Letter: Confederate flag resolution was unneccesary

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The Confederate flag shouldn't have been vilified in a vote at the 2016 Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis, writes one Index reader. JOEL CARILLET/Getty The Confederate flag shouldn't have been vilified in a vote at the 2016 Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis, writes one Index reader. JOEL CARILLET/Getty

The Confederate Battle flag has never hurt anyone and it's really a shame that this flag has been demonized so terribly that our Convention leaders felt a resolution was even necessary. I am thankful though that the convention kept the toned down language in the final draft.

You may ask why this is an emotional issue for me. Let me give you some background to try and help you understand.

  • I was born a Southerner in Columbus, Georgia and was not taught the hatred that many were taught while growing up in the South during the 50s and 60s, and for that I am thankful to God.
  • I was raised going to Southern Baptist churches and when I became a Christian at age 28, it was a Southern Baptist church I joined and have always been a member of and have been taught well the things of God by pastors that were Southern Baptist. My brother even graduated from Southwestern with a Masters in Divinity.
  • I honor my family and my ancestors. Ancestors who were with those fighting to protect their homes and family from Northern invaders. They fought and died under that very same flag that we Southern Baptists voted to dishonor this week.
  • As a student of history I understand much evil has been done after The War Between the States and up to today's time by people using the Battle Flag, American Flag, and even the Christian Flag while carrying out some terrible acts, but again the Battle Flag is no more guilty of those sins committed then the other two flags mentioned.
  • I am also saddened for those that share the same love of ancestors and feelings for the flags of the Confederacy as myself, who are vilified for a sincere desire to honor Confederate ancestors. Political correctness has become so perverted that there are some seeking to hold history hostage by comparing our standards today to those of years ago. They disparage our Nation's founding Fathers for being slave owners and yet do not recognize that they were products of that time in history. Rather, they force them to be held to today's standards.

I think you can tell that love of family is very important to me as well as it is to many Southerners including those in the family that may have done some things that God has opened our eyes to as being wrong because they were citizens of their day. I tell you, daily I am grateful for what God did bringing me to Him through Christ but also saddened because my sin distanced me from the Father and that Jesus died and was resurrected for me by covering my sins all by the grace of God.

I am thankful for my Southern Baptist roots, but am having difficulty understanding why leaders in the Convention feel the need to tarnish something I cherish. It is interesting that at the end of your article you printed tweets by Pastors but no laymen. Do the views of the laymen members of our congregations not count anymore?

Thank you for what you have done over the years with the Christian Index and for the opportunity to express my feelings and love in an open forum.

Frank Lane

Kiokee Baptist Church, Appling

Confederate flag, history, letter to the editor, SBC annual meeting, SBC16