So the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has passed a resolution on charismatic behavior, including speaking in tongues. Now over at This Guy Falls Down, Mark Lee said that they banned it but that isn’t really accurate. They won’t throw students out over it (at least not based on this). The actual guideline appears to be:

stating that it would neither endorse charismatic practices — including “private prayer language” — nor employ those who promote such practices.

Is this wrong? Well, regardless of how you feel about charismatic behavior, I think it is fine. This is a denomination that doesn’t believe in it. So they don’t want the future leaders of the church being taught about it. Plain and simple. Don’t like it? Change denominations. There is no demonizing of those that do have these practices but the practices and not part of the doctrine. Other denominations are still our brothers and sisters in Christ. This quote from the president of the seminary really sums it up:

“We do believe in absolute religious liberty,” he observes, “but we also believe that if you’re going to be a New York Yankee, you shouldn’t wear a New York Mets uniform.”

I also like what Mark Lee says:

I will say that I do have a lot of respect for SBTC in that they are attempting to do something that is becoming more and more foreign in Christian circles: they are spelling out what they believe. We are living in an age where many, if not most, are getting their theology from Christian music. That’s a scary thought now, isn’t it? Like Dylan said, if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.