Predestination, Baptists, and the Need for Clarity

It has come to my attention that there is a discussion going on within many Southern Baptist Churches about the doctrine of election or predestination. We know that there is a lot change going on in the SBC and most of it is quite positive. Many churches are being forced to face the age-old belief of predestination. It has even crept up in the local church I currently attend and serve in. To say that election is controversial is to say that Barack Obama is our President. It's just obvious. We know Obama is our President and we know the doctrine of election is controversial. But, does it have to be? I dont understand why it seems so many people dont want to have a civil discussion on the subject. It seems those who uphold the doctrine, are so quick to say Arminians are not Christians. Arminians(or those who dont believe election) are so quick to get angry and not discuss the topic altogether. We know that a large part in the success of the Reformation was debate and conversation. People used to debate these things in pubs, restaurants, schools, and homes. My question is, why can we not do this today?

Now, on to Baptists and the need for clarity. We need clarity in our belief on the subject of election and uniformity in our doctrinal statements. I know that this seems to be an impossibility and it certainly is. The SBC is far too large to have uniformity on the subject although the official Baptist Faith and Message seems to support divine election. Here is my proposition, we need a Lutheranistic approach. If there is one thing I have learned from studying the Reformation, it was their emphasis on Creeds, Confessions, and Catechism. Here is what i suggest to Baptists. We need to develop our own book of doctrinal unity similar to the Lutheran Book of Concord and the Reformed Three Forms of Unity. I believe that a volume such as this should include the Ancient Creeds such as the Apostle's, Nicene, and Athanasian. I believe it should include the London Baptist Confession of 1644 and 1689, Philadelphia Confession of 1743, and the Abstract of Principles. It should also include catechisms such as Keach's Catechism(commonly known as the Baptist Catechism), and Spurgeon's Puritan Catechism which developed off the Westminster Confession and Small Catechism. It may also be helpful to include the Westminster Confession, the articles of the Synod of Dordt, and should include something, anything from Luther and our indebtedness to him and his work. I have found an excellent website that contains all of the old Baptist confessions and catechisms you can to that link here.
So, please Baptists, lets be uniform in our doctrine. And for the record, it should include the doctrine of election. After all, it is found all over scripture.

Seth
Soli Deo Gloria!