murder for jesus

Before I begin, please see this post, footnote one, for a disclaimer that puts to rest any ideas that I am bashing baptists.

That said, why did the SBC elect a guy as second VP who signed a "Declaration of Support for James Kopp," the guy who murdered an obstetrician while he was in his kitchen talking with his wife and child? He is also suspected of four other physician murders. The Army of God website that hosts the declaration also pledges support for other murderers of "abortion doctors."

Anyway, among the signatures is that of Wiley Drake who was elected last June to be the Second Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention. Added to his signature is the comment: "The price of blood is high. Some will pay high, and some will pay low, but pay, we all will for the 40 million babies we have killed. God bless you my brother as you serve Him, and His little ones." This, in a not quite literal but true to the spirit translation, reads: Murder for Jesus.

Now, I don't think that most or even many SBCers think that killing an obstetrician or gynecologist who you suspect performs abortions is justifiable, much less a part of the service of God "and His little ones." And I don't think that people necessarily knew that Drake was crazy when they elected him. In fact, if SBC elections are like most associational and organizational elections, after the "president" ballot is cast, no one really knows or cares much about the candidates for lower office, much less "second vice president."

But this seems like an issue on which SBCers, rank and file and leadership alike, should be speaking out. If they can speak out against abortion, which they see as senseless murder, then they probably should be speaking out against the open support of senseless murder. Not only senseless murder, but murder that they claim to have done in the name of God. Now, I don't think they will. Mostly because the story won't get enough traction to cause them to suffer from PR problems if they don't. But, sometimes there's something to be said for doing the right thing, just because it's the right thing to do.