"I didn’t write it, God did."

That's the Rev. Wiley Drake, the pastor of the First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park, CA and a former vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, under fire for advocating the use of "imprecatory prayer" against political adversaries.  The adversaries in question are Americans United for Separation of Church and State.  The prayer is Psalm 109, which reads in part:

Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.

Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labor.

Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children.

"Christian Jihad," the Gypsy Scholar, Horace Jeffery Hodges, dubs it.

This might just be a silly fringe story, except that it ties in to the presidential campaign, specifically that of Mike Huckabee, and to a powerful bloc of potential supporters and voters.  The action that caused Drake to call down the wrath of God upon Americans United was fingering Drake's church to the IRS for using church resources to endorse Huckabee.  Just to make it perfectly clear:

All nonprofits, including houses of worship, are barred from endorsing candidates for public office. Churches that do wade into electioneering place their tax exemption in jeopardy [and] subject themselves to fines.

(For the record:  I don't know whether liberal houses of worship find ways to pull the same stunt and whether, if so, the AU similarly investigates and pursues them.  Obviously, it should.)

Huckabee's campaign has sought to dissociate itself, via a staffer, from what it called Drake's "evil comments" without feeding attention to the story (I could find nothing about it on the official campaign website).  Huckabee, himself a Southern Baptist minister and a former president of the Arkansas Baptist Convention, has presented himself, successfully so far, as a believing conservative Christian who is no extremist and could be politically palatable to people who don't share all his social and religious views.  See what he says to the general public about abortion and gay marriage, which manages the neat trick of being both firm and conciliatory at the same time.  He apparently hasn't alienated the Wiley Drakes of this world -- who may view him as a less hard-edged but therefore more viable candidate than Sam Brownback, and so as a kind of stalking horse.  One would like to hear what Huckabee says when he addresses Southern Baptist Convention audiences.  Well, here it is, back in the late '90s:

"I didn't get into politics because I thought government had a better answer. I got into politics because I knew government didn't have the real answers, that the real answers lie in accepting Jesus Christ into our lives."

He compared his entry into politics to "getting inside the dragon's belly," adding, "There's not one thing we can do in those marbled halls and domed capitols that can equal what's done when Jesus touches the lives of a sinner."

The most basic unit of government is not the city council, quorum court or state legislature, Huckabee said. "It is Mom and Dad raising kids and teaching them respect for authority, others and God."

The nation has descended gradually into crisis, Huckabee said, and repairing the damage needs to be gradual, too. He said the solution is simple: faith in Christ.

The SBC, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, has so far not issued a clear repudiation of Drake's call for smiting.   

Comments

[PatHMV]

The politically active churches on the left tend to be predominantly black, and when the IRS investigates them for violating the ban on non-profits engaging in electioneering activity, supporters of the church, or the politician it is supporting, tend to cry racism.

[William]

Here is just one example of a VERY liberal church that has beend hounded in recent years by the IRS for allegedly violating the no politicking rule:

http://pastordan.streetprophets.com/storyonly/2006/9/16/13229/4868

whroot

[Ruth Anne]

Off-topic: Love the new avatar in front of your shelves and the new header, too.

[amba]

Oh, I'm so glad you like the banner! I love it so, and almost no one has even mentioned it!

[amba]

Thank you, William, for the example, but I suspect the URL got cut off. Do you know you can write a live HTML hyperlink into these comments? Please do.

A further question is whether Americans United goes after any of these liberal cases.

[michael Reynolds]

I like your banner. I'm going to NYC next week. You want me to bring you bck a bagel?

[amba]

YAH!

Going to see editor? (Tell 'im about the reality show hook . . . )

[reader_iam]

Fascinating. So, Drake cites Matthew 18:15n (He cited a verse from the Gospel of Matthew that says "if your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you."), but when he finds himself frustrated (Drake said his efforts were rebuffed.
), instead of flipping back a few chapters to Matthew 5:44 (or, turning to Luke 6:28) in the New Testament, he, apparently, decides that "all efforts have been exhausted" and instead goes directly to that particular Psalm of the Old Testament?

Have I got that right?

(Before engaging in imprecatory prayer, I'd at least suggest a cursory read of Matthew 7:1-5.)

Also, any church can endorse and campaign for any specific candidate it wishes. Just give up the tax-exempt status... .

Oh, it's not THAT important to you?????

Volumes, that speaks. Simply volumes.

[reader_iam]

Volumes, that speaks. Simply volumes.

This was supposed to come after "Have I got that right?"

But I suppose it works OK where it ended up.

[michael Reynolds]

Amba:
Yep, I am going to the HarperDome. And I will absolutely tell him -- and suggest we exploit it.

[Horace Jeffery Hodges]

Thanks for blogging on this issue. I had thought the issue of imprecatory prayer was already settled for Christians, but in looking into this issue after reading your blog entry, I discovered that it's not entirely settled. I even found a doctoral thesis written on the issue, arguing that imprecatory prayer has a place in Christianity.

You can get the links at my place.

Jeffery Hodges

* * *

[michael Reynolds]

Our Father, who can seriously kick some ass, hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come down like a ton of bricks on all those heathen mofo's.

Thy will be done upside their heads.

On earth, in heaven, I don't care where those s.o.b.'s try to hide.

Give them this day what thy've got coming. Come on, Lord, do it to 'em.

And forgive them their trespasses? Yeah, right. I don't think so.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory, the revenge, the payback, the fire and brimstone, the casting into hell and all the rest of that medieval shit.

Amen.

[PatHMV]

Yay! Michael's finally found a prayer he can get down with... See, amba? It wasn't ALL bad... lol

[reader_iam]

God's revenge being a sign of justice.

Meanwhile, as it happens, I'm sorta watching (I'm on an editing deadline, so I'm working) a segment of CNN's Christiane Amanpour's "God's Warriors," in which one of those interviewed states the italicized piece of this comment.

[amba]

Dang, I wanted to watch that, but J always wants to watch some action movie. I presume they'll air it again. (And again. and again.)

[michael Reynolds]

PAT:
If I could rough people up with prayer I would convert in a heartbeat.

Dear Lord . . . and bang! the guy driving the Subaru onto the freeway at 19 miles an hour explodes? How cool would that be?

[reader_iam]

The thing is, I don't that's supposed to be "the thing."

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Re: the banner, I'm just jealous because I was supposed to be vacationing in NYC this week, but decided projectile vomiting would be more fun instead. Feh.

(NB. When you eat Greek yoghurt as your first semisolid food after five days of nothing but Gatorade, it results in truly noisome farts. The cats are beginning to look askance at me.)

On the Southern baptist Convention, it's been a loooong time since I was a Baptist, but as I recall one of the points of being a Baptist is that individual churches have extreme freedom from direct intervention by the church superiors. As I recall, one of the reasons that methodists were suspect was that they had (gasp) bishops.

[reader_iam]

Btw, I'd be lying if I said it doesn't bother me (not anger or upset or "offend" in the current political sense, etc., just--bother, that's all) to see the Lord's Prayer rewritten in that, especially given to whom its attributed.

On the other hand, I'd be lying if I said I can't completely understand the cynicism and skepticism behind it. Also--speaking of irony!--the justice of the criticism.

Not expressing any of this well, I know. Sigh. Well, there's a reason I don't do this online very often, at all, at all.

[reader_iam]

to see the Lord's Prayer rewritten in that, especially given to whom it's attributed.

That should be: "to see the Lord's Prayer rewritten in that way, especially given to Whom it (the original) is attributed."

That is, the "especially given to whom it's attributed" doesn't refer to Michael. I suspect he'd get that, and hope everyone would, but better to err on the side of clarity, I suppose.

[amba]

Charlie, poor thing, what was that, the stomach flu? Food poisoning?

What you have just mentioned is the SBC's defense against being held responsible for what Wiley Drake said -- they allow individual churches and pastors the freedom to say and think what they see fit.

[amba]

reader . . . as you know, to Michael, nothing sacred is sacred.

[PatHMV]

I know where you're coming from, reader, but I generally have found it necessary to envision God as having a very deep and profound sense of humor.

[amba]

Pat, there's real evidence of that.

[PatHMV]

Yep. Just look at how He designed us... ;-)

[amba]

To quote Flanders and Swann: RIDICULOUS!!!!!

[reader_iam]

I think I first used something like the following something like three decades ago:

"Of course God has a sense of humor!--how else to explain the duckbill platypus?"

[reader_iam]

reader . . . as you know, to Michael, nothing sacred is sacred.

I do know that. That's why I didn't want to even inadvertently leave the impression that I was bothered because he, Michael, specifically, wrote it.

I'm grateful for Michael, actually.

[amba]

As I've said before, Michael is a good man who enjoys pretending to be a bad man. Or: presuming that some evil lurks in the hearts of us all, Michael seems to prefer to put his into words where it won't mess up his actions. I have heard it said that thoughts and words are forms of action and that they can do harm, and lead on to harm. Maybe so, but it doesn't quite seem to work that way with Michael. (Of course, he could turn out to be an axe murderer tomorrow, and then I'd feel pretty stupid, wouldn't I?)

[michael Reynolds]

It's almost always best to assume I'm just playing around. Which may explain why I have such a hard time cowing my children despite the loud voice, the red face, the dire threats. Kids are amazingly good judges of character.

On the sacred, though, it's certainly true that I have no respect for what seem to me like silly supernatural fantasies. But that's not to say I don't find some things that create a sense of awe and reverence in me. I posted a picture called Marine Wedding, which shows a terribly injured Marine and his bride. That kind of thing -- sacrifice, courage, loyalty and love -- are what move me. Not badly-written magical creatures who live in castles in the sky. Maybe because I spend my days making up supernatural fantasies I reserve my respect for real people.

[amba]

We needed a link there, Michael. Here. This is one of the most shocking and moving pictures you will ever see -- the expression on the bride's face as much as the condition of the groom's. (I posted a comment there, M, that never showed up. Maybe I goofed?)

[Christopher]

All Saints Episcopal, a liberal parish in Pasadena, has also been investigated by the IRS.

To this I respond:

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20On the contrary:

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:14-21

[PatHMV]

Amen, Christopher.

[amba]

Magnificent, simple, powerful words!

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Charlie, poor thing, what was that, the stomach flu? Food poisoning?

Something like that. Viral gastroenteritis; as we all know, "virus" is the Greek for "we don't know what it is but people usually get better in a few days." Blew $1200 on a short term rental in the Village, though.

What you have just mentioned is the SBC's defense against being held responsible for what Wiley Drake said -- they allow individual churches and pastors the freedom to say and think what they see fit.

Thought that'd be it; just wanted to be fair and point out that this is as major a point of doctrine for Baptists as the part about "the community of saints" in the Apostle's Creed would be to Catholics.