From the folks who brought you the Disney Boycott, Creationism in public schools, and opposition to homosexual Boy Scout leaders, comes the latest ratcheting up of Muslim bashing in U.S. public discourse.
It seems speaker and former SBC president Rev. Jerry Vines blamed many of the country's problems on religious pluralism saying, "Islam is not just as good as Christianity...Islam was founded by Muhammad, a demon-possessed pedophile who had 12 wives -- and his last one was a 9-year-old girl." A spokesman for the SBC said that while he did not "want to give the sense that we are not sensitive or caring about this issue," the SBC wouldn't renounce the statement, which is seems to me does just precisely that. Taking the whole thing to another level, current SBC president Rev. Jack Graham asserted that, "[Vines'] statement is actually a statement that can be confirmed," which to me implies a level of literalist belief in ancient texts that only a radical fundamentalist could love.
George W. Bush was scheduled to address the SBC conference this morning. No word that I can find on whether or not he took a principled stand condemning Vines' statement, but I wouldn't put money on it.
Incidentally, among the SBC's strongly worded resolutions on matters of faith and public conscience (many of which, it must be said, are worth praising), was a rather mundane gem condemning second-class postage rate hikes and this one terming beauty contests and bathing revues "evil and evil only"(perhaps the only feminist issue in which the SBC is in agreement with NOW).
This from the Baptist Press site:
The Southern Baptist Convention, President Bush said via satellite, “has become a powerful voice for some of the great issues of our time.”
