Robert Bentley, the new Alabama Governor, has recently issued a public apology for remarks he issued at the Dexter Street King Memorial Baptist Church on Monday, January 17, 2011, after his official inauguration speech and ceremony. This ceremony at the ‘Baptist church’ was not part of the official inauguration nor were the remarks part of his inaugural address. Here are some of the comments that have caused the public uproar:
"There may be some people here today who do not have living within them the Holy Spirit," Bentley said.
"But if you have been adopted in God's family like I have, and like you have if you're a Christian and if you're saved, and the Holy Spirit lives within you just like the Holy Spirit lives within me, then you know what that makes? It makes you and me brothers. And it makes you and me brother and sister." Bentley added,
"'Now I will have to say that, if we don't have the same daddy, we're not brothers and sisters. So 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."
Many news organizations erroneously reported that the remarks were part of his official inaugural speech and ceremony despite the fact that they clearly were not. However, make no mistake – the man did not hesitate to mention the name of Jesus and to include a scriptural reference in his official inaugural address. Here are a couple of statements that were in the official address:
“Jesus showed his disciples by example, that in order to be a great leader, you must first be a servant. And he demonstrated this, with the lowly act of washing the disciples' feet.
As public officials, now is not the time to be self-serving. It's not the time to remain silent, inactive or apathetic. Now is the time for us to come together, take on the challenges we face and make life better for the people of our state.
The challenges are great, but as Mordecai told Esther as she placed her life in jeopardy to save our Jewish brethren, how do we know that we have not been placed here today for a time such as this?”
The public outcry was quick and lethal regarding the Governor’s remarks at the Baptist church. Atheists, Jews, Moslems and other religious groups were quick to pounce on the remarks noting that they had the effect to ‘disenfranchise non-Christians. Succumbing to the pressure, in less than 48 hours the Governor issued the apology.
The Governor is to be applauded for sharing his faith and even many of his critics acknowledge the deep level of conviction in his faith. While his remarks at the Baptist church were alarming and extreme to the media and the non-Christian world – for those of us who believe the Bible we know the truth in them. While it is true that we rarely share those truths with non-Christians – probably because we don’t want to offend anyone – we have to admit and confess that those remarks do accurately reflect what we believe as evangelical Christians. Forget the evangelical tag – those remarks do accurately reflect what we believe as Christians. What is disturbing is that the Governor was forced to apologize in public. It almost seems like it might have been better not to even say those things if we have to apologize for them.
“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Matthew 10:32-34 NIV
