Baylor Baggage

Baylor is getting a new President. Since Baylor is a Southern Baptist entity and I am a Southern Baptist, though not an alumnus, I am going to put in my “two cents worth.”

I don’t know Kenneth Starr, and like a lot of older folks (as opposed to college students) remember him only for his work as Special Prosecutor during the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton.

The question is, “why would he NOT make a good President for the University?”  Here is a long quote from an article by Tim Madigan in the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram –

“‘I think the thing that Baylor really needs in a president [sic] was someone who could bring healing and unity to the Baylor community, and I don’t think Ken Starr is the person to do that,’ said the Rev. Brent Beasley, senior pastor of Fort Worth’s Broadway Baptist Church and another Baylor alumnus. ‘Right or wrong, he’s a polarizing public figure, and I’m afraid he’s going to contribute to some of the divisiveness at Baylor, as opposed to healing.’ Posts on the Baylor Alumni Association’s Facebook page were overwhelmingly negative, with many citing similar concerns about the political baggage that Starr carries. His investigation of the Whitewater land deal and the Monica Lewinsky scandal led to Clinton’s impeachment in the U.S. House.”

The only One who is going to bring “healing and unity” to the University is God the Father. Baylor has showed it’s colors to the whole watching world in the past few years with many of it’s leaders and any number of its alumni acting more like non-believers than believers. If Kenneth Starr has “baggage” why don’t we just “forgive (as if I thought he needed that – seems to me he was the “right and honest” one in all that past history) and forget”. One of the main difficulties with the people of God presenting a clear message of forgiveness and hope and peace is that we are not very good at any of the three.

I’ve got two question. Is Kenneth Starr a Believer? Is he living an obedient life according to the Scripture? If the answer is no, he doesn’t belong at Baylor (two many like that there already). If the answer is yes – who are you and I to say anything regarding his past (which, I repeat, has nothing sinfully disqualifying I know about)? He answers to God for what has been his role in life. I am sure he is “qualified” to serve as President of Baylor or else he would not be in that position. Our job is to support him. Period.