Don't you get between God and his favorite political party...
Pastor Wiley Drake, 2nd Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention, has called down fire from heaven on a couple of staffers from the "watchdog" group Americans United for Separation of Church and State because the staffers called on the IRS to audit the reverend for endorsing political candidates from the pulpit--thus risking his church's status as a non-profit.Because God loves Mike Huckabee and has chosen him to be president of the United States, Pastor Wiley heartily endorsed him on his radio show and in a press release, both as leader of his ministry and as representing his position as 2nd Vice President of the SBC.
Referring to his press release, Drake added, “I want to ask you to please pray for me and for a press release that we just put out this morning. And the press release is simply this: this comes from my office, pastor, First Southern Baptist Church and second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, etc., etc.”This led to the call to the IRS for an inquiry against him, to which Pastor Wiley responded:
Drake responded to AU’s allegations in an Aug. 14 press release calling on Christians to join in offering imprecatory, or cursing, prayers. He called the complaint an “attack from the enemies of God.” Drake listed several biblical passages as examples of imprecatory prayers.“Please join us,” Drake added, “with Bible in hand, and let us do battle against the enemies of God.”
It got nasty:
In a section of his press release called “How To Pray,” Drake includes a long list of biblical citations that call on God to smite enemies. For example, the alleged enemies of God “shall be judged,” “condemned,” and “his days be few….” Additionally, supporters should pray that the enemy’s “children be fatherless, and his wife a widow,” and “his children be continually vagabonds, and beg; let them seek bread also out of their desolate places.”Of course, AU was appalled. Too bad, according to Drake:
“If they think it’s ‘outlandish,’ it doesn’t surprise me,” Drake stated. “They’re ungodly, un-scriptural, not even Christians.”“They have no reverence for the Word of God,” Drake continued. “And if they think it’s ‘outlandish,’ don’t blame me, I didn’t write it, God did.”You get that? God told Drake Wiley to call for believers to pray for the death of a couple of staffers at a watchdog group for suggesting the IRS investigate the endorsement of a candidate God himself has chosen to be president because the endorsement violates IRS regulations for non-profits.
When the insanity of the religious entanglements of evangelicalism in right-wing politics ends--and I believe that it will--I can promise you I won't look back.
posted by Zeke @ 8:12 AM
8 Comments:
Let me get this straight. Drake calls Christians to pray curses on the folks who exposed his violation of the law, and then says that THEY have no reverence for the Word of God. Is that about right?
I don't share your hope that the "insanity of the religious entanglements of evangelicalism in right-wing politics" will end.
I wish people who tell me I have no reverence for the Bible and make it say whatever I want it to, simply b/c I don't believe it's the "inerrant Word of GOD" would shut up after stuff like this.
Even people who supposedly believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God can twist scripture to make it say what they want it to.
What I'm wondering is, where are the fellow Southern Baptists who should be taking a stand against this man's use of imprecatory prayer? All they'd have to do was quote a little New Testament at him.
You know, all that stuff about "love your enemies and pray for them" (not against them).
But like craig bob, that's probably hoping for too much.
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition! God help us alljz
But, y'know, as predominant as the right has been in its manipulation of christians, it's not because the left hasn't tried. Every time a democrat comes to Philadelphia he/she winds up being invited to speak at a local black church on Sunday morning. It's covered on the news and usually has the appearance of a public anointing of the candidate by the pastor. If anyone dares bring a charge against that minister, the hate-crime of racism is invoked and the accuser crucified.
Politics and religion are just totally screwed up, no matter which side you're on or how you slice it.
A point MZ made to me as well, Dorse. No doubt, the left gets away with the black church thing. But let's face it, they are a barking spider next to the pit bull of right-wing evangelicalism.
No doubt, but only because the right got there first.
These crazy people are just making it so hard to be a Republican. I believe in Mike Huckabee. He was awesome all the years that he was governor here in Arkansas. I just pray that his attachment to the Southern Baptists doesn't completely wreck a pretty fair candidacy (and I'm a southern Baptist). Politically, some pastors can be such well-intentioned twits. God save us.
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