A Resolution Condemning White Supremacy Causes Chaos at the Southern Baptist Convention

[babylonsister]

A Resolution Condemning White Supremacy Causes Chaos at the Southern Baptist Convention

At its annual meeting, the evangelical denomination initially declined to consider a statement of its opposition to the alt-right.
Emma Green 7:00 AM ET Politics


Leaders from the Southern Baptist Convention were divided over a resolution affirming the denomination’s opposition to white supremacy and the alt-right during their annual meeting in Phoenix this week. On Tuesday, they initially declined to consider the proposal submitted by a prominent black pastor in Texas, Dwight McKissic, and only changed course after a significant backlash. The drama over the resolution revealed deep tension lines within a denomination that was explicitly founded to support slavery.

A few weeks before the meeting was slated to start, McKissic published his draft resolution on a popular Southern Baptist blog called SBC Voices. The language was strong and pointed.


It affirmed that “there has arisen in the United States a growing menace to political order and justice that seeks to reignite social animosities, reverse improvements in race relations, divide our people, and foment hatred, classism, and ethnic cleansing.” It identified this “toxic menace” as white nationalism and the alt-right, and urged the denomination to oppose its “totalitarian impulses, xenophobic biases, and bigoted ideologies that infect the minds and actions of its violent disciples.” It claimed that the origin of white supremacy in Christian communities is a once-popular theory known as the “curse of Ham,” which taught that “God through Noah ordained descendants of Africa to be subservient to Anglos” and was used as justification for slavery and segregation. The resolution called on the denomination to denounce nationalism and “reject the retrograde ideologies, xenophobic biases, and racial bigotries of the so-called ‘alt-right’ that seek to subvert our government, destabilize society, and infect our political system.”

snip//

If the resolutions committee decides not to hear a proposal, delegates can motion for reconsideration from the floor. Late on Tuesday afternoon, McKissic went to the mic and motioned for additional time to be allotted for the resolution to be heard. Standing among a chatting body of tired pastors, many of whom were already checked out for the day and didn’t realize what was happening, his motion failed—once again, the resolution would not be heard.

All hell broke loose. “The amount of work left to do in ‘evangelical’ (who knows that means any more?) church is staggering,” tweeted Thabiti Anyabwile, a black Southern Baptist pastor who was not at the meeting. “Here’s the largest failing publicly.” He went on:


We must be clear: We live in a time when equivocating on these matters furthers the sin of racism even to violence and death. ...

Any “church” that cannot denounce white supremacy without hesitancy and equivocation is a dead, Jesus denying assembly. No 2 ways about it. …

I’m done. With this Twitter spiel. With “evangelicalism.” With all the racist and indifferent nonsense that passes as “Christian.”

more...

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/06/the-southern-baptist-convention-alt-right-white-supremacy/530244/

[JI7]

1. what they are really upset about is NAFTA

[DetlefK]

2. And abortions. And gay-marriage.

[IronLionZion]

11. and feminism

[Buckeyeblue]

3. For the new christians....

God gave his only son so you could hate. The very fact that this caused any issue at all is the only thing we need to know.

As far as I'm concerned the entire organization is a hate group. Those that don't hate should demonstrate that by resigning.

[Ilsa]

4. This:

"We must be clear: We live in a time when equivocating on these matters furthers the sin of racism even to violence and death. ..."

This should have been the easiest matter for the Convention to pass. A no-sweat vote.

[HAB911]

5. Supremacists will be supremacists

[retrowire]

6. Behold, the flaw of all organized religion.

It always eventually corrupts and falters to the will of corrupt men.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. It is the Southern Baptist Convention.

[Turbineguy]

8. Ouch!

Below the belt.

[ResistantAmerican17]

9. As a former (thank Odin) minister in the SBC

this turmoil make perfect sense to me. Founded on slavery and unrepentant to this day. God must be sooooooo proud of these messengers of hate. (FYI: messengers are what they call their attendees at this Jezus-fest.)

[IronLionZion]

10. Jesus was Middle Eastern and would be banned from traveling to the US

but I'm sure he would have wanted white supremacy anyway.

[heaven05]

12. "Southern Baptistt religion"

a white racist's religious blanket and as long as a black man and woman stays "in their place", don't rock the boat, they will pretend to respect your religious affiliation...... Mckissic, you think they want to throw away their blankeee? No way in hell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I made the mistake of attending a southern baptist church in the 80's when I was 'devout'. Man what a big mistake, especially with me being who I am, melanin wise, with a girlfriend of a different racial persuasion than I....biiiiggggg mistake....destroyed a huge part of what little faith I had in the human race, after vietnam, and I have been proven correct in that cynicism, election night 2016....

[ResistantAmerican17]

13. Spoken Like A Survivor of this "religion"

I came out on the other side too. I walked away from it because I couldn't handle the mindset. Of course they believe there is a special punishment in hell for me because I'm an "apostate." I don't lose much sleep over it.