Writing a post on alcohol simply was nowhere on my radar until Nathan brought up the subject. Now I’ll be glad to enter the topic where it is raised, but I think that Nathan gets a free pass from you for starting the whole thing, not because I or the other blogs mentioned above are any more interested in alcohol as compared to other issues that face us nor that we blog any more frequently on the subject than Nathan does, but for other reasons.

Trying to twist Timmy’s words around on him isn’t what a “cogent point” is. It’s more like obfuscation. Much like your assumption about the way I looked at the posts in question — all you’re doing is trying to confuse the issue. This is easily seen through and it’s quite disgusting from a man of godly respect such as yourself.

And isn’t that the root of the problem? On both “sides,” these are men we respect, or whom we would like to respect simply because of our status in Christ. Yet it’s becoming increasingly hard to do so with the language and attitudes many of them display. Timmy is right — this does not serve the cause of Christ and distracts us from the gospel.

As a (pretty much) life long southern baptist I can certainly tell you it is wholly distasteful and saddening to see the kind of prideful posturing, anger and lack of Godly integrity in relationship that is going down in these blogs. . . did I get the distinct feeling most of these men are pastors and church leaders?
No wonder our churches are in decline. Clearly we have forgotten our first Love. May we be so consumed with Him and His infinite holiness that we fall on our faces in repentance for our denomination.

Since everyone seems to weigh in, I love a glass of wine now and then. And I thank Jesus when I do for His sweet gift of it to the world.

In the article that I reference above, you begin by saying:

The ongoing discussion over alcohol at SBC Today really has legs. The comment count is at 117 and rising. I’ve contributed a few to that number. One of the comments that I made resonates strongly enough with me that I’ve decided to make it a post all unto itself, slightly modified and expanded. I’ve entitled it, “If Moderationists Really Cared about Drunkenness.”

That doesn’t exactly sound like someone who is tired of having the discussion on alcohol.

What I am saying is that most SBC blogs center on political or hot-button issues, not the least of which is alcohol. We have been down the road time and again, and the more I read the arguments, the more incoherent and extrabiblical they become. Not only are we forgetting the gospel, we are showing how poor of an argument we make, which, I must presume, leads to more argumentation. But I digress.

Continuing to fight over the issue of alcohol will not serve the cause of Christ or the SBC. To the contrary, it will do more to frustrate and discourage a generation of Southern Baptists raised on the inerrancy of Scripture who desire to stand on the sufficiency of the Scripture.

As one who abstains myself, I simply hope that we will see greater enthusiasm and interest over the gospel as we do over nonessential and peripheral issues (at best) such as alcohol.

I’m not trying to bait Timmy. I’m simply making a cogent point—I’ll be glad never to have another blog conversation about alcohol for the remainder of my life. Timmy’s post implies something quite different. Your presumption about Timmy’s post here seems to be precisely Timmy’s presumption about Nathan’s post: It must be accepted at face-value, for to seek to correct it where it errs is somehow shameful to the cause of Christ (although, somehow, to make the initial disputed assertation apparently is not???).

Thank you, Mr. Barber, for making my case for me. Trying to bait Timmy is just lame and stupid, especially with such a childish, high school play on words as this one. We “younger pastors” expect better of those who are supposed to be mentoring us.

I say again, sometimes it just shames me to be a non-Calvinist. Further, sometimes it just shames me that I’m a Baptist.

Lord, forgive us who bear Your image.