Tensions In The Baptist Case Analysis

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During the pleasant spring of 1845, tensions were boiling in the United States. Bitter arguments were being fought regarding a variety of political issues like slavery territories, for example. Religious fervor was also on the upswing in the years that followed the second great awakening. Political and religious disagreements were becoming increasingly sectional as the North pushed against slavery, causing the South to push back.
These tensions were far-reaching, and they affected many branches of organized religion. This included the nation’s Baptists. Tensions in the Baptists can be seen in many events and debates, but one such meeting that was reported upon by The Biblical Recorder provides a relatively demonstrative example.
On a Tuesday
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He reported that the committee had met the day after it was appointed the previous year, but they had been unable to reach any sort of decision. Instead, they proposed that the question should be deferred to the churches to decide. This was absolutely unheard of. To distribute circulars to the churches of a society or association concerning such a question was highly questionable. So questionable, it would seem, that of the 9500 Baptist, only 172 saw fit to respond to the committee’s inquiry. After hearing this, Reverend Dr. Wayland said that it would seem that most churches had simply paid no attention to the question, so the society should drop the issue entirely. However, others argued the small response rate was of little importance and managed to continue the …show more content…
It seems that after an amended version of the resolution was proposed by Reverend Dr. Maginnis, who expressed his opinion that if disunion was going to come then it should be an honorable split, it was passed in disarray. What followed were a series of comments about the mission society’s goals to spread the gospel and discussing how the society had accomplished these goals. Pragmatics of splitting were also discussed concerning who would take over the current society and where responsibilities of the southerners and northerners would lie. The article concludes with the fact that the delegates had departed from one another “in deep emotion” after hearing the discussion, and there was no clear decision of which path the society would take. Of course, though, with the benefit of hindsight, it is easy to see that the society would eventually divide itself over the same issues that the delegates were discussing that spring of