Each individual is fully accountable to God and solely responsible for his or her actions. Baptists have concluded from this that no restraint or constraint should be placed on an individual regarding the worship of God contrary to one's conscience. Woodward links Clinton's misconduct to Baptist teaching of eternal security and freedom of conscience with the implication that other views may have prevented him from wrongdoing. They didn't and don't espouse Baptist views on these things. Baptist belief isn't the problem here.
Individual character is.
He is giving Baptists a bad name Christians who believe and try to follow the Bible are ridiculed, accused and blamed at every opportunity. They have been blamed for the terrible murder of a homosexual in Wyoming last month and cited as contributing to the violence against abortion clinics and doctors. Woodward's article adds to this current fashion of Christian bashing. Perhaps this rebuttal will do little to turn back the anti-Christian sentiment, but I must pick up the muddied banner and defend our faith and good name.