We read:
"Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has only been in office three days, but he's already facing criticism for remarks he made the day of his inauguration.
Bentley, a Republican, told a crowd at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church on Monday that if they haven’t accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, they are not his brother or his sister.
“The governor does not have to be a seasoned politician to understand the impact of remarks like that,” said Bill Nigut, the Southeast regional director of the Anti-Defamation League. “These are remarks of a man who truly believes what he said, apparently. This seems to be quite clear that Christians are part of an exclusive relationship he has with his brothers and sisters and the rest of us are not.”
Bentley was sworn in shortly before he spoke at the church where the late civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was once a pastor. According to The Birmingham News, during his speech he said it was important for Alabamians to ''love and care for each other." He also told the crowd he is color blind.
Kennedy agrees with the statement that Bentley has First Amendment rights, but he is speaking as the governor, the one person who has the bully pulpit of the state.
Source
Critics seem to overlook the fact that the Gov. was making a religious statement in a church. He was simply saying that a shared belief in Christ makes you brothers in Christ, whether you are black or white. He is surely entitled to his religious beliefs.
He was in fact reaching out to blacks, most of whom do have some degree of Christian belief. He said nothing to indicate that he would practice any form of discrimination in the execution of his duties so he had nothing to apologize for. Christians do not need to apologize for being Christians.
15 comments:
Yet another person apologizing for someone else failing (or pretending to fail) to understand what he said in the context he said it.
Considering the fact that part of the same sentence was him also saying he would like to be the brother of those he just said were not his brothers and sisters I see a manufactured outrage.
I don't think he should apologize for anything. He's a typical fundamentalist Christian who believes he and his kind are superior. He's not going to change his views. I believe he should stick to his guns, reiterate what he said and next election cycle the voters should find someone truly morally superior to him to fill the office.
Perhaps he can be dog catcher. But then again, I'd hate to see him let non-Christian dogs suffer as he only believes Christian dogs are his "brothers".
From Leftism 101:
Use lies, distortions, innuendo, and half-truths to keep your enemies on the defensive. It's old and simple, but obviously, still quite effective.
Christians do not believe they are "superior," they just happen to believe they are "forgiven."
That being said, I believe that as the Governor of a State, you have certain civic responsibilities to the entire population of the state, and one of those responsibilities is to reduce rather than enhance the differences between cultures and religions of the members of your State.
The Government is Secular, and the Governor is the head of a Secular State. When speaking in public, it is impossible, whatever the setting, for him to be a private citizen giving his testimony. He is always seen, by virtue of his office, to be speaking "for the State." It's not fair, it may not be right, but it IS.
This man needs to understand that, and to either resign so that he can go on the preaching circuit, or back away from the Church Pulpit and behave more like an elected official in a Secular State is supposed to behave.
"they (Christians) just happen to believe they are "forgiven."
They all must be an awful terrible lot if they need to be forgiven.
I wonder what the various "he-didn't-do-anything-wrong" posters would have to say if the Guv had been brown-skinned and used "Muslim" instead of "Christian" and "Muhammed" instead of "Jesus Christ" (and yes, I understand that the Muhammed-Jesus substitution is tenuous, given that Muhammed is considered simply a prophet rather than godspawn).
My guess? Something along the lines of: "That scray Islamo-fascist is trying to make us all live under Sharia Law!" Certainly, Limbaugh et al would be screaming that for the next few millenia.
So perhaps y'all ought to examine your own hypocricy.....
Not that you will. Xians seldom do.
Yet more examples of religion being unnecessarily divisive!
And religious people are often "superior" and sanctimonious - much like the Pharisees Jesus criticized so much - "plus ca change"!
"Yet more examples of religion being unnecessarily divisive!"
---You think the secular world isn't equality divisive? We have divisions based on weight, smoking, politics, etc, etc, etc. Try getting a job at Abercrombie & Fitch if you don't believe me.
http://libertarians4freedom.blogspot.com/
Stucco Holmes said "They all must be an awful terrible lot if they need to be forgiven."
Wrong, the terrible lot are those who cannot throw off the past mistakes and are not encouraged to do and be better in the future.
"For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God!"
So yeah, ALL people are a terrible lot...
Sharp,
I am not responsible for the sins of my forefathers. I need no forgiveness.
You people need to be forgiven for the fraud that you perpetrate call religion.
I just want to thank god for making me an atheist...
Phil - ever heard the expression "two wrongs don't make a right"?
I just want to thank god for making me an atheist...
2:27 AM
Someday you'll have that chance. But by then it will be too late.
4:28 pm - how do you know it won't be Allah who will judge you as an infidel (millions of people believe it!).
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