Southern Baptists And "Playboy"

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32252, 21 March 1970, Page 20

Southern Baptists And "Playboy"

'I (,V.Z Pre.,., A».,n.—Copyright I • ATLANTA, March 19. ! Southern Baptists and i the “Playboy” philiiosophy on morals met ■ head-on during the 1 “Authentic Morality for s Modern Man” conferi ence in Atlanta on Mon- ’ day, and both sides left J the debating table ciaimi ing victory. i According to United Press . Internationa! representing , “Playboy” magazine was Mr . Anson Mount, public affairs . manager for the magazine. . Carrying the Baptist colours . was a panel of distinguished . ethics professors. • “There has been quite

enough emphasis in our culture over the last two thousand years on the dark, terI rifying possibilities of sex,”' . Mr Mount told the 400 South- , era Baptists. “Everything [], the organised Church has had J ]to say about unmarried sex! C] has been one word:, ‘Don’t’.” Professor William Pinson, ] ethics professor at Southwes- " [ tern Baptist Theological Semit nary at Fort Worth, replied - by calling the “Playboy” philosophy of sex “inadequate and potentially destructive.” s Professor Pinson said that g “Playboy” saw sexual interr course “as a function, as a s [ performance.” i., “Playboy's” mission was “to [ s j remind people that sex can i and ought to be fun,” Mr . Mount said. e “‘Playboy’ indicates that:

marriage comes when playtime is over—a pretty depressing, forbidding picture, especially to a playboy," Processor Pinson countered. “If you succeed in reaching the younger generation half as well as we have succeeded in doing so,” Mr Mount said of “Playboy,” “then 1 think you will be able to say you’ve done a good job.” Governor Lester Maddox had threatened to lead a demonstration outside the Atlanta Hotel in which the progressive conference was being held. Governor Maddox called the inclusion of i such people as Mr Mount and ] a black Georgia legislator, Mr Julian Bond, scheduled to appear later, “contrary to the doctrine of the Church and to the Bible.”

Leaders of the conference ■'had countered Governor . Maddox by saying the aim of ■ the conference was to acquaint Southern Baptists ; with moral issues today. Governor Maddox said that I ] he called off his demonstraI tion because, “There are :]some good churches and

e some good ministers, and I r wouldn’t want some action I f would take to maybe hurt o their efforts.” s The controversy over the conference spread to the it Atlanta Baptist pastors’ coni’ ference as well. The organie sation sought in vain to have d the conference cancelled.