Monday, June 8, 2009

Former Vice President Of The Southern Baptist Convention Praying For Obama's Death

This is a good illustration of the absurdity of bible literalism and why belief in biblical inerrancy is meaningless:
Wiley Drake was interviewed by Alan Colmes. In that interview, Drake admitted without hesitation to wanting Obama to die.
Asked if there are others for whom Drake is praying "imprecatory prayer," Drake hesitated before answering that there are several. "The usurper that is in the White House is one, B. Hussein Obama," he said.

Later in the interview, Colmes returned to Drake's answer to make sure he heard him right.

"Are you praying for his death?" Colmes asked.

"Yes," Drake replied.

"So you're praying for the death of the president of the United States?"

"Yes."

Source


This is exactly the type of nonsense that comes about from replacing a Christocentric reading of the bible with the false premise of biblical inerrancy.

Here is an atheist's response to this news:
Drake says that imprecatory prayer (praying for the misfortune or death of one's enemies) is found throughout scripture, particularly in the Psalms.

And he's right about that. Here are some of the verses from Psalms that Wiley especially likes.

Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them. ... Let destruction come upon him at unawares Psalm 35:6-8
Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell. Psalm 55:15
Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth ... let them be as cut in pieces. ... The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.Psalm 58:6-10
Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. ... they make a noise like a dog ... Behold, they belch out with their mouth ... But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. ... The God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies. Psalm 59:5-10
Consume them in wrath, consume them ... let them make a noise like a dog. Psalm 59:13-14
But God shall wound the head of his enemies ... That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same. Psalm 68:21-23
Read On: Here.


Is it any wonder then that the worst thing to happen to the SBC is when they kicked the Moderates and Liberals out? After all Fundamentalist Christianity is not the same as following Christ as Fundamentalism is a Modernist invention itself. There is no distinct difference between Extremist Fundamentalist Christianity and Extremist Fundamentalist Islam either as both are born out of fear, hatred and a will to violence. However, there are some relatively decent fundamentalists---but can they really be called fundamentalists?

I agree with Chad Crawford over at Homebrewed Christianity in that this makes one embarrassed to claim a Baptist identity. Thankfully, there are Southern Baptists like Wade Burleson who denounce the violent tinged words of Pastor Drake.

See also Big Daddy Weave:
Wiley Drake is an embarassment to all Baptists, an embarrassment to all Christians and an embarassment to all Americans.

3 comments:

jr said...

Holy crap! Apparently Drake, in his zeal for literalism (not to mention face time), overlooked the first few verses of Romans 13. I love how fundamentalists like to pick and choose what verses to take literally and which ones to interpret slightly less than literally.

TheoPoet said...

Thanks for stopping by JR---you're right about that. It seems to have heated up an interesting discussion between my Facebook friends, who could read this post on Facebook:
Drew Tatusko at 5:05pm June 8
oh my. i wonder if the sbc will do the right thing and call this for what it is - it's idolatry. Tammie Kong-Santos at 5:12pm June 8
Disturbing. Rebecca Kell at 5:26pm June 8
SBC response: He said that while Drake served one year as second vice president of the SBC, he is not now nor has ever been a spokesman for the convention.

"Mr. Drake does not represent Southern Baptist actions, resolutions, or positions in his interpretation and application of 'imprecatory prayers,'" Oldham said. "Any comments made by Wiley Drake on this subject represent his personal views, not those of the Convention." Kevin Batson at 5:27pm June 8
Every group has one lunatic - this is one that is part of the SBC. Do we take the word of a man who pastors a church of 30 people in California and make him the voice of all who believe the Bible? Come on. Vick Griffin at 6:09pm June 8
Every group does not have one lunatic - we baptists have more than one! Richard Clark at 9:15pm June 8
This certainly makes some Southern Baptists little better than the Taliban. I remember when the Louisville Southern Baptist Seminary was a great place of learning until Albert Mohler jihaded it. Kevin Batson at 10:00pm June 8
wow. Jim Morgan at 11:47pm June 8
A religious group itself becomes lunatic if it essentially requires its members to disconnect their brains. It's the type of lunacy that Dr. Scott Peck would have diagnosed as a form of evil. I had not heard of "imprecatory prayer" before, but I think it is an excellent example of how, sometimes, religion can turn evil. In "When Religion Becomes Evil," Charles Kimball, professor of religion and chair of the department of religion at Wake Forest, talks all about it. Chris Hammon at 7:29pm June 9
Bill, as Annie read through this, she remembered you talking about Bertha Smith years ago at Southern. David Harmon-Vaught at 10:42pm June 10
Check out Joe Phelps' guest editorial in the June 10 Louisville Courier Journal. http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090610/OPINION04/906100455/1054/OPINION/Give+me+those+old-time+Baptists Ben Currin at 12:36am June 12
You're right Drew---it is idolatry, but it's hard for idolaters to see their idolatry. Though Johnny Hunt---current president of the SBC did denounce Drake's prayers---so there is hope. At least, I hope? Ben Currin at 12:37am June 12
Yep Tammie. Ben Currin at 12:38am June 12
Thanks for that Rebecca. Ben Currin at 12:42am June 12
Kevin---no, but this is not the only time an inerrantist has said something crazy to uphold their position that the bible comes before Jesus. Ben Currin at 12:43am June 12
Vick---yeah, we Baptists have always been a motley group. Ben Currin at 12:53am June 12
Richard---thanks for sharing your personal insights---though Mohler has some good things to say sometimes----sometimes being the key word. What are your thoughts on this: http://theopoet4camp.blogspot.com/2009/05/fundamentalists-never-cease-to-be.html ? Ben Currin at 1:01am June 12
Jim you are right---good book by the way---my brother had Dr. Kimball for some of his classes. I hadn't heard of imprecatory prayers either. Here's another good book: http://www.amazon.com/Year-Living-Biblically-Literally-Possible/dp/0743291484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244782851&sr=8-1 Ben Currin at 1:02am June 12
Thanks for stopping by Chris. Ben Currin at 1:03am June 12
Thanks for the link David.

TheoPoet said...

Also, sorry for the late reply---it seems our network always acts crazy sometimes.