I was reading an article the other day about Al Mohler and the effects of the Conservative Resurgance on Southern Seminary. The article was not unfavorable to Mohler, but mostly dwelled on the lingering whispers of controversy, stating that his work "has brought criticism and suggestions of intolerance."
What struck me were the repeated references to Mohler's "strict ideological stands" on issues such as women in the pastorate and how he "fervently opposes gay rights and abortion." There was even a quote by a former faculty member who stated that what now exists is "a Baptist version of the Taliban." Only one small reference to the infallibility of Scripture.
This is what gets me. I, of course, cannot speak for Al Mohler. But as for me, I am not against women in the pastorate. I am not against gay rights. I am not against abortion, or liberalism, or rampant immorality, or any combination of all the sins. Have at it. Do what you want. Intercourse with anything that has two legs, or four. I, as one properly educated by liberal secular public institutions do not have the mental ability to tell you that you are wrong to desire any of these things. I have no authority whatsoever. But I do believe in Scripture.
See, it is not that I am against anything. I am for Scripture. Any evaluation that gets this order incorrect is flawed. I am for Scripture. Scripture is against homosexuality. Scripture is against abortion. Scripture is against exploiting the poor. Scripture is against women serving as pastors. Therefore, turns out that I am against those things.
I suppose that in the end it turns out to be the same thing, but my liberal secular public education taught me to understand the positions of those who disagree with you before you assume the right to criticize. Most who criticize Conservative Christians have no idea what non-secular people are really talking about. They assume that we are all starting on the same track and do not realize that we are in different stadiums.