Born Again Bigotry

"There may be some people here today who do not have living within them the Holy Spirit. 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.”

“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." 

Is this merely the characteristically bigoted and misguided sentiment of some ignorant backwoods preacher proselytizing from the far fringes of America’s Hillbilly Hallow, and thus, nothing much to be concerned about? Sure sounds that way, doesn’t it?

But no, these are the words of 67 year old former Baptist Church deacon, from Tuscaloosa, and freshly elected Republican governor of Alabama, Robert Bentley, spoken only moments after his inauguration, to the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church congregation on Martin Luther King Day. (Birmingham News)

So much for the spirit of separation between church and state in the great state of Alabama from the mouth of its highest elected office holder; that apparently no longer exists there (if it ever did). In fairness to Gov. Bentley, since his remarks were made in a church, perhaps he didn’t technically violate the Constitution, but he clearly demonstrated where he’s coming from and how he feels about those of us who might not share his quirky views on the subject of religion, which amounts to all but bona fide born again Christians.

Not much controversy has been generated over this incident, but imagine the uproar he might have spawned had he said something like this instead: "There may be some people here today who were not born in the U.S.A. But if you are natural born like me, and like others who are real American’s, with the blood of America in their veins, as it is within me and you if you are a real American like me, then you know what that makes? It makes you and me brother and sister. But if we don’t share the same American heritage, I’m telling you, then you’re not my brother and you’re not my sister.”

Though he took great pains while speaking with a black church congregation on MLK Day, to include people of color as his “brothers and sisters,” (presuming they’ve been saved by Jesus), I guarantee you that, given his unabashedly bigoted mindset, had he been speaking to a crowd after his governor of Alabama election 60 years ago, Bentley’s targets for disdain would almost certainly have included blacks. 

This guy simply reinforces all the ugly stereotypes of redneck religion, politics, and prejudice from the old South. I feel sorry for the good people of Alabama who will have to put up with this divisive old turkey for the next several years.