Letters: Readers think Baptists agree with Trump

Although I do not like many of Donald Trump’s personal antics, I do believe the borders need to be closed until we fix the system of vetting. We also need to limit the number of people coming in. We cannot support the world, and if we have open borders, our nation will be destroyed from within.

I know more Southern Baptist that share my opinion than I do who feel we need open borders.

Warren Brown

Mineola

Who are ‘Baptist leaders’?

I just read the article about “Baptist leaders” denouncing Donald Trump’s political statement about temporarily banning Muslim refugees from entering the country until certain things are done. It’s a suggestion with which I believe a majority of Baptists agree. Strangely, I saw no great outcry by “Baptist leaders” about Jimmy Carter saying Jesus would have approved of same-sex marriage. And his statement (scripturally) is an abomination to God.

I also take issue with the statements being attributed to “Baptist leaders,” since they are employees of a denomination or entity and therefore not chosen by Baptists as their leaders. I don’t know if these men were called by God to their particular positions, or whether they obtained them by knowing the right people, but they don’t speak for me.

And their knowledge of Muslims and the Qur’an is ridiculously naïve. Anyone who has studied the Hadith and Qur’an, which in 164 verses calls for our destruction, understands that a Caliphate (and Sharia law) expands through immigration. The current administration knows it, and in my opinion is implementing it, whereas the majority of members of Congress are clueless. A Saudi prince recently pledged $32 billion for the Islamification of America. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to get that kind of support for Christianity?

Trump was wrong in saying 25 percent of Muslims in America approve of jihad against the country. Actually, Pew Research in 2014 reported it was 49 percent. And because the Qur’an teaches that it’s OK to lie to infidels, I think it’s a lot closer to 100 percent.

C.C. Risenhoover

Granbury

Nag Hammadi texts are not the Dead Sea Scrolls

“Noncanonical sources still influence Christian traditions” is incorrect.

The Nag Hammadi texts are not the Dead Sea Scrolls. Clearly, any Egyptian city, including Nag Hammadi, would not be located near the Dead Sea and could not be associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Nag Hammadi texts are Gnostic Christian in origin, while the Dead Sea Scrolls were almost entirely Jewish.

Also, while the Pseudo-Matthew gospel does indeed include an ox and donkey, these animals actually come from Isaiah 1:3, where these animals are found to recognize the manger of their master, a Christian allusion to Jesus’ birth.

Stephen Fox

Cypress