Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, has recently acquired three fragments 
of the Dead Sea Scrolls courtesy of a large donation made by one of its trustees. There is, of course, nothing inherently wrong with the possession of such fragments, but listening to the men interviewed, my eyebrows were certainly raised, for two reasons:
1) Paige Patterson, President of the seminary, says, “I can only say God must have been smiling on us.” A man, blessed by God with sufficient wealth, decides to make a donation for this and that thus means that “God is smiling on us?”
2) Gary Loveless, the trustee who made the donation, said, and I quote:
One day, when we’re all standing before Him, we’ve got millions of people out there, when I hold my hand up, He will know who I am. That’s, really, for me, what it’s about.”
WHAT?!?!?! WOW. WOW.
That’s what it’s about? Raising one’s hand so God will know who ponied up money to buy the Dead Sea Scrolls?
WOW.
This did not seem so much about bringing glory to God as it did bringing glory to a particular Baptist institution, did it? See for yourself.
Perhaps, as well, one may wish to be careful in raising one’s hand on the last day so that God will acknowledge one for particular works done here on earth. Especially if the motivations for doing said works is to be acknowledged by God for doing them……
You’re right–those comments are not impressive.
My opinion of that seminary becomes less every week.
I live in Texas and my son plans to go to seminary after college. Please, oh please, move to Kentucky for that, my son.