Freshly inaugurated Alabama Governor Robert Bentley created a firestorm with his remarks at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church on Monday. Bentley said that only Christians were his brothers and sisters. These remarks made national news late yesterday and my mailbox was flooded with comments from friends across the country this morning. Concerns centered around whether Bentley could be fair to non-Christians and also addressed whether acceptance and tolerance of Judaism and Islam had been setback in the deep south.
Religion and politics in the deep south seem to be eternally intertwined. Roy Moore and his Ten Commandments monument is perhaps the most obvious and memorable example of the last decade. Campaigns often begin and end in the church pulpit. Bentley's comments are just one more glaring example of the evangelical influence in southern Politics.
So What Effect Will Bentley's Comments Have?
Thankfully, responses to Bentley's off the cuff proselytizing were made very swiftly. My rabbi, Jonathan Miller of Birmingham's Temple-Emanuel, sent a letter to members of his Congregation which addressed concerns. Below the thread is a copy of the letter.
Today, the Birmingham Jewish Federation sponsored an interfaith meeting with Governor Bentley. The meeting was viewed as a success as Bentley seemed to understand the errors in his statement (see below).
While I don't expect this controversy to change the phenomenon, I do believe politicians and government officials in the State will be more careful. Bentley's comments on the day of his inauguration seem to be more ill-timed than anything. Had he made these comments on any other day without droves of media present and it being the double whammy of MLK Day and his inauguration they would have received far less attention.
BJF executive director Richard Friedman sent an email this afternoon regarding the meeting with Governor Bentley (following is excerpt from that email)
"We were impressed by his sincerity and his willingness to listen," said Joyce. "Clearly he is a man of deep religious faith who is committed to doing what he thinks is best for Alabama. Yet, at the same time, he was deeply sorry that his remarks were troubling to so many." He explained that his comments were made in a Christian context, employing language that Christians use to talk to one another about their faith, but he also recognized the error he had made, said Joyce.
Other participants in the meeting included Lenora Pate, a well-known community leader who is a devout Christian and member of The BJF Board of Directors; Rabbi Jonathan Miller, of Birmingham's Temple Emanu-El; Rev. Steve Jones, of Birmingham's Southside Baptist Church, Rabbi Elliot Stevens, of Montgomery's Temple Beth Or and Birmingham Jewish community member Hope Mehlman.
Joyce said that the governor appreciated and recognized the significance of the group being an interfaith delegation. Lenora, who has run for governor herself, spoke from her perspective as a fellow Baptist, talking about how she's learned to balance her Christian commitment with sensitivity to people of other faiths.
While the incident has generated negative publicity locally and nationally, members of the group felt that the end result was positive. "Gov. Bentley was responsive, we got to know him and he got to know us, and it gave us the chance to affirm to him that we want to be partners in building a better Alabama," said Joyce.
"He did apologize," added Rev. Jones. "Although he didn't realize that his remarks would be offensive to Christians and Jews, his apology was sincere."
"The good thing coming out of this is that we feel like the governor, right away, is going to be very sensitive to interfaith issues, and we will have a voice with him because of this situation," said Rev. Jones. "So, out of a very bad thing something good has happened. We are hoping for a good relationship with the new governor, with interfaith dialogue and sensitivity to the things that divide us in Alabama."
January 18, 2011
Governor Robert Bentley
600 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, AL36130
Via: fax 334-353-0004
Let me offer you my congratulations on yesterday's inauguration as the Governor of Alabama. I wish you success, and that these next four years will be years of growth and prosperity for all the citizens of our great State. Leadership has its responsibilities and burdens, and I pray to God that you will bear these burdens with dignity and grace, and that you will fulfill your responsibilities with skill and compassion.
Governor Bentley, I feel a duty to my conscience and my role as the rabbi of the largest synagogue in Alabama to bring to your attention the fact that your remarks at the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church yesterday were troubling to me and my congregation, and I believe also to many Alabamians. You are quoted in the Birmingham News as saying:
"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. . . . Now I will have to say, that 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."
I admire people of faith, and I hope that God guides you through these next years. Yours is a difficult job, to be sure, and you will need Divine Providence to get you through the days and months and years.
I want to tell you about us. We Jews are also deeply faithful people. Our living tradition harkens back to Abraham and Sarah, and forward to our rabbis today. The ideas brought forth by my ancestors were incorporated as the cornerstones of Christianity, Islam, Mormonism, Sikhism and Baha'i, and are the foundations of western ethics and modern spirituality. We are also Alabamians. We pay our taxes. We vote in elections. We send our children to school in this state. We abide by Alabama's laws and work, each of us in our own way, for the betterment of all. We are good citizens of this state.
Governor Bentley, as a non-Christian, I felt disenfranchised from your grace as our leader in the immediate hours after your inauguration. If you were an archbishop or the pastor of a church, I could take issue with these statements, or even ignore them. But you are my Governor. Our great nation, by law and tradition, provides us with religious freedom. And even though we do not believe exactly alike, we ought to see each other with brotherly affection, and as equals in conscience and human worth.
We Jews, and others who are not Christians, know that we are a minority in Alabama. We know what it is like to be few in number and sometimes seen as outsiders. We are also proud Americans. Governor Bentley, religion in this country is great because every American is offered equal protection and defense from a government that would attempt to dictate conscience and belief. We hope that you would reconsider the sentiments you shared at the historic Dexter Avenue Church, and be a Governor that respects us all and treats us all as brothers and sisters. Please don't use religion to divide us. Unite us all instead. You are your brothers' keeper, and Governor Bentley, we are your brothers.
2500 years ago, the Prophet Malachi told my people: "Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, profaning the covenant of our fathers?" I am a religious man, Governor Bentley. We have only one God and one father, and we are all, whether we like it or not, brothers. And we need to be kind to each other as we ought to be kind to our brothers. And we are kind to our brothers for sake of the One God who is the father of all.
I am hoping that I will hear back from you a clear message of enfranchisement and understanding. I am depending upon you for leadership.
Governor Bentley, I plan to send this letter to my congregation. I promise you that I will also send them your response. And Governor Bentley, it would be my honor to invite you and Mrs. Bentley to address Temple Emanu-El one Sabbath evening so that you would get to know us better. I hope you might find time amid all of your duties to reach out to us in the spirit of friendship.
This was not an easy letter to write. But do know that it was written with great hope and prayers for you and our State of Alabama.
Shalom,
Rabbi Jonathan Miller
cc: Temple Emanu-El