Yesterday was one of those days. Before I put up another link to an embarrassment to Christianity, let’s play a little game.
There is a Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC) segment called ‘Talk Me Down’, where Maddow introduces a topic related to federal policy that she generally supports, but isn’t sure if it’s working (i.e. the stimulus), and then invites a guest on to talk her down.
Yesterday, I read (and tweeted) the news that a pastor, radio host, and former Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention, is praying for President Obama to die. He says that imprecatory prayer is a Biblical practice, demonstrated by King David in the Psalms, praying for the death of his enemies.
So here is the topic…
Every group has their bad apples, but sometimes the Wiley Drakes make carrying the banner of the same denomination seem utterly unredeemable. Talk me down.
Obligatory I’m-not-one-of-THOSE-Baptists disclaimer: Jo Ann Goodson made sure to point it out on my Facebook wall yesterday, that the Baptist church where she serves as a deacon, and the body that ordained me, hasn’t been a part of the Southern Baptist Convention for a long time. So I shouldn’t be concerned with some random pastor trying to get a share of Limbaugh’s fame. (A random pastor who happens to be a former leader of the largest Baptist denomination in the world…) But, as Jo Ann also pointed out, most people don’t distinguish between American Baptists or Alliance of Baptists or Cooperative Baptists – nor should I expect them to – and the SBC…or even Westboro Baptist Church for that matter.
Even if you don’t talk me down I’m sure I’ll be down on my own by tomorrow, or at least by Sunday…
Update: Dem Bones Drew on Wiley Drake: ‘It’s like I am reading a completely different Bible.’ Maybe he understands Jesus’ instructions to ‘pray for our enemies’ as ‘pray for them to die’?
Well, liken our situation to our Islamic friends. Should the vast majority (as if there’s a hegemonic whole) disclaim the name “muslim” b/c of few fundies who take a very narrow stance on their faith? Certainly too many in the West, at least in America, associate Muslim= radical terrorist, this is simply far from the truth. Thus, there are two responsibilities. There are the responsibilities of those in the Islamic faith to be faithful and witness to teh rest of the world that muslim does not equal terrorist. secondly, it is the responsibility of americans, nonmuslims to listen and see that the few who make the news don’t represent the majority, a reverse conversion if you will.
Since we have no control over nonbaptists, switching faiths won’t make anything better and it could actually make it worse. Our call is to be faithful to our tradition and show or witness to a different way of being Baptist so when people see a Baptist talking about environmental issues, lgbt equality, or whatever baptists are supposed to care about then a reverse conversion can take place.
More broadly, many in the world don’t distinguish between Methodists and Baptists but only between Protestants and Catholics, when they bother to distinguish among Christians at all. In a fundamental sense, I am embarrassed to be a fellow Christian with this guy and maybe even a fellow human with others we could mention. And yet , I start my journey towards being a follower of Christ by affirming my solidarity and fellowship with all of creation. To travel around the world means to constantly explain that I’m not -that- type of American. And as futile as this explanatory conversations often seem, it is in these explanations which turn into conversations and dialogs where I come to understand who I am in the context of relationships. We define ourselves through distinctions from others, brother. It may be the case that distinguishing our type of Baptist is a losing battle, but that doesn’t excuse us from trying.
More practically, if you change your label every time a looney joins your club, you’ll always be moving and never have a home.
This is one of the big reasons I keep advocating for a reunification of the church and a refusal to allow schism.
1) I think it would be hard for people to get that far off message and remain within the body, because the rest of us would be talking -him- down, not you
2) It would make it easier for us to stand shoulder to shoulder with people we don’t agree with around a big issue, because we’d do it every Sunday around the little issues.
Chad. You are assigned to write a blog post entitled “Why I am still a Baptist with a Blue Snowball Microphone.”
@John and @Joe – I’m officially talked down. Very nice.