FUNDAMENTALIST FREDDY’S LITTLE PINK PAMPHLET

Even their women did change the natural use into THAT WHICH IS AGAINST NATURE And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, BURNED in their LUST one toward another; men with men working THAT WHICH IS UNSEEMLY . . . --Romans 1:26-27

We came by a little "pink" pamphlet (fittingly so) entitled "Baptist Distinctives" by Freddy L. Pattison, pastor (?) of the "Casa de Cristo Church" in Phoenix, Arizona. Freddy, according to the pamphlet, is the founder of a Bible Institute, head of the Cristo Press, and formerly associated with the General Association of Regular Baptists and the Baptist Bible Fellowship. The title, "Baptist Distinctives," provoked us to read the pamphlet with interest as it was designed to do. We were cautious, as we read it, for the author's church did not have the name Baptist on it. (Frankly, we had expected an interdenominational apologetic and smokescreen.) We read a dozen glowing remarks concerning Baptists and their distinctives that would, no doubt, please the entire Baptist spectrum from Billy Graham, to Jerry Falwell, to us. Then came the "shocker!” Freddy abruptly changed from Baptist distinctives to promotion of AGAPE Mission to Baptists, a ministry designed to speak to what he called "HOMOPHOBIA”—the fear of homosexuality and the fear of homosexual persons.

What Freddy was saying was, "Look Baptists, I am willing to go along with all your outstanding doctrines, if you will go along with my views concerning homosexuality and homosexuals. Since we never heard of a ministry that would even speak to "harlotophobia," "incestophobia," or “adulterophobia,” we were, naturally, surprised and disgusted. Believe it or not, Freddy questions the profession of faith of those who are negative toward homosexuality or homosexuals but has no problem with the profession of faith of a homosexual. Freddy says:

"At times it does seem that many Baptists are either running scared or blindly making statements about homosexuals and about homosexuality. Too often the attitudes displayed betray the PROFESSION OF FAITH of those making such statements. How many Baptist pastors, missionaries, seminary professors, evangelists and lay people believe one or more, of the following?

1. All aspects of homosexuality are sin.

2. Homosexuals must continually recruit unsuspecting youth to swell their ranks;

3. The Bible condemns practicing homosexuals, who unless they change or become celibate, will be eternally lost and go to hell;

4. It is totally impossible for anyone to be a born-again believer and a practicing homosexual;

5. Homosexuality is a growing menace In America and unless dealt with by law will eventually destroy the home, family, and nation itself."

Freddy bemoans folks who believe one or more of the above and carefully takes each point and presents his side. He assures us that he is only defending "those people, whose normal, natural, GOD GIVEN . . . homosexuality" not those who "crossover" to it. Crossing over from your natural sexuality is the sin, according to Freddy. In other words, if you are a natural "queer," stay that way; it would be a sin to turn "straight."

He tells us that "homosexual behavior can be as loving, as natural, and as normal for some people as is heterosexuality for others." We wonder if some are also born harlots, incestuous, and adulterers and if such can also carry on natural and loving relationships. Freddy thinks that the rebukes against homosexuality in the Scriptures were only for those who connected their homosexuality with Pagan temple rites (Yawn!). We suppose the adultery and incest that Paul condemned were also connected with Pagan worship, so, we should go easy on "normal, natural, and God given" adultery and incest?????

Freddy plays down the reality of homosexual recruitment by warning us that "to teach that homosexuals are child molesters and recruit heterosexuals is false" (but many of us were boys and grew up in the big city). Freddy is quick to tell us that eternal salvation depends solely on one's relationship to Jesus Christ. However, Freddy forgets to once again remind us (here) that our actions and attitudes can betray our professions. He also fails to remind us that prolonged unrepented sin m the believer's life brings on chastisement - even death sometimes. Freddy assures us not to be afraid, for "how can a solidly Christian home and family be destroyed?" We suggest that Freddy ask a few pastors. Sadly, most Christian homes are anything but solid in many respects. Any shepherd who is not afraid of wolves for his sheep's sake and who will not protect them is a hireling.

The Cristo Press which is connected with Freddy and his "AGAPE Mission to Baptists," in their mission to find each other, make available a number of tracts. Among these are: "Why Was Sodom Judged?", "But Leviticus Says," "Gays and Paul," "Christian Gay Relationships," and “Jonathan Loved David." We can expect a complete line of pat answers from these coupled with Jehovah Witness type rationale and deceit.

God does not create homosexuality nor homosexuals; it is against NATURE and it is UNSEEMLY BEHAVIOUR. Society may contribute to homosexuality along with masculine mothers, effeminate fathers, poor family life and homosexual recruitment. However, murder, suicide, incest, and alcoholism also receive contributions from the above. Albeit, the ultimate blame, as with any other sin, must rest with the individual who partakes in it, for that individual heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, and out of that heart proceedeth all such sins. As with other sins, however, homosexuality can be washed in the blood, forgiven, and FORSAKEN! The admonition of the Saviour, after salvation, is "Go and sin no more." This portion of Baptist distinctives is curiously missing from AGAPE Freddy's little "pink" pamphlet.

Editor's Note: In the Friday. April 23, 1982, issue of THE SWORD OF THE LORD there appeared an article entitled, “WHO IS A FUNDAMENTALIST?" The Editor of the SWORD told us in the article that a FUNDAMENTALIST is one who believes the essentials. He then listed five essentials that you must believe and he said, "A fundamentalist is someone who believes in the fundamentals of the Faith, as opposed to the modernist who denies one or all of the fundamentals." This line of reasoning has been used in several issues of THE FUNDAMENTALIST JOURNAL coming out of Lynchburg, Virginia. The AGAPE MISSION TO BAPTISTS believes the “essentials." I suppose then that we them as Fundamentalist?? We are on very dangerous ground when we list five (or in some cases six) so-called “essentials" and say they make a person a FUNDAMENTALIST. We Bible Believers know better. Why not send for your little pink Pamphlet?” Ask for Baptist Distinctives Pamphlet. AGAPE Missions to Baptists, Box 32441, Phoenix, Arizona 85064. --Don Edwards

-- by Herb Evans in the Flaming Torch, Nov/Dec 1983, p. 1