City Out Of Water--Saved By Baptist Church

The city was on a sustained growth pattern and was becoming unable to meet the demands for water--they needed a place on high ground to build the new 1,000,000 gallon water tower.

However, the high ground was owned by First Baptist Church.

The city made a deal.

The atheists are angry. Very angry.


The deal was done in broad daylight---on the up and up, as they say.

The church donated the property and all necessary access rights to the city, in exchange, the city of Broken Arrow, Ok. agreed to put the name of the church on the water tower.

The pastor told the media, "Our people are very generous. We want to be good citizens as well as good Christian folks representing the Kingdom of God."

Todd Starnes notes "Baptists are mighty partial to water" as well.

The pastor says, "We're in the business of talking about Living Water and this (deal) provided water for a community and water for our church and water for the whole new area of the city to develop."

Don't atheists like water?

Apparently not if it's "Baptist water."

In return for the church donating the land to the city, the city agreed to put the name of the church---First Baptist Church---on the water tower.

Now the atheists from Wisconsin (Freedom From Religion Foundation) are descending on the city demanding the name of the church be removed.

The FFRF has done what they always do. They have fired off a threatening letter to the city warning the city that the church's name on the tower violates federal law, hoping, of course, that the city will immediately scrub the Baptists off the tower---without their having to spend any money actually taking them to court.

The atheist's attorney told TV station KTUL, "At some point that name is going to have to come off the tower. The water tower is in fact, government owned, and on government land. As such, it can't be advertising for any religion."

City councilors have voted to take no action on the atheist's threat to sue. City officials said the original deal was to keep the church's name on the water tower for the use of the land, and they don't want to go back on the deal.

The people in the city are suggesting the atheists go back to Wisconsin, and the city's attorney has told the Freedom From Religion Foundation the church's name is going to stay on the tower.

City Attorney, Beth Anne Wilkening told KOTV in Tulsa that it wasn't intended to endorse any sort of religion, it was simply to recognize them for their contribution. It was a contract.

The pastor says he is grateful for the way the city has handled the matter so far.

Starnes says the atheists probably "think the city's tap water will turn into holy water since the tower is on church property."

In keeping with the spirit of the church and the city, it has been suggested that the water tower is also not filled with wine for communion---because they say, Baptists use grape juice---"We take our communion before fermentation sets in---preferably Welch's."

One thing however, the Baptists have seized upon. They are telling other Baptist church's around the state they now have the biggest baptistery in the state of Oklahoma.

That will likely not help with the atheist angst.

The atheists, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and the ACUL have their bows drawn with their "wall of separation" arrow pointed at the church.

We hope and pray the arrow becomes yet another broken one.

Have a great weekend.

Be Informed. Be Vigilant. Be Prayerful. Be Blessed.