Our first responsibility as citizens of a pluralistic democracy is to assure that the laws governing our society are just, equitable and that they preserve religious liberty for all. Then, by persuasion -- not by force of law -- in an ongoing, open public forum, the people all religions and of no religion are free to promote their competing visions of the common good.

Some evangelical Christians, among them many Mainstream Baptists like myself, still believe that faith should be shared by persuasion - by what the Apostle Paul calls the "foolishness of preaching."  We believe that our community of faith can grow by sharing the gospel in the open forum and respectful dialogue created by the common ground of religious liberty for all.

Southern Baptists and many other evangelicals, however, have given up on persuasion.   They are working to undermine pluralistic democracy.  They expect Christians to exercise dominion over the community by imposing a narrow and rigid subset of religious values on all society by legislation, adjudication and by a very doctrinaire education.  For them, the community of faith grows by mobilizing voters to elect politicians who will force a nation of increasing religious diversity to conform to a single set of religious values.

It doesn't take a genious to forsee that, over time, the religio-political strategy of Southern Baptists and other evangelicals will create a backlash that will discredit their faith and undermine their community.  Time, however, is short for most Southern Baptists.  They think Jesus is coming soon to remove them from the trials and tribulations that they are already bringing on the world.  That's why the Dominionist mentality is truly a threat to our faith, our community, and the world.