Dr. Foy Valentine: a strong advocate for freedom and justice.Longtime long·time adj. Having existed or persisted for a long time: a longtime friend; a longtime resident of Detroit. longtime Adjective Americans United activist Dr. Foy Valentine died Jan. 7 at a Dallas hospital after suffering a severe heart attack. He was 82. Dr. Valentine was one of those rare individuals who dedicated his entire life to defending the rights of others. He was a passionate and powerful advocate of the separation of church and state
Accepting the presidency of Americans United in September of 1989, Valentine remarked, "Church-state separation is the brightest jewel in the crown of American democracy. Out of a sense of compelling obligation, I have been deeply involved in the life and work of Americans United. The cause of separation of church and state, based on commitment to the Constitution's First Amendment, deserves not just to survive but thrive." Dr. Valentine was deeply committed to his own faith--but he insisted that government should have no say in religious matters. In 1966, he penned a short book titled The Cross in the Marketplace containing advice for houses of worship that remains relevant 40 years later. "Many pulpits during recent elections have sounded ominously om·i·nous adj. 1. Menacing; threatening: ominous black clouds; ominous rumblings of discontent. 2. Of or being an omen, especially an evil one. like one political party or the other gathered for prayer," Valentine wrote. He also warned churches that governments were looking at them "as another of their numerous natural resources." Dr. Valentine cautioned church leaders to be careful, writing, "If they do not maintain their freedom, they cannot maintain their usefulness either to the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of men." Dr. Valentine's work on race relations race relations Noun, pl the relations between members of two or more races within a single community race relations npl → relaciones fpl raciales was also pioneering. As executive director of the Southern Baptist Noun 1. Southern Baptist - a member of the Southern Baptist Convention Southern Baptist Convention - an association of Southern Baptists Baptist - follower of Baptistic doctrines Christian Life Commission during the 1960s, he pressed that denomination Denomination The stated value found on financial instruments. Notes: This term applies to most financial instruments with monetary values. The denomination for bonds and securities would be face value or par value. to begin the long and difficult process of racial reconciliation and healing. Dr. Valentine retired as a Southern Baptist official in 1987 after 27 years of service. As fundamentalists took control of the denomination, his stand in favor of church-state separation fell out of favor and was reversed. This pained Dr. Valentine, but he never gave up on the denomination he loved. Thanks to his work and the efforts of Baptists like him, moderates remain in control of state denominational de·nom·i·na·tion n. 1. A large group of religious congregations united under a common faith and name and organized under a single administrative and legal hierarchy. 2. offices in Texas. Foy Valentine is survived by his wife of 58 years, Mary Louise, and three daughters, Jean, Carol and Susan. |
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