The Pen

June 1, 2015

The Problem With the ERLC and Interfaith Coalitions

Ecumenical movements within the Church and those who propagate them should be considered with caution. One prominent propagator of such movements is the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention (ERLC). The ERLC has been known to make questionable dives into the waters of faith-based alliances with organizations that hold to completely different sets of doctrinal beliefs than do Bible-believing Southern Baptists. It has rightly been criticized by concerned Christians for doing so. Unfortunately, critics of the ERLC and similar organizations are often accused of slandering people of faith, causing division, rejecting diversity, or even spreading hate. Questions, not unlike the trap questions asked of Jesus by Jewish leaders during the first century, are thrown at the critics of ecumenism in attempts to discredit their concerned stances. Many times, these questions are nothing more than straw-men tactics that shown no real concern the specific issue at hand. When responding to such questions, critics of unhealthy ecumenism should strive to respond with sound logic and thoughtful biblical exegesis. Consider the following admonishments from the Apostle Paul in light of notable activities of the ERLC.