Libs upset over mention of Jesus

[ugonow]

by Alabama's governor.What happened to free speech.I am glad Alabama is a Christian State----news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_alabama_governor_christians

[chiver78]

upset over the mention of Jesus? not quite, annoyed about the exclusion of any religion that wasn't Christian is more like it.

[burnsattornincan]

I'm not one to mix politics and religion but if it ever does happen it should be mixing with the Christian faith when in the US or any other western country. The country was built on these values, not Muslim or Hindu so followers of those faiths should expect to take a back seat when religion is brought to the forefront publicly. Exactly what would be expected in reverse and in fact what happens in Muslim and Hindu countries.

[jkapp]

From the article: "Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley told a church crowd just moments into his new administration that those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior are not his brothers and sisters, shocking some critics who questioned Tuesday whether he can be fair to non-Christians.

"Anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother," Bentley said Monday, his inauguration day, according to The Birmingham News."

He was talking to a CHURCH crowd and said if anyone HERE (as in the CHURCH crowd) has not accepted Jesus.

So should we also get upset if a politician speaking to a Muslim crowd only mentions the Muslim religion???

[floridayankee]

What happened to free speech

Is he using a teleprompter?? <gasp>

upset over the mention of Jesus? not quite, annoyed about the exclusion of any religion that wasn't Christian is more like it.

His speech came from Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church. Why would he mention anything other than Jesus in front of a church (and yes I'm assuning christian) crowd? Should he have gone in there and praised allah?

The official with the Anti-Defamation League, which fights discrimination against Jewish people, said it sounded like Bentley was using the office of governor to advocate for Christian conversion.

He was in a church...he probably <gasp> said a prayer too! WTH is the FBI? WTH is the CIA? and WTH is the damned ACLU??

Is this the best we can come up with today?

Must be another slow news day......

[billisonboard]

jkapp's reply #3 got me wondering what else this guy had to say yesterday:

Prepared text of Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley's inauguration speech ...Jan 17, 2011 ... Read the governor's prepared speech in full and see a slideshow and video from the day's inauguration events.
blog.al.com/wire/2011/01/prepared_text_of_alabama_gov_r.html - Cached

Certainly not a Bible thumping speech here. I think that a watchful eye instead of both feet would be more appropriate.

[Deleted]

ideally he should have left it at "those who have accepted JC as their saviours are my brothers and sisters." I think going further than that and saying that those that didn't are not his brother and sister was too far.

IMHO, this is a non issue, but these days every nuanced word that comes out of any politicians mouth is analyzed to the extreme.

[marjar]

Jan 19, 2011 10:47:47 GMT -5 jkapp said:

From the article: "Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley told a church crowd just moments into his new administration that those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior are not his brothers and sisters, shocking some critics who questioned Tuesday whether he can be fair to non-Christians.

"Anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother," Bentley said Monday, his inauguration day, according to The Birmingham News."

He was talking to a CHURCH crowd and said if anyone HERE (as in the CHURCH crowd) has not accepted Jesus.

So should we also get upset if a politician speaking to a Muslim crowd only mentions the Muslim religion???

Christianity at its best.

[billisonboard]

Jan 19, 2011 11:19:25 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

...these days every nuanced word that comes out of any politicians mouth is analyzed to the extreme.

"These days" Ever read how some people quote a letter written by some guy who signed the Constitution to some neighbor to prove the specific meaning of a word in that document?

[Deleted]

Jan 19, 2011 11:28:56 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Jan 19, 2011 11:19:25 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

...these days every nuanced word that comes out of any politicians mouth is analyzed to the extreme.

"These days" Ever read how some people quote a letter written by some guy who signed the Constitution to some neighbor to prove the specific meaning of a word in that document?

no, but that is still happening these days.

[Tennesseer]

Jan 19, 2011 10:47:47 GMT -5 jkapp said:

From the article: "Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley told a church crowd just moments into his new administration that those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior are not his brothers and sisters, shocking some critics who questioned Tuesday whether he can be fair to non-Christians.

"Anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother," Bentley said Monday, his inauguration day, according to The Birmingham News."

He was talking to a CHURCH crowd and said if anyone HERE (as in the CHURCH crowd) has not accepted Jesus.
So should we also get upset if a politician speaking to a Muslim crowd only mentions the Muslim religion???

Do you know if the church where the new governor was speaking was the church where he regularly worships?

And why would anyone worshipping in a Christian church not have already accepted Christ?

[rockon]

Ironically some seem to get less upset when a Muslim calls us infidels and our country "The great Satan". Of course his speech would probably refer to "Brothers and Sisters in Christ" not a earthly brother or sister as some would read into it and as Archie said this is a non issue.

[billisonboard]

Jan 19, 2011 11:35:28 GMT -5 rockon said:

Ironically some seem to get less upset when a Muslim calls us infidels and our country "The great Satan".

Are you talking about a Muslim who has been elected to a public office in the United States saying that? If so, I would be equally unimpressed.

[ChiTownVenture]

Alabama is a Christian State

I believe there is only one state that would come close to being a "Christian State" and that state is Massachusetts (the only state to require public funding for churches).

There are a few states that have laws about Atheists holding public office but are not able to enforce them due to a decision by the US Supreme Court.

[Angel!]

I don't think anyone is upset at the mention of Jesus. Saying anyone who does not follow Jesus is not his brother or sister & needs to be saved is what went too far.

He went from "I am religious & believe in Jesus" to " My religion is right & everyone who doesn't agree is wrong". The first statement is ok, believe whatever you want. The second statement is inappropriate because you are judging others for what they believe.

[marjar]

Jan 19, 2011 11:48:52 GMT -5 Angel! said:

I don't think anyone is upset at the mention of Jesus. Saying anyone who does not follow Jesus is not his brother or sister & needs to be saved is what went too far.

He went from "I am religious & believe in Jesus" to " My religion is right & everyone who doesn't agree is wrong". The first statement is ok, believe whatever you want. The second statement is inappropriate because you are judging others for what they believe.

BINGO!

[ed1066]

And why would anyone worshipping in a Christian church not have already accepted Christ?

You don't go to church much, do you? There are plenty of people who come to church just to see what it's about. In my church, we always have a few people who are there just to check it out. If they like it, some of them stay to become catechumens, and then later still they may become fully Orthodox. At the time of catechumanism, they have still not "officially" become Christians if they are not baptized. The whole "accepting Jesus" thing is a characteristic of the evangelicals. My church (Orthodox) does not do this, but in order to become "official", one needs to be baptized and recite the Nicene Creed in the church. So indeed, there may have been a lot of people in that church who were either not evangelical, or not Christian at all. I personally attended church every Sunday for years before I converted to Christianity...

[Tennesseer]

Seeing the new governor was a chairman of the board of deacons (four times) and a member of the youth for Christ advisory board as well as the family counseling advisory board of the First Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa and not a parishioner of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham, he was therefore speaking at the church as Governor of the state of Alabama and not a private member of this particular church.

[Tennesseer]

You don't go to church much, do you? There are plenty of people who come to church just to see what it's about.

On inauguration day? At a church he does not normally attend? With a scheduled speech at this church by the new governor right after his swearing in?

I don't think so. But if it offers you comfort and solace please continue to believe what you believe.

[ed1066]

Seeing the new governor was a chairman of the board of deacons (four times) and a member of the youth for Christ advisory board as well as the family counseling advisory board of the First Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa and not a parishioner of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham, he was therefore speaking at the church as Governor of the state of Alabama and not a member of this particular church.

If that's true, so what? Does that preclude his freedom to say what he wants about his religion?

[rockon]

I can't quote the book or verse but I'm pretty sure Jesus said he considered every single person his brother and his sister regardless of their status or position. Maybe the Gov needs to do a little reading but what he said is not illegal that I know of so it's up to the voters in that state to decide if they are offended by his words not me.

[Tennesseer]

Nope! He has the freedom to say what he wishes. Should his right to say what he wishes trump everyone else's right to criticize him? I don't think so! He deserves every ounce of criticism coming his way.

What he said is reprehensible and I have the right to write this.

[Tennesseer]

Jan 19, 2011 12:07:23 GMT -5 rockon said:

I can't quote the book or verse but I'm pretty sure Jesus said he considered every single person his brother and his sister regardless of their status or position. Maybe the Gov needs to do a little reading but what he said is not illegal that I know of so it's up to the voters in that state to decide if they are offended by his words not me.

As he is a public figure, anyone in our county has the right to be offended (or not) whether they are residents of Alabama or another state.

[ed1066]

Should his right to say what he wishes trump everyone else's right to criticize him?

Not at all, but your message indicated that there was a problem with him stating his beliefs while serving in the role of governor. I disagree. He was elected by the people of Alabama. If they find the man's religious views unacceptable, they have the option to vote for another candidate next time, or even recall him before his term is up. Your message indicates you find it politically unacceptable for a politician to express religious views in a religious setting. I disagree...

[Tennesseer]

What a great country! Ed and I have the same right to disagree on something.

There is hope for this country yet.

[rockon]

Also ironic is how fired up people can get about someone doing something that is perfectly legal as far as I know. The worst it could be is offensive but yet we have elected officials caught and convicted all the time for doing things that are actually illegal and everyone just seems to accept it as OK. Sometimes they get voted back in. Whats wrong with our priorities?

[Opti]

OK, I read the article referenced in the link and cannot find any mention of "Libs" being upset by a mention of Jesus.

What I did find-

The Anti-Defamation League on Tuesday called Bentley's remarks shocking.

"His comments are not only offensive, but also raise serious questions as to whether non-Christians can expect to receive equal treatment during his tenure as governor," said Bill Nigut, the ADL's regional director.

Ashfaq Taufique, president of the Birmingham Islamic Society, told The Birmingham News he wasn't sure how Bentley's remarks were intended.

"Does it mean that those who according to him are not saved are less important than those who are saved?" Taufique said. "Does he want those of us who do not belong to the Christian faith to adopt his faith?

The official with the Anti-Defamation League, which fights discrimination against Jewish people, said it sounded like Bentley was using the office of governor to advocate for Christian conversion.

"If he does so, he is dancing dangerously close to a violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which forbids government from promoting the establishment of any religion," Nigut said.

I obviously read the article different than OP. I think the objections have nothing to do with mentioning Jesus and everything to do with the appearance his statement makes everyone who has a different religion than him as less than.

"Anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother," Bentley said Monday, his inauguration day, according to The Birmingham News.

[Angel!]

I obviously read the article different than OP. I think the objections have nothing to do with mentioning Jesus and everything to do with the appearance his statement makes everyone who has a different religion than him as less than.

Exactly!

Your message indicates you find it politically unacceptable for a politician to express religious views in a religious setting.

The problem is not that he was expressing religous views, but that he was condemning others for their religious views - these are two different things. His statement came across as implying people that don't share his religious views aren't as good as him. I would never vote for someone that made statements like this because it implies he judges other for their religious views & that is extremely inappropriate for a public official.

[ed1066]

The problem is not that he was expressing religous views, but that he was condemning others for their religious views

How so? Really read the quote with an unbiased eye.

"Anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother," Bentley said Monday, his inauguration day, according to The Birmingham News."

How is that condemning of anyone? He's saying he wants to share his religious experience with everyone, that's all. No one is being told there will be any type of consequences for not agreeing to that. I just don't see the controversy here.

Contrast that with the fundamentalist global warmers, for example, who take every opportunity to tell people they will be incinerated in a fiery hell on earth if they don't accept Cap and Trade, depopulation, destruction of technology and other radical measures in an effort to further a scientifically unproven theory...THAT'S religious extremism right there...

[handyman2]

As an old southerner and church goer I understand what he meant to say but said it badly. By the way if you ever go to some southern Baptist or Penticostial church you will at one point hear the question (Have you been saved and joined us as a brother or sister in christ)? If you ever get baptized or saved in one of the churches the first thing you will hear the preacher say Praise God this person now has joined us as a brother or sister in Gods kingdom. This whole thing is much ado about nothing to a born, bred and raised in the south guy.