Let me

first say that I mean the Rev. Massey no disrespect in my

comments. In fact, I had the opportunity to attend the

Rev. Massey's church several times in our search for a

home church some time ago when we moved to the area.

While we eventually chose to join another church, I have

the utmost respect for the Rev. Massey and would hope

that my words would not appear to mean otherwise. While I

know his heart is in the right place, I was disappointed

in his take on this issue.

A few weeks

ago, while attending my home church (New Hope Baptist),

our pastor delivered a challenging July 4 message that

spoke to many hearts. Recent Supreme Court decisions (ban

on school prayer, for instance) and other political

events brought home the fact that the very basic and core

values that our great nation had been founded on have

been stripped away, one by one, by a society that has

become so corrupt that "right" and

"wrong" have now become relative terms.

We as

Christians have sat idly by, "asleep" and

"comfortable" as unborn children are routinely

killed, sex has been allowed and acceptable as a means

for selling products, and even Christian schools hosting

a public school's team cannot open their football games

with a word of prayer. Our nation like many before us, is

on the verge of total moral meltdown. The Rev. Avant

challenged us as Christians to wake up, speak up, and

stand for what is Godly, moral and right, before it is

too late.

Not two

weeks later we learned of the very quiet plans to open a

Hooters restaurant in our own backyard. We all had to

make a decision. Should we allow a business that

obviously uses sex to sell its product into our

community, or should we speak up, regardless of the

ridicule and criticism we would face? We chose to stand

up for what is right and good. We knew we'd receive

ridicule in the opposition, but, like many others before

us, we did what God led us to do.

The Rev.

Massey believes that in so doing, we are attempting to

"create or preserve some kind of Christian utopia,

where we stand up for God and keep the sinners out."

Well, here is where we differ.

While

Christ loved the sinners, and actively sought them out,

He never once tolerated sin. We as Christians should

reach out to sinners, yes. But does this mean we should

search out, welcome and even lobby for places of business

that are clearly ungodly? Should we as Christians

encourage adult book stores to move to our neighborhood?

Should we ask gay clubs to come to our neighborhoods so

that we can witness to the sinners? Clearly not.

We at New

Hope, and many other churches in our area, have actively

encouraged people from all walks of life, race, and yes,

sexual orientation to come join us. This effort is not

about keeping the Hooters girls, or anyone else, away

from Fayetteville. It's about trying to stop a business

that uses sex and lust to sell its food. (Do people

really go to Hooters just for the food?)

We look

forward to reaching the lost. That is, after all, our

purpose and mission. We just do not believe we need to

idly stand by as these types of businesses attempt to set

up shop in our neighborhood. As the Rev. Massey himself

says, the Bible commands us to go into all the world and

preach the good news to everyone. It doesn't say we

should actively bring "the world" and its sin

to our doorstep in order to reach these lost folks.

The Bible

does say that we must "be sober, be vigilant,

because your adversary the devil walks about like a

roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him,

steadfast in the faith. "(1 Peters 5:8-9a). This

passage indicates an assertive stance against the

adversary's operations. Because of the devil's aggressive

hostility, Christians must be spiritually alert, not only

to withstand his attacks, but in prayer and spiritual

warfare opposing him. This is our intent in opposing this

business.

The Rev.

Massey alludes to the passage in the Bible where Christ

drove out the pharasaic money changers from the temple

(Mark 11: 15-19). Old Testament Law required people to

sacrifice animals to God in order to be forgiven of sin.

Many were very poor and had to spend all they had to

purchase a dove or a lamb for this sacrifice. Many wicked

merchants saw this as an opportunity to sell animals for

sacrifice, at inflated prices, to earn a handsome profit.

Was this

"legal?" Yes. (No doubt it would have passed

through the "planning commissions" and

"town councils" of that day). Was it morally

right or godly? Obviously not. How did Christ react to

this? Did He encourage this as an opportunity to reach

these sinners, and ask them to return? No. Quite the

contrary. He overturned tables, grabbed a whip and drove

them out of the temple.

Yes, there

is a place for righteous anger and standing up for what

is right. Did this win Christ any favor or help him win

any popularity contests? Definitely not. In fact, this

was just another event that angered the Pharisees and

eventually drove them to seek for, and receive, the death

of Christ. Popularity didn't matter then, and it still

doesn't matter now, as long as we stand up for what is

right and good.

Rev.

Massey, we all share the same commitment to reaching the

lost. We don't however, need to bring the sins of the

world to our town in order to have the opportunity to do

it. We as the body of Christ must awake, rise up, and

stand up for what is Godly and right, no matter what the

cost. We can no longer afford to try to appease society

or be "politically correct."

Should we

succeed in our efforts to stop Hooters from coming to

Fayetteville, our mission field is still as great as

ever. Should our efforts fail, I look forward to seeing

brother Massey and others at Hooters' front door,

witnessing to the lost.

Dave

Buck

Tyrone