Bap Church where my Mother was Baptized.
I don't feel like I'm pickin on the preacher here, even though my friend Johnny Pierce has explored the generic and high maintenance church members at a recent blog at http://www.bteditor.blogspot.com/
Far as I know the Morgans continue to be annual subscribers of Baps Today and in years past have occasionally share a copy with me. I got my own now, but I do appreciate them sharing in the down years. I was just hoping somewhere there in the 90's or early oughts they woulda led the church to become group subscribers.
And some of them still let me play volleyball if I show up offisite church property, though they don't call and tell me when they're playing like they used to.
All that to say rare opportunity coming up Monday for family members of progressive Christians with ties to the berg--that would be Matthew Morgan, JEMIII and his lovely wife SWM--to join this discussion; or at least get a copy of the DVD for purposes of regional discussion maybe at the UMC. Far as I know I can set foot in there.
http://www.ethicsdaily.com/article_detail.cfm?AID=9502

There's the link. I have to believe were Matt and JEMIII in town they would join me for the dialogue.

Sfox, languishing but still breathing with a slight pulse.

Balmer engages the cultured despisers/Latest by JWood

Randall Balmer, of whom I have blogged often, engages the cultured despisers, likes of Chris Hitchens and Sam Harris at the Newsweek faith blog today. Balmer joins FBC Greenville South Carolina pastor Jeff Rogers--Rogers is former Furman proff and great friend of Wake Forest's Charles Kimball--in excellent rebuttal of the likes of Harris and Hitchens
Rogers Pulpitbytes blog is easily googled up. There you will find his August Sermon.

Randall's blog:
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/randall_balmer/2007/09/beware_secular_fundamentalists/all_comments.html

Here is my comment I hope got posted on Balmer's blog today.

Randall:Russ Beene, John Killian, Matthew Morgan and other devotees down here in Bama--well Matthew is across the street from you now--continue to claim it an honor to have made your acquaintance.Wish you coulda said somethng about Andrew Sullivan's recent blog dissing the Baptists; then again there is lot of room for diss, in conjunction with a fine defense of deeper faith like you have given us today.You will find Killian's blog on Huckabee and Creation a delight.Want to say publicly looking forward with great anticipation to you coming to Greenville, South Carolina, home of Bob Jones and Furman, next March.Some who lurk here may want to google up Furman proff Jim Guth's Christlike defense of Bob Jones from the Christian Century back in April 2000. That is a shade of gray for sure the likes of Hitchens ought to consider.Down here we are praying you will be able to thread the needle with aplomb.Jeff the Baptist (Rogers, pastor of FBC Greenville) has done an excellent job on same topic as your blog today, Hitchens, Harris and the cultured despisers; Rogers did a great job in a sermon back in August up on his blog easily googled at pulpitbytes.Gettin the water ready for you to walk on down here.Sincere thanks for this post.Hope I didn't make this note too personal for public consumption, but got a young cousin in Alaska I am pointing to you for a deeper faith pilgrimage. Continue to hold the banner high.

And direct link to Jeff's Great sermon
http://pulpitbytes.blogspot.com/2007/08/isaiah-11-310-17-religion-poisons.html

And one more just in, with some reservations it may cloud a discussion already fogged by the fitfulness in which I have presented it.
Just came across this in current http://www.newyorker.com/ ; something that may take a little time to digest.
James Wood, the great literary critic has tackled the Psalms of Holy Scripture. And his title promises to resonate with a Biblical Scholar, David Jasper, I was fortunate to hear the summer of 2006 at Furman.
Just this summer, back in July, I heard James Wood give a lecture at Sewanee, about hour and half from me. It was quite an honor to be in the hearing of such a brilliant person. I blogged about it if you want to look July or early August.
But here is a link if some who deserve to be aware of such things by chance drop in on my "illustrious" blog here.
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2007/10/01/071001crbo_books_wood

A child of faith who has pilgrimmed into the great land of the doubters and suspicious, I would not put Wood in same category of Harris and Hitchens.
I plan to drop in on Wood when I get to heaven. I think he will be there having a great discussion with Fleming Rutledtge, Will Campbell, Martin, Babs Taylor, Frady, Faulkner, Tolstoy, Emily Dickinson, Lincoln, Beyers Naude and the like.
Read this piece on the Psalms; and google up Jasper of the Sacred Writings of the Desert.
If you do you, are a worthy reader of my musings and perusings here.

And here on another note on a remarkable day for findings.
This from a blog by my friend Gus Niebuhr. I first met Gus when he was working for the Ajc back in 86. He came up to West Cartersville Ga to see what I knew about the Baptist takeover.
Found out later one of my former proffs at Furman was Gus's SSchool teacher back in Cambridge.
From Gus's August 4 blog at the religion site at Newsweek.
If you have beliefs you call religious, you will find yourself party to something that ever exceeds the human imagination. But you may see it reflected in part. So saying, I close with another remarkable writer, Emily Dickinson:


Tell all the Truth but tell it slant--
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind--

Conflating Balmer, Killian; Mead and Colson in the Public Square

Dear Friends:

I may be tackling something outside my pay grade, or impossible to square, reconcile here, but please give me credit for attempting to do some heavy thinking.

Hope to get some links up for you soon, but almost all of this is easily googled up.
How do you influence the public square on religion and politics trying to hold up for consideration things as disparate and ripe for misappropriation as

Cuurent feature online analysis of Faith as a foundation for Liberty and Progress in American Interest Magazine by Russell Mead.
Chuck Colson bent toward the transcendent in an August Christianity Today while holding up Francis Schaeffer's abortion issue as the non negotiable for a Christian's voting calculus.
Notre Dame Proff feature oped of a Monday two weeks ago in http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/09/our-real-nation.html#more
My fundamentalist friend http://www.johnkillian.blogspot.com/ today; his reservations about the Creation views of Former Ark Gov and Baptist Preacher Huckabee.

How do you put all that in the context of first tier thinkers like Balmer, Charles Marsh and Charles Kimball and come out with a winning political formula that say would take the day in Alabama.

Hugo Black's grandson Stephen has things in proper perspective in his Oped Yesterday, Sept 23 in the Bham Post Herald.
But convincing an otherwide good man and my friend John Killian of the proper calculation of Jesus politics; it's a hard thing to do.
One of Carlyle Marney's mentors told him you have to continue to bless those who cannot or will never misunderstand.
I guess that may be good news for my friend Lowell Barron and Alfa, but it isn't helping me sleep at night.
I have brought some of it to the attention of http://www.faithinpubliclife.org/ and Melissa Rogers; I don't know what else to do.

Sfox

Come back for better links

http://www.the-american-interest.com/ai2/article.cfm?Id=324&MId=15

http://www.al.com/opinion/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1190536285112250.xml&coll=2

Syd Staley, Louie D. Newton and the Gov of NC

My Dad told this great story about the time Louie D Newton, the editor of the Ga. Baptist Christian Index--see Duke McCall's great stories about his train rides with Louie D in his Book on the Baptist Takeover--was the guest of the President of Southeastern Baptist SEminary President Syd Staley to speak at some function For the STate of North Carolina with the Governor sitting on the Front Row.
Best I can Figure it was 56 or so--though I am open to correction from the likes of Randall Lolley and Bill Self whose attention I am trying to bring to this story cause it deserves to be done right.
AS my friend the documentarian Brett Morgen--google him up for the Chicago Ten--has said; if it comes to the facts or the legend go with the legend.
Point being come back to this story cause within ten days or so I may have it right.

Wish my Dad was still alive cause the live version telling is better than any print.
Okay, with a long start, here is the story.
You have to understand this was in the day when as the experts have said with Consensus, the Baptist church and the state government of North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi were pretty much the same thing. I heard as much at Furman in the 70's.

So President STaley introduces Louie D. Newton, and Louie D. starts playing up to the Governor.
STaley starts in a soft voice on stage behing Louie D.

Louie, these people came to hear you preach.

Louie keeeps joking around playing to the governor

Staley: Louie these people want to hear you preach.

Louie Let the Governor Go, these People came to hear you preach.

Louie Preach to these People, Let the Governor Go; STaley almost frantically with hands cuffed ends up shouting to Louie D on stage.

You almost have to have known the personalities, for sure understood the times to get the flavor of the story, but my Dad told it often with relish.
Kind of stuff maybe 63 or so SEBTS grad Ed YOung missed the point of with his connection to Harry Dent at FBC Columbia, though I understand Dent's testimony to be genuine. Or Billy Graham and Nixon, which author Duffy of the new Book on Graham and the PResidents said on Booktv was the most damaging.
Of course, Marshall Frady tells the definitive tale on that point.
And many of us know in the Dent line, Dent begat Lee Atwater and Lee Atwater begat Karl Rove and Karl Rove simultaneously begat George W. Bush and Ronnie Floyd and Richard Land and maybe even the WAr in Iraq; so I'm gonna need help showing Ed Young where Babylon is.
I caught Ed Young on TV yesterday, speaking on Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego. He did a very good job with the Biblical Story, I'm just afraid he's not sure where Babylon is anymore.
I left a message on his machine at his church offices this morning.

Hope to blog about Ed and Babylon soon.

Oct 3 Update: The Jena 6 and Baptist Deacons

Oct 3. Here is an aside from a post of Rob Marus at bl.com, commenting on discussion his Arkansas Gazette piece on the Lil Rock 9 50 years later engendered.

"One interesting tidbit from the religious history of the Little Rock crisis that I just couldn't figure out how to fit in this story, but that is relevant to the above discusssion is this: Wesley Pruden, the Broadmoor Baptist Church pastor and segregationist leader, had a son who is his namesake. You may have heard of Wes Pruden, Jr. He's editor of the Washington Times, favorite newspaper of many modern-day conservative Christians, and has come under fire in the past for beign buddy-buddy with Neo-Confederate organizations. Pruden's Times also leads the current anti-immigration drumbeat. Seems, as we say back home, that the apple don't fall too far from the tree."


Amina Luqman writing in the WPost and CS Monitor has a good take on Jena as well as a frequent conservative contributor to www.baptistlife.com/forums , Jonathan.
Here are excerpts:
Amina:
Mainstream media outlets long ignored the Jena 6 or gave the case cursory summations. Their silence shows how mainstream journalists remain unwilling to tackle the issue of race. At best, racism is addressed when it is overt and simplistic. Mix in the institutionalized racism of a town's criminal justice system, and journalists' eyes glaze over. When what happened in Jena has been reported, the media's language has been tepid. It presumes a legitimacy to both sides. Yet there is nothing balanced or fair about what is happening to these boys. Black Americans crave the same outrage the media rained down on Michael Vick for his unjustified abuse of dogs.
The comments of bloggers, black journalists, and radio personalities, along with forwarded e-mail and demonstrations, have generated pressure that has resulted in new lawyers for the Jena 6 and a reduction in the charges against them. Just days before sentencing, a state appeals court overturned the conviction of Mychal Bell, the only student yet tried. But future court battles loom.
And nothing changes a heartbreaking truth about Jena: that some children in 2007 look unnervingly similar to their close-minded forefathers – nooses and all. Perhaps America has left too much undone, become too complacent. Racism and its manifestations do not get better with time, and we can't presume that one generation will be more conscious than the last. Racism is removed by conscious effort and continuous work. Is America willing to rise to the occasion?
• Amina Luqman is a freelance writer based in Virginia. ©2007 The Washington Post

And Jonathan
Given Jackson's and Sharpton's histories, it is not unreasonable for someone, with no knowledge of the details, to see a newstory on Jena, see Jackson and Sharpton present, and to have the urge to see opportunism and then struggle to not be biased about the story. This is the baggage that these two men bring when they show up on the scene.
KeithE wrote: heard on NPR that Mychal Bell has scholarship offers to play football at LSU and several other colleges.I heard this as well. I'm also aware that Bell has a history of criminally violent behavior prior to this case (at least 2 batteries - 1 while on probation for another). A difficult proposition for any college program.
Wade wrote:i find it interesting that the cultural war machine of the fundamentalist don't seem to feel this sort of issue rises to the moral significants worthy of a fight. i guess if it had something to do with sex, they could get excited. I haven't heard any white religious mouthpiece weigh in on this.So there is a lack of outcry by the "cultural war machine" of the right and it must be because there is a lack of concern by conservatives? I'm not at all suprised that there are folks waiting to see if there is more to the story here especially since Jackson and Sharpton are involved and with events at Duke so fresh in memory.Make sure you stretch well before you jerk your knee so hard next time.If you'd like, I can provide you with a list of horrors that are currently being committed by folks around the world, that I have been following) and then you can scold me (while not being a member of this mysterious "cultural war machine") for my "silence" on Jena. Better yet, you can get off your own duff and...The Jena case is ongoing and I doubt that there will be any clean principle players. There are no martyrs nor pure crusaders on either side here. But I predict that much hay will be made by politically mind folk.
Jonathan

Posts: 2329
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2004 10:31 am
Top
Re: Jena 6 Case
by Dave Roberts on Tue Sep 25, 2007 6:58 am
Chris wrote:
Dave Roberts wrote: but I live amid a racial powderkeg almost every day. There are bitter whites and angry blacks who have not learned to deal with one another as persons rather than as representatives of a group.Dave, I have a vague recollection of an incident in Emporia (within the past three years) in which a white policeman shot a black person under questionable circumstances. The town was walking on eggshells. How did that get resolved, or did I dream it?DAVE: Chris, the situation was resolved in fairly peaceful ways. The officer was cleared of charges but not for using poor judgment. He left the department. Shortly afterward, the then police chief moved to Tennessee. A new African-American police chief was named. The department has gone out of its way to work on community relations, but there are still plenty of tensions to go around. We are losing another city manager (the third in six years) amid council divisions. Jena could happen in a lot of places.
"God will never be less than He is and does not need to be more" (John Koessler)
Dave Roberts

Posts: 1455
Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2004 2:01 pm
Location: Southside, VA



Sept 21 FOX original post
Here is a great link to a discussion at the Wash Post today about the Jena 6

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/09/20/DI2007092000816.html?hpid=artslot

I thought about doing a blog here about Baptist Deacons who in years past have called me a "God Damn son of A Bitch" for taking up for minorities; and the Fox family well known reputation in Gaffney South Carolina as "nigger lovers"; but on the whole God has been good and I still got a pulse.
Will Campbell, great Civil Rights legend as well as Brandt Ayers of the Anniston Star and a few wise black friends of mine have pointed out along the way that black folk in power aren't much different than whites. The Bible is true, We are All Fallen.
Even so Marshall Frady on King, Atticus Finch and Judge Frank Johnson, Martin a great host who as Taylor Branch reports "Won when we started Walking" are the testament.
When Cory Booker ran for Mayor of Newark New Jersey the first time, captured in the award winning documentary Street Fight; well Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton were no better there than George Curley Wallace in the 60's in the hey day of his demagoguery.
My friend Rob Marus has written a great piece today you can click on in a post by Bruce Gourley in Faith and Practice at www.baptistlife.com/forums ; a piece about what he learned about his alma Mater Central HS in Little Rock. Search it out.
Thank God in my experience integratin Gaffney I had the chance to befriend great people of color like Johnny Dawkins the LA Screenwriter, and Fletcher Smith who among other things chaired Joe Lieberman's campaign in SC 2004,. And thank God for Wayne Whiteside DAwk's HS football coach turned Principal of us All as well.
I love them all.
I am a sinner, but God help the Baptist deacons who go to their graves with the same prejudices they were born with.

Flick and Prentice Love Fest at Bl.com

Since he sidelined me unilaterrally at bl.com, looks like Oklahoma Flick and Winston have fallen in love.
Here is the latest indication
Re: Dr. Klouda vs. SWBTS and Paige Patterson will go forward
by David Flick on Thu Sep 20, 2007 7:11 pm
Lamar Wadsworth wrote:Just thinking today about the plight of the seminary lawyers who are trying to defend the indefensible and get the seminary and PP off as light as possible. Couldn't help but think of Willie Nelson's song:You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,Know when to walk away, know when to run... I predict that they will fold 'em, settle generously out of court, and walk away thankful to cut their losses. Any monies spent on this settlement and legal expenses will be monies that can't be spent to propagate Patterson's misogyny. No way do they want a jury to get hold of this.I couldn't help myself here, Uncle Prentice. Hit warn't Willie Nelson that sung them words. It was Kenney Rogers who made them words famous...

It is becoming obvious by most sentient beings the ersatz "Chaplain" is having a field day at bl.com subtly mocking my absence at every turn, from the post on Marshall Frady, to bringing up Snyder again, to Nifonging the world and all of a sudden his favorite politician is Lowell Barron.
Dr. Flick, look at the phone call below I brought to the attention of the Snyder staff. (Fri, Sept 21: I took that blog down for further review)
Come on, you and Gourley got better sense than to let this Horse manure continue. I explained myself well. I asked for common sense with my Uncle when he first came on, but you unwittingly encouraged and enabled the mess.
So I took it to the absurd, and you curmudgeonly got blinded and came to love your authority as much as you abhorred it in your Oklahoma nemesis Anthony Jordan when the tables were turned on you.
Do the right thing; Put me back up and let's go on. Table Prentice for 15 days or so, because as hard as it is to do he is embarassing me.
Even so I wish you well in your ordeal on Monday. Your wife deserves for you not to suffer too much, insufferable as you are even in the best of circumstances, and I say that with a dose of affection.

Sfox

Kyle Fox and Marshall Frady

I had an Invitation in my inbox today to make a statement about Marshall Frady for the www.baptistlife.com/forums by a man who once pastored in Union, South Carolina, knew Marshall's Father and had the honor of meeting Marshall himself on the occasion of Marshall's Mother's funeral.
Marshall has been called among other things quite simply the best social justice journalist of his era. What finer tribute could be said of the son of Baptist Minister, who followed his own call celestially and incarnated it.
Frady's biography of Billy Graham has recently been republished in Paperback with a sterling intro by the Purlitzer prize winning author David Halberstam. Contrary to some ignorant folk in my own family who pretend to be up on things, Frady's legacy fluorishes.
It has come to my attention my first cousin Neil Fox's son, Kyle, is reading this blog to see how the conversation between me and his Grandfather Winston P continues to develop. Here is an open invitation to Kyle to take a look at all the works of Marshall Frady as he jumps further in the River of faith and see how it has affected different members of his extended family.
A classmate of my Dad and his brother Prentice at SEBTS, the venerable Bill Self, in the heart of the takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention which split siblings in the family of W.D. Fox; Self said of the Bible, it needs no defense of itself. In open heart with an open mind it will convict for eternity.
Marshall Frady is not part of the KJV. But his words in many places are part of my canon, the Third Testament of my own experience.
As a great admirer of Frady, the late LD Johnson said once about the book of Job; time is short in this session of class, but I can say from my own experience, this chapter in question is true.
Unlike Winston Fox and others who along the way miss the point; LD Johnson and Bill Self and Carlyle Marney, by my own Father's testimony, and Marshall Frady from the testimony of a great heavenly host, got points that went over the head of Winston Prentice Fox.
May God have Mercy on His Soul, and members of his Sunday School Class at Snyder Memorial who take him at his word without further investigation.
Kyle, a great place to start on Frady is his sterling--yes I have used the word twice in this pitiful attempt to do him justice--biography of MLKing Jr. I commend it to you along with Hebrews 11:13 which no matter the miserable example of your Grandfather and me, is a great tribute to WD and Mary Alice Helton Fox

Stephen Fox, Son of Billy, C Student at Furman who had the good fortune to exchange about three emails with Frady, had a film script read by him he found "pandemoniously picaresque"; and talked to him once on the phone when he was at ABC Nightline.

Kyle, have your Mother get a copy of Hal Crowther's book Gather at The River and read the tribute to Frady in there. In there read also about Denise Giardini, a politician Marshall Frady woulda magnified as he did Warren Fortson and Will Campbell.
Also know Halberstam of the Frady tribute in the Billy Gee bio, wrote of Leon Culberson, who almost married your Great Aunt Virginia Fox Richey, in heaven now with Martin, and Yates and Marshall.

Scripted in Purple cause that is the color of the alma mater I share with Marshall.

And What Does Casey Mattox think......

About this one.

Fascinating discussion up today in the Washington Post about God's Harvard, the Patrick Henry School in upper Virginia. Hanna Rosin of the Wash Post has written a book about this staging ground for committed young Christian who want to change the course of America.
Casey is at www.clsnet.org .
I am still trying to figure out how much of an influence the controversial Francis Schaeffer through the influence of his hometown pastor John Morgan had on Casey.
It seems the Pastor's son Matthew of Yale Div found a "more excellent way". Not picking on the preacher as www.bteditor.blogspot.com warns against, just some sincere and significant questions for the direction of the church where my Mother was Baptized, now that I am outside the gates. For sure dissent is not smiled on there. Whether that is part of Schaeffer and Mattox's legacy, well I guess that is up for discussion as well.
Hope to have a link for you soon, but you serious students of my illustrious blog here should have no trouble googling up the Wash Post chat in the meantime.

Must reading for staff of Sens Shelby and Sessions: Immigration Reform

Attention Senators Richard Shelby, Jeff Sessions; State Senator Lowell Barron, and US congressman Robert Aderholt:

Anybody who may stumble on this blog, please bring it to the attention of our Public servants listed above

A few years ago I was having email exchanges with Carol Swain about the possibility of her coming to Collinsville or the region to discuss immigration. All this was before the issue became so inflammatory in the Spring of 2006. I was mocked, most unkindly by a Duke Grad who should know better. She never made it to town.
Today I have come across this new book and discussion chaired by Swain. I recommend it to all Lyberries, Libraries in the region and particular the staff of the Ft. Payne Times Journal who satellite staffing I understand not only to include the Rev. John Morgan, but also his son Joseph, a former intern for Congressman Aderholt.
I have reports that at least one influential person in the community is part of a discussion group statewide in the network of former UBama President David Matthews. If my info is correct, for sure that woman would want to bone up on this book and use her influence to bring this civil conversation to our region; as some of us know from personl experience it to have been less than in the recent past.
Bottom line interesting discussion here church and civic leaders should pursue.

The link

http://www.cis.org/articles/2007/nextstepsrelease.html

This may help Shelby, Sessions, Aderholt, Barron and their staffs as well, not to mention Brent McDougal of the Bama CBF

http://www.ethicsdaily.com/article_detail.cfm?AID=9462

Anniston Star's Bob Davis Wins on Const Reform

A good Baptist, Bob Davis of the Anniston Star won one of the more presitgious awards in the Newspaper business this year. He shares the same hometown, Aliceville, as Bailey Thomson, the legendary U Bama proff whose untimely death a few years ago was a grave loss for progressive politics in the state.
Here is a link to some of Davis' writings on the subject.
If I can find it hope to also link or put up for you a very good letter in recent Bham News about the topic.

http://www.snpa.org/CircuitContestAwards/walls-davis2007.htm

Couldn't find it; this may be better anyway

http://www.constitutionalreform.org/2007_Awards_Luncheon.shtml

General Petraeus, Preaching the Baptist Tradition and The Snyder Pig

Snyder Pig, Snyder Pig, does whatever a Snyder Pig does.

That is my new little ditty for my USAF Chaplain Retired Winston Prentice Fox for leaving three messages on my answering maching Saturday boasting of his role in having me temporarily suspended from Bl.com. As early as his first week there, and pleadingly on the Weds of the first week of the US Open I warned the board of his antics and tactics. As it became more absurd, an unwitting unilateral decision was made to sideline me.
It is not a pretty sight, but as bl.com has an association with http://www.baptiststoday.org/ and Mercer University; I am trusting that as Uncle Prentice shows his true colors at the Campbell Divinity school conference on Preaching the Baptist Tradition, folks there may get a better understanding as I continue to make my case by email and phone.
In the meantime Prentice has sent this message about General Petraeus. His position apparently is not the same as Charles Marsh, Balmer, Kimball and Bill Moyers, even President Carter. The corridor talk at the Campbell Div Conference could be interesting indeed, as I would be surprised if Buddy Shurden holds these strong apologists for the Baptist tradition--I would even venture to say easily in the legacy of Marney--in as low esteem as Prentice Fox does if his notions at Bl.com are evidence of his heart.
I do not claim the wisdom of Solomon in the Move On Dot Org ad in the NY Times on Petraeus. The discussion Yesterday Morning on Meet the Press between John McCain and John Kerry was gut wrenching. If McCain had been elected in 2000 survived the SC Primary where Richard Land continues to be silent on the activity of the political wing of the Right to Life community was smarmy; had McCain not been the victim of Rove and Land, I don't think we would be in Iraq today; but I don't know. Even so I don't think the demagoguery of UP's dissemination is in the best of the Bonhoeffer and Barth tradition if Marsh's analysis is close in Wayward Christian Soldiers.
In coming days I wouldn't be surprised if Chaplain Fox and his relationship to Doug Carver whose endtime beliefs have come under scrutiny at http://www.baptistlife.com/
; would not be surprised if that aspect of Chaplain Fox's 6 weeks at bl.com don't become a matter of national publication.
Shurden's conference at the Campbell Div School is the first few days of October. I am hoping some of the members of UPrent's Sunday School class at Snyder attend. Would be grand if several of them read deeply into Marsh,Kimball and Balmer before they attend.

Hebrews 11:13

And Gillian Welch's Times The Revelator--google up the lyrics.

Now Prentice on Petraeus; or his dissemination thereof:

It is a daily feed from http://www.cfif.org/ , apparently Homeplate for Chaplain's Fox base theology and practice


Center for Individual Freedom
Dear Winston:
Liberals say they support the troops...
...But some liberals in Congress and their extreme left-wing allies are now calling a brave man who has put his life on the line for 35 years to protect the freedoms that so many of them take for granted, a "TRAITOR!"
On the eve of 9-11, while patriotic Americans were praying and paying tribute to the horrible events of that day, the radical group MoveOn.org ran a full-page ad in the New York Times calling General David Petraeus, our top military General in Iraq, "General 'Betray Us.'"
Let's call the ad what it is: A DIRECT SLAP IN THE FACE TO ALL OF THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM.
There is no bottom to how low the extreme left will sink.
But to make matter worse, when Senator John Cornyn introduced a resolution condemning MoveOn.org, it was blocked.

Sfox>Cornyn defeated best I remember the Black mayor from Dallas to become a Senator. Karl Rove and Richard Land were clearly in Cornyn's corner.
At Campbell, Buddy Shurden may want to remind Prentice Fox of Cornyn's role in the Senate hearings couple summers ago where Brent Walker appeared side by side with Judge Roy Moore to discuss Church state issues.

I do agree with one quote Bush 43 made in a national speech.
Between Freedom and Fear, God is not Equal..

May God protect us from demagogues.

And as an afterthought, maybe UP's Sunday school class, even Anthony Jordan and David Flick could learn a little from this great Sermon, Jeff Rogers the Preacher who gave a great lecture in the LD Johnson Series What Really MAtters at Furman in the mid 90's on Furman's Baptist Legacy.
http://pulpitbytes.blogspot.com/2007/08/isaiah-11-310-17-religion-poisons.html

Doug Carver; And an Aldridge word for Snyder

Came across this disturbing link today as I was considering ways to respond to my Dad's Brother, Prentice, son of William Dan Fox, my Grandfather of Morrison Cmpgrd Community of Rome Georgia.
By the testimony of US Army Chief Chaplain Doug Carver, my Grandfather had a strategic role, a positive influence in winning him to a Saving Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But I am disturbed by this link about Carver http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/8239
and as equally, maybe even more disturbed by my Uncle's Sept 12 and 13 posts at www.baptistlife.com/forums in the Schaeffer/Marsh thread.
Gonna think about it a little more.

In meantime also came across these words from the head of the CBF of South Carolina, Marion Aldridge, about pastor search committees here in the onset of the 21st Century. Could be instructive for http://www.snydermbc.com/ ; if anything given Winston Fox's first month at bl.com looks like it would be foolish to put him on the Pastor Search Committee for the successor to Marc Olson, not that he has campaigned for such a post, to my knowledge.
Marion in the September newsletter of the http://www.cbfofsc.org/
His third paragraph in Two Baptists on a Desert Island is the heart of the matter.

http://www.cbfofsc.org/assets/newsletters/2007/cbf-sept-2007.pdf

Addendum:
Folks in the Snyder community and the offsite Seminar of Chaplain Fox may want to click on this link to see how in the words of Firehouse Subs how "fully involved" this whole conversation is becoming, interactive and what not.
UP in particular may want to click on my name in the comment line of this post at
http://blog.faithinpubliclife.org/2007/09/september_11_general_petraeus.html

And this from Mark of Alabama on Prentice and his SS class


Re: Help requested for teaching on Hagar's
by Mark on Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:23 pm
UNCLE PRENTICE wrote:I do not see the class as an opportunity to slam the Arabs; but rather to point out that God had a covenantal relationship with both Hagar and Sara, in spite of their dysfunctional family; just as He does with us....Excellent. You'll do fine.

Sfox. Point of Info is well needed here. This Mark of Bama is the same Mark who introduced me to Hugo Black's Grandson Stephen in Montgomery Fall of 04. Since then I have had Stephen speak at my Mother's alma mater here in Collinsville.
Wiley UPrentice while he has convinced Mark he can talk the talk, he may not necessarily be walking the walk which is the true measure of this Scripture in his life.
One of his dear family members, not myself has said she cannot understand how a "seminary graduate" can be so acerbic and meanspiritted toward members of his own family.
Further compromising his witness here to his Sunday School class is his litany of disrespect for the writings of Charles Marsh and Randall Balmer in his short five weeks at bl.com
Every indication is Stephen Black, and his evolving reputation as Ethics Chair at U Bama, is plumblined into the church state legacy of his Grandfather and George Truett as explained and proclaimed by greats of our time like Balmer. And all indications are Stephen, from his studies at Emory, even his speech on justice as distinct from charity here at my Mother's alma mater April 24 2006, is in a much more noble strain of Christendom in the public square than Uncle Prentice as evidenced in his perorations at bl.com
It is the difference between Judge Frank Johnson and George Wallace, Hugo Black and Judge Pressler's family's history with Coke Stevenson in the 40's in Texas; James Dunn and Richard Land; Randall Lolley, Roy Honeycutt and Al Mohler.
UP may speak the language of Zion on occasion, but his witness of bringing light in the City of the Sun is suspect.
I hope Mark will have the audacity to pursue UP on these matters at bl.com.

Happy 60th, Peggy Weaver

Mrs. Peggy Coplin (Raymond) Weaver turns 60 today. A Good Methodist woman, Mother, and wife of the iconic Raymond Weaver, for 20 odd years she was the backbone of the Math Department at Collinsville High School with her Colleague Mr. Whisenant, or in Collinsville, Whizz Un Ant.

It is my understanding she was the Valedictorian of her High School class in Guntersville 1965 and she had a very good score on the Math portion of the ACT; Well let's go ahead and say it, a perfect score.

My apologies for starting late on this blog. I am hoping to have a representative sample of comments from some of her more notable students in the coming days, so some of her fans and loved ones may want to check in again this coming week.

Her 7 yr old precocious granddaughter Coplin said:
"'..well she is as old as granddaddy now, happy birthday peg."

This first replyoutside the family is not from one of her better Math Students, but My Don't he write well.

Russ Beene of the Collinsville class of 97: "She has the patience of a Saint, is truly gifted in the art and craft of The Italian Cream Cake, has such a sly and dry sense of humor that she can very easily make you feel terribly insecure about yourself even as you're laughing at yourself, has excellent taste in interior design, and can always find something positive and encouraging to say...even to those of us who should never, ever, under any circumstances, be encouraged. Happy Birthday Mrs. Weaver."

Andrew Myers, formerly a professional landscape artist, a yard man said by phone this morning: "She always kept a fine yard there on the corner of Alabama Avenue."

Hoping more kudos come in to give this heartfelt congrats even more luster.
Stephen Fox

Uncle Prentice's First Wife, Sarah

Uncle Prentice seems to be having trouble with the text on Hagar over at bl.com. You can click straight to his problem in the bizarre family blog below.
I was gonna hold off on this story till next week, but I feel like I have been goaded into upping the ante here, or fast forwarding the premiere; you know what I mean.

Winston Prentice's basic problem seems to be with the age old big question in the fundamentalist tradition he was raised in, and possibly never pilgrimmed out of with all his talk of Marney, Luther, and Pembroke State; the Old question of who wrote the Bible.
His first wife Sara, had that answer far as I'm concerned back in the 80's.
We were all gathered in at the Fox Compound off Kingston HWY in NW Georgia; house and rental and barn, Bouncer the Dog and 80 some odd acres.
Aunt Sara, sweet and humble, was tellin us about her Sunday school class for five year olds where she put forward this question, with all its atavistic penumbra.
She was getting stunned and somber looks when finally one little boy raised his hand.
Aunt Sara said: "Tommy, do you think you know?"
Little Tommy said: "I'm not sure Mrs. Fox, but I think Jimmy Swaggart wrote it."

Bizarre Family Stories

Update: When I wrote the original post a few minutes ago, never did I imagine a reaction so soon. tHUS I changed my title of this Blog to BIZARRE. So here is the latest from Uncle Prentice who has free uncontested reign at bl.com
Please dear Jesus send some of his class members to this blog in the Far Country.
Pray with Uncle Prentice there in Sunday School in Fayetteville Sunday that at a minimum he change his ID at Bl.com and go by WPFox or some such, because "Uncle" now has an ugly meaning to it. WE have wrestled and been wounded and the OT demands on several occasions a name change. So have your teacher change his name at bl.com as evidence that he has learned just a little in his own gut from his lesson this last month about dysfunctional family relationships.
Anything short of that seems to me to be in biblical language at least: BLASPHEMY
To use his phrase, His Yell of Sept 5: bL.COM ADMINISTRATORS ARE YOU LISTENING

Help requested for teaching on Hagar's
by UNCLE PRENTICE on Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:26 pm
blessing, and God's promise for Ishmael !!(Gen 21:18) On Sunday 23 September, the lesson in Smyth & Helwys is from Gen 21:9-21. I see a difficulty in teaching this text and being historically truthful to it; especially in regard to the promise given to Hagar and Ishmael.(verses 13 and 18). To add to this promise the Quran (19:54) claims that Jesus' mother Mary, called Ishmael, "an apostle of God, a Prophet." It also claims (2:125) that God commanded Abraham and Ismael to purify the Kaaba in Mecca, the holiest tenple of the Muslim faith. Shall I demythologize the OT text, and treat it as an "oral tradition" that some rabbi inserted at a later date; or should I take it literally and teach about God working in history with dysfunctional families; then and now???(and include some personal references here??) UNCLE PRENTICE (I AM SERIOUS ABOUT HELP.)


Got a couple on the burner gonna put up for you to read soon; maybe as early as next week. Some readers of my blog have contacted me about a few so I aim to please. I understand recent circumstances have brought new lurkers here; so wanted to put up a notice just in case they want to "take notice" later on.

As for movies, I recommend 3:10 to Yuma; And Valley of Elah looks promising.

Historic Day in Collinsville, Alabama

I road my bike into town where my Mother was Baptized on this Historic Day. Speaking of Momma, reminder to myself to link the great Gillian Welch song soon.
Went to several places downtown and floated the questions why was it historic. Local historican missed the local angle but all three queries knew of course it was September 11. For Collinsville it his historic cause The Water tower that has stood there since 1920--will try to get the exact date for you soon--stood behind the longtime icon general store Hall's; is coming down.
I know the names of at least three people who allegedly climbed it after midnight and I am sure there are dozens more. I worked there better part of a month on the vicinity fall of 94, I thank it was. I had a lunchtime accident while employed there.
Had a good chat with a Vietnam Vet and told him a joke. He got a good belly laugh out of it. Told me he saw General Westmoreland once in Vietnam. He was in a holding station ready to come home but a Colonel had taken a disliking to one of the units as they were disarming for return to the USA. VC shelled them and killed several soldiers. Westmoreland got word, was pissed and flew in. Gave a speech to calm em down and provided Civilian Air, TWA to fly the rest of em home.
General Westmoreland was a Native of Pacolet South Carolina where there was a great flood in 1908, the waters that ran down from the River you cross on 85 between Spartanburg and Gaffney, just southwest of Cowpens.
Oh, the third reason it is an historic day in Collinsville is it is only the third or fourth time this year I have ridden my bike into town in broad daylight. Long story there, but the major point is I needed a new tire and finally figured out how much air pressure I was supposed to have in it. I was thinking 30 lbs, but with this new tire I can clearly see where I need 50-80 so that is what I got in there now. They never said anything about it when I was at Furman.
Saw couple women, one looked to be a stranger, walking around town. Didn't say anything to em cause last time I did, a phone call was made to Mercer University and I got into a three month imbroglio the aftertaste of which is still bitterroot. Best I could put together woman was from county number 34. Dekalb is 28 and I haven't figured out what 34 is yet. She was carryin a notepad with her and looked official as she was in official county.
So could all come to Historic Day Number 4 Reason.
Reminded me of the line from Randy Newman's song about the Flood of 34 in Plaquemine Parrish:
" President Coolidge come down in a Railroad train
with a little fat man with a notepad in his hand
President say, Little Fat idn't it a shame
what the River has Done
To this Poor Cracker's Land."

As Russ the Revenant said this morning on what is also a historic day for him, not 3:10 to Yuma cause he already saw it:

NEVER FORGET!!!!!!!!

iRONIES and coincidences: Rebecca Mitchell's daughter just walked by my computer station. She and my friend Ellen are good friends. Ellen is a good woman, a UMC Preacher's Daughter who appreciates Bud Oliver and the FaSoLa.

PS: Jeff who in past years has been audience here; I think I'm gonna have Vesta's testimony up soon for you and the City Councilman.

9-13 Update/Isaiah 19:1,18; Heyrman, Balmer and Snyder And Bl.com

Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will Melt within them....
In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt which will speak the language of Caanan and swear allegiance to the Lord of Hosts. One of these will be called the City of the Sun.
Marney could have fun with that text from Isaiah here on September 11th, and in the coming days I hope to as well. Maybe go with the General Sherman allegory or Wayward Christian Soldiers, I'm just not sure.
When I come back hope to have some links for you to Balmer's endorsement of Heyrman's Southern Cross as we pick up where we left off and provide this teachable moment for the Pharoahs lurking out there.


And here is Prentice really embarassing the family and I imagine his PHD daughter in law as well with these inane and ill informed thought on Charles Marsh today at bl.com.
Roughly Marsh is in same circles as Balmer, Mark Noll, Charles Kimball and others the BJC's Brent Walker endorsed Tuesday on the Newsweek Blog. I don't see much resonance between UP and what I understand to be the legacy and leanings of Snyder former pastor Marc Olson; another reason Snyder needs your prayers.
But similar to Lester Maddox and the organ grinder's monkey, the higher Prentice goes up the Pole, the more he shows his Ass.


Sept 13 Update UPrentice speaking like's Baalam's Ass Today at Bl.com
Marsh's book, "Reclaiming Dietrich Bonnhoeffer" might more correctly be called, "Revising Dietrich Bonhoeffer." Marsh's book, "God's Long Summer" was written 33 years after that summer of '64 when the bodies of Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner were found buried near Philadelphia, Mississippi. 1997 was a comfortable, and politically correct time to be writing about events of 1964; and for his efforts Marsh won the Grawemeyer Award at the University of Louisville. And, for her efforts, Fannie Lou Hamer got put in jail. Both men, Marsh and Schaeffer, were gifted with Literary skill, and with a love of Church history; but with their own personal "respective perspectives." A freedom that we all enjoy in this great country, and for which I am grateful on this day that is six years and one day after the infamous attack on our nation by the radical Islamic members of the Al Queda terrorist organization. UNCLE PRENTICE.
"THE TRUTH SHALL REMAIN."---JAN HUSS, 1415... "GOD WILL NOT ASK A PERSON HOW MANY BOOKS HE HAS READ BUT GOD WILL ASK HIM IF HAS DONE HIS BEST FOR THE LOVE OF HIM"..--- MOTHER TERESA.
UNCLE PRENTICE
>Sfox=ps. Even so I would imagine Mother Teresa would ask Prentice how many of Marsh's books he has read before he speaks ex Rectum on them.
I have no doubt Marsh is much more authentic and devoted pilgrim working for justice in the Mother Teresa vein than UP; much bluff and blunder; blowhard and buffoonery

Posts: 271
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2007 7:52 am
Location: "just south of God" - like Marney


Sept 12 Update: I noticed today at www.baptistlife.com/forums faith and practice where BDiddy had made a post alerting Winston Fox and other members of Snyder Memorial who may lurk there Brent Walker has joined the panelists at the Newsweek blog on Religion and the Public Square. Brent's first sentence is an endorsement of the thinking of Charles Kimball of Wake Forest and his book When Religion Becomes Evil as a starting text for wise thinking about the continued legacy of 911.
BDiddy also notes Walker is in the company there of greats like Randall Balmer. Both Balmer and Kimball have been points of contention between me and my Uncle who leads a Sunday School class of 55 or so at Snyder.
I do not consider it a personal attack on Snyder Memorial, that even as they seek accomodation and harmony in their transition to new Senior Pastor leadership, they consider the likes of Walker, Balmer and UVA's Charles Marsh; I do not consider it an attack that folks of the larger church community who join them in the progressive Baptist movement, suggest readings that may add depth to the souls and wisdom of individual members, and hopefully guide folks like my Uncle in their later years.
Snyder for sure is an interesting congregation as I have said before, meshing a military community with an academic one, and hopefully providing light in that region of North Carolina.
There were various soundings from that community when Marc Olson resigned, that leadership was not completely transparent. They have had a Town Hall Meeting, apparently are working through the suspicions and frustrations and have begun a healing process from Marc's leavetaking.
I am sure other folks beside Winston Fox will be speaking for them in the coming days. I do hope whatever leadership emerges or remains/continues in this transition will be well versed in the wisdom the likes of Brent Walker and Buddy Shurden; Tony Cartledge, and Johnny Pierce, even from all indications their former pastor Marc Olson hold in high esteem.

And an even more personal note. Public appeal to the administrators at Bl.com. Though I groped and took some fitfalls in trying to make the case I just made; though I might not have been as diplomatic as I hope I have been above, given my long dyfunctional relationship with my Uncle, I do not think appropriate to be sidelined on that board while he maintains full privileges because he tactically timed a whining fit more strategically than I did.
I do hope you will come to a re-evaluation soon and bring me back into the brethren there for this fall season when faith and politics are taking center stage with the nation.

Great resources you have missed just three days this week in my absence

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/on_religion_column/index.html

http://www.ethicsdaily.com/article_detail.cfm?AID=9425

http://www.the-american-interest.com/ai2/index.cfm

And lastly; with these kudos below that intrigued Ed Pettibone at bl.com, the post that sent UP into histrionics, I saw no harm in whatsoever. Surely a congregation such as Snyder's and its peculiar environs in this time when our Country is seeking a new leader and has a mess in Iraq, could gain some wisdom from history from a great book that masterfully tells the story of how ure and ideology shapes religious practice and belief.

I am particularly proud of Balmer's contribution, not only on the jacket blurb, but for Heyrman's attribution in her acknowledgments. It was my Uncle's persistent belittling of Balmer and Marsh that goaded me so at Bl.com. Again my apologies to any other member at Snyder who felt they were ly caught in the crosshair.

"[A] remarkable study. . . . Although other historians . . . have noted the slow process of evangelization that culminated so successfully in the mid-nineteenth century, none have told the story with such compelling detail, compassionate sympathy and wise humor as Heyrman."--Georgia Historical Quarerly
"One of the most engaging and compelling histories I have ever read; indeed, it is the best history of religion in the South that we now have and is sure to become a of how we should do religious history."--Donald Mathews, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
"Although a work of serious interpretation, Christine Heyrman's Southern Cross makes the story of the Christianizing of the South as exciting as a fast-paced adventure story."--Bertram Wyatt-Brown, University of Florida
"A wonderful book. . . . With meticulous documentation and an elegant writing style."--Michael D. Schaffer, Philadelphia Inquirer
"The best portrait I have ever seen of how religion became so entwined with family, community, and identity. . . . A beautifully written and highly readable book."--Drew Gilpin Faust, University of Pennsylvania
"Christine Heyrman has produced a history of extraordinary value for anyone seeking to understand how evangelicalism stamped an entire region. Southern Cross is a fascinating story, full of anecdotes and told with style, wit, and sophistication."--Randall Balmer, Barnard College, Columbia University
"Evangelical religion will never look the same after this beautifully crafted history."--Michael P. Johnson, Johns Hopkins University

Spurrier, Federer and Ping Pong

I can't afford a yard man, but can't afford a new lawnmower either, so my neighbor Robert does some touch up work in a some ditches and culverts around my "estate" in NE Alabama I can't get to with my clickety clack ridin mower.
Like myself, Robert is a big talker with lot of grand tales about various folks he has been a handyman for including a major donor down the Highway, retired Doctor, who is a serious benefactor of Emory University.
Robert has one daughter with a Master's Degree and some other members of the family who have done well, including pride for his own fame as a running back of Etowah HS in the mid 70's, home of the Bama QB Freddie Kitchens and some Auburn QB whose name I forget, Patrick Nix or the other guy.
Well Robert is up cutting around this morning before I get out of bed, so I have get up early to pay him. We get to talking. Turns out his nephew,Tyrone Nix is the defensive Coordinator for the Wild Man himself, Steve Spurrier who had the good sense to Recruit and Coach Gaffney's Sidney Rice for Two years.
Robert's nephew, Tyrone is Robert's brother Preston's Son. Robert's other brother Joe played football also, but Robert says he, Robert, was the best of the Three Brothers. He had a cap on this morning Tyrone brought him from Carolina.
In Addition to Robert, within 500 yards of all us is a close relative of Major Ogilvie and another neighbor kin to a UBama all American.
When I told Robert one of my good friends in Gaffney wrote a script that starred Kareem Abdul Jabbar and another starring the aging Rams Great Fred Williams, Robert thought it was all too much; but like Jack Nicholson's character says in Ironweed: "It's All True."


http://www.newsday.com/sports/tennis/ny-spomen105368411sep10,0,5108377.story
USA Today and other papers I haven't checked yet have covered yesterday's US Open Tennis Final pretty thoroughly. Here is my two cent to a nickle's worth on that.
Djokovic up three set points, 40-0 in the first shoulda served his first serve the next four attempts. Shoulda gone for broke. If he didn't ace Fed or set up easy volley and lost the two points to 40-30 he coulda played his 2nd serve at that point instead of giving FEd breathing room.
I love Federer. He's my #2 all time best ever behind Johnny Mac who I think ages and equipment equal, Mac wins cause of his game day savvy and strategy.
That's beside the point for yesterday however. On their best day Federer takes Joko 3 of 4 sets everytime; and Fed wasn't having his best day yesterday.
CBS and the NFL is partly to blame. I like football, but the jock drunks fans ought to take a break every once in a while and let grace and civility take the day. Game didn't start till 4:50 PM in the afternoon, not a good time for anybody to begin anything.
Let the finals of the US Open commence at 2PM or 7PM. Let the Best play at their best in the Best time of the day. Gives all the Bud fans out there plenty of afternoon to get good n soused and garble their BS and talk about their HS injuries.
Let the beautiful and graceful people have their time. Deniro and the Rain Man don't come out for every occasion and when they do it's for a reason.

I took a break after the 2nd and walked around a mall where I came upon a ping pong match in the foyer of a multiplex. Young manager was using it as a morale booster for his employees.
Well I got ups and talked my self into a free matinee ticket--was thinking 3:10 to Yuma for later in the week--if I won. Shoulda a been a cakewalk but my depth perception was off from the parking lot window behind my opposition. He went up 19-8 but I got my bearings and kicked in at Point-11 where in Bama lowman gets to serve it out. I started clickin but 21-17 was as far as I got. You can do the Math, I won NIne of the last 11 points but the Manager didn't buy my case so I got to pay for 3:10 to Yuma when I see it.
Maybe I can borrow the money from Robert, or somebody at IPTAY out there may want to buy us both a ticket.--Insert smilie emoticon and have a nice day.

SFox
Tried out for All State Trombone in 1970, but never made it past the county round.
Lost to Mary Anne Kesecker's boyfriend in the 5th bracket of the state HS Tennis Tournament in Columbia S.C., May 1970. Got my name in the Gaffney Ledger. Made a headline; still got the clippin.

Dysfunctional Families and an Apology to Snyder Memorial

Public Apology to the Congregation of Snyder Memorial.
In a mild fit in retribution to my Uncle Winston Prentice Fox USAF REtired who olbiquely called me several names at bl.com, made a curious reference to Alabama women--of which he is well aware my Mother numbers--and how they attract men which he editted a couple of times; and ran with a careless aside I made about our common ancestry I remember discussing with him in the past, but he now says never happenned
In a post at bl.com I made some remark after Uncle Prentice's repeated calls for "gravitas" and substance, I said something about the spaghetti dinners at his church being an occasion for gossip games when they ought to be reading Charles Marsh and Randall Balmer; and that I would probably enjoy the congregation and fit in maybe even sing in the choir if I had a Beamer.
I apologize on both counts for those careless asides. From all reports Snyder is one of the better, more progressive congregations in North Carolina with an illustrious history of grand pastors and I commend them for it. I think I said as much on several occasions on the board.
I like Spaghetti as much as the next person and If I coulda afforded just one of the several beauty queens I dated when I was younger, had more hair, swagger and more dependable pulse, If I coulda afforded one of em enough to marry them then I would join you in the spaghetti supper fun. And God Knows I always wanted a Beamer myself, so I am more to blame for the sin of envy and covetnousness than some of you are I imagine for actually owning one.
I have never been to your parking lot to count Beamers so I have no idea what the ratio is to Acura's and Duallies. I hope you all are doing well in that regard; sincerely.
This relationship with my Uncle may become great parable for the curriculum course on Dysfunctional Families in the Bible I think was debutted at a recent gathering of the CBF. I hope to provide a link for you and further parables about Chaplain Fox and myself as this series of blogs develop.
In the meantime, I do sincerely hope many of you there as you evaluate your congregation in this time of transition will take seriously any insight you can gain from the writings of Charles Marsh and Randall Balmer. Jim Henry's daughter, Kate Campbell of http://www.katecampbell.com/ endorses her fellow Mississippian Marsh wholeheartedly and I have no indication she has any reservations about Balmer or the several moments of sustained applause and standing ovation he got this past July at the BJC luncheon in DC.
See my blog below.
AT core that is the difference with UP and myself, if there is any substance to it.
I apologize if any of you felt like collateral damage from a couple careless asides with him in the public forum.
Come back routinely for the episodic parables of my dysfunctional relationship with Uncle Prentice.
In the meantime google up Marsh, and Balmer; as well as what I think is a Smyth and Helwys book on Dysfunctional Families of the Bible.

And do check the Pew comment line at www.faithinpubliclife.org

Snyder Memorial, Baptists Today and Chic Fil A

Several matters I may develop in this blog as time goes on so you may want to come back to it on occasion.
First, my cousin Wendy Skelton Whitley is pictured with her husband Jonathan in a feature in the Current September 2007 Baptists Today, page 24. It is a story about Truett Cathy, the CEO of CFA focussing on his Berry scholarship program and children's home, one of many he operates in the Southeast and Brazil. Wendy and her husband are houseparents to 13 children there.
Congrats to Wendy, her Mom and Dad Bob and Vicky Skelton (Vick my first cousin) and her Grandmother Juanita, my Dad's sister. Vicky and Aunt Juanita, and I have had our differences over the years about the split in the SBC, but I am very proud of them for this deserved profile and good work.
In the 90's I had several freelance articles published in Baptists Today, the most recent in 2000, a story on difficulties at Samford University, Wendy's alma mater as well as that of her brother, Rob, featured in this year's Air Force Flyover at the Super Bowl. Rob and Wendy have a cousin in law who is a graduate of the Beeson Div School at Samford.
Back in March my friend Randall Balmer was a feature interview in Baptists Today. For some time I have been recommending Balmer and Charles Marsh become studied reading at http://www.snydermbc.com/, where my Uncle Prentice is a member. My encouragement at the Baps Today affiliated discussion board Baptistlife has become a point of contention between my Uncle and me and to use his terms, I got Nifonged there.
In the course of discussion there, I made a few remarks provoked by my Uncle calling me in effect a Jackass bum, a sloth and a vengeful something or another in a fit of hysteria. Trying to fend that off I get blamed for malicious attacks against Snyder Memorial and reprimanded by board adminstrators there.
Update Friday Sept 7: I received a thorough analysis from Bl.com this morning by email; several items of which I have taken reservations to, but I do sincerely the good faith reply they have made in regard What I consider an often absurd, dysfunctional to put it mildly forty plus year relationship I have had with Winston Prentice Fox and the both of us with the rest of the family. I plan to blog extensively about that in the coming weeks, intersecting it with the Snyder circumstance as I find appropriate and led by conviction, in the parlance of some, Led of The Lord; who did call us out of Egypt as Pearl understood so magnificently on Page 240 of E.L Doctorow's Pulitzer nominated The March.
Note to Snyder; great Chapter on Fayetteville in there and all the Dead Mules floating down the river. From Doctorow you may want to go to Cormac McCarthy and from Cormac to Charles Marsh's great interview with Sam Bowers in God's Long Summer, and the thoughts on FRancis Schaeffer in his lastest WAyward Christian Soldiers, most apt for a progressive Baptist church that serves an academic and military community, but I digressed and ultimately it's your call.

I had several kind and gracious commendations of Snyder in the course of my repeated endorsements of the books I had a conviction about. I made a few remarks I wish I hadn't or should have said more diplomatically but that was not the theme of my argument with Uncle Prentice there.
He went ballistic on those few unfortunate remarks for which I apologize, and got his way. That is very sad.
One public housekeeping note.
Dr. Flick: You asked me to check my PM. I cannot check a PM if I cannot register. You and Bruce Gourley please email on your "unilateral" decision.
A modicum of Christian charity it seems to me, one I doubt the congregation of Snyder would disagree with if they had any inkling of the history of their Seniors Choir Director and myself; would be to bar Chaplain Fox retired from the board until this matter comes under further review. AT a minimum, since he despises me so, He no longer should go by "Uncle" Prentice there any longer, since at this moment he has one less nephew.
This family feud is a mockery of what my Mother and FAther lived their lives for, for what WD and Mary Alice Helton Fox (My grandparents and Prentice's parents) lived their lives for.
Furthermore, Doug Carver, the US Army Chief Chaplain for whom my Grandfather was a noted prayer warrior must be disappointed in this chapter in the Fox family as well.
If Beyers Naude, My Mother, Nelson Mandela, Oscar Romero and Jesus Christ can forgive; maybe I can too.
Right now, I don't know.

This is a rough draft. I may tweak later. I do hope to copy and email with further nuances to the staff at Snyder Memorial Soon.
I do wish many of them will read Balmer and Marsh closely; and effect what they have convictions about in that reading in their congregations.
At same time I wish them every element of grace and wisdom in their time of transition.
And likewise, if this comes to the attention of Truett Cathy, I ask him to consider Balmer's thoughts on his namesake George W. Truett in Balmer's celebrated book Thy Kingdom Come.

Stephen M. Fox
Sept 5, 2007

Oh, I forgot, irony of ironies, the cover story for the Sept Issue of Baptists Today is about the Hope of Bloggers to redeem the SBC.
And I do hope you get the irony of it all.
And maybe Tony Cartledge and Johnny Pierce will forgive me here, but subscribe to the magazine. And do know all readers and admirers are not of my temperament. (Insert smilie emoticon here)

Update/Pleasant Valley HS football and Spearing

Weds Sept 5 Update
John Morgan, the pastor of the Collinsville Baptist church who often moonlights as a reporter for Collinsville athletic contests, reports in today's www.times-journal.com Hernandez lay immobile for about thirty minutes after a "helmet to helmet collision."
Morgan reports on Tuesday first year Coach Alan Beckett said Hernandez had some swelling in his neck and numbness in one hand but no concussion.


There was a troubling hit with about 3 minutes to go in the 2nd half of the Suspended football game between Collinsville High School and Pleasant Valley yesterday. PV was leading about 34-7 at the time of the incident.
Many of the Collinsville fans are outraged, saying it was a vicious illegal hit on Phil Hernandez, while he was out of bounds, a helmet to the shoulder blades.
He lay immobile on the ground for a good ten minutes. Some acquainted with Pleasant Valley coaches say they encourage that type of contact. I do not know that to be the case but several straightforward and direct questions should be asked of their staff and players of this school in Jacksonville, Alabama; home of one of the largest state teacher's prep schools in the state and the alma mater of an inordinate number of state legislators.
Phil Hernandez is a great kid. He had receieved letters of inquiry from Georgia Tech, and other high caliber schools are aware of his kicking ability and academic promise.
Some may remember an episode of the Lazarus Syndrome in the early 80's starring the LA Times Great Fred Williams who played a sinister coach who taught such play.
Here is a link to a recent story on Hernandez promise.

http://www.times-journal.com/report.lasso?WCD=9076

I am hoping the AHSAA, the Bham News and Anniston Star can look at this incident soon.
It may be just a very unfortunate incident that comes with the risk of playing HS football. At the moment however, looks to be something much more nefarious.