By MONROE ROARK
mroark@thecitizennews.com

In the interest of full disclosure, let me begin by saying that I'm not a Methodist. I'm a Baptist.

An independent Baptist. The kind referred to by the mainstream media as a (gasp!) fundamentalist. And I would never want to see the Rev. Randy Mickler, the now-infamous Methodist pastor from Marietta, behind the pulpit at my church.

Those of you who have condemned him this week for denying Rabbi Steven Lebow the chance to speak at Walton High School's baccalaureate service at Mickler's church are probably cheering me right now, thinking I have some desire to take revenge against Mickler. Wrong. Mickler's actions have my full support.

But I don't want Mickler preaching at my church for the same reason he doesn't want Lebow preaching at his. Baptist, Methodist and Jewish beliefs are not the same.

The differences in some areas are slight and in other areas great. But the practitioners of each should feel strongly enough about his or her denomination or religion to guard the pulpit, that most sacred desk, fiercely. Otherwise, whatever is spoken from behind it becomes watered-down and useless.

In any venue aside from the pulpit, these rules do not apply. Civic functions, charitable endeavors, community activism, political rallies all of those are fair game, and I imagine I would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with both of these men on many issues if we were to live in the same community.

But in the Lord's house, on the Lord's day (whether you believe that to be Saturday or Sunday), it's another story entirely. For many Americans, it's a much more serious matter.

Folks who give their religious beliefs a high priority know that the source of their spiritual fulfillment be it my King James Version of the Bible or someone else's Koran is something bigger than they are. It is supernatural, and it is eternal.

If you give any belief or value system that much weight, you cannot think of compromising it in the name of "inclusion" or some other form of political correctness. That sounds harsh, but to a true believer of any religion, to trust your never-dying soul to something else is infinitely more damaging.

That's why I applaud Mickler for his actions this week, and any member of his church worth his or her salt should do the same, or quietly find another church where he or she can give that kind of commitment.

And we should all thank God that our nation is great enough to allow Mickler, Lebow, my pastor and yours to stand behind their respective pulpits this week and minister to us all in the way we have chosen to be ministered to.

[Monroe Roark can be reached at mroark@TheCitizenNews.com.]

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