Robert Bentley was sworn in as governor of Alabama on Monday but prior to the inauguration, he was speaking to a congregation of Southern Baptists. It seemed to be a speech about the importance of racial tolerance in the spirit of MLK day, but then it got really weird...
"There may be some people here today who do not have living within them the Holy Spirit," Bentley said. ''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." Bentley added, ''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."
We here at the Grieve talk a lot about the 1st amendment and specifically the ambiguity and sometimes complete hypocrisy regarding the separation of church and state and this is far from the first evangelical d-bag elected into office trying to pull shit like this but is this not as blatant a transgression against the 1st amendment as we've seen? I mean, I'm ecstatic that I'm not this asshole's brother but I sure as fuck wouldn't want him running my state either.
He would go on to clarify that he likes everyone and will treat everyone equally in an obvious attempt at damage control but the fact remains...in a speech where he was praising himself for his "tolerance," this mother fucker practically made a plea for people to convert to Christianity. On what level would that ever be considered acceptable?
Or is this actually just what passes for tolerant in Alabama?
Well, he didn't lynch any black people, so yeah, he is Alabama Tolerant.
Posted by: The Sybian | January 19, 2011 at 02:06 PM
Shockingly eneough, he was the least crazy of the gop nominees. Sometimes I hate where I live.
Thank fuck the weather is awesome, its cheap to live, and there's good golf and college football all around. They are also getting more accepting of beer and booze, so its not all backwards ass fucksticks.
But yeah, lots of times it still sucks.
Posted by: Bobby Pentagonz | January 19, 2011 at 02:09 PM
I dunno, man. He was speaking to a collection of religious folks -- why wouldn't he play up the religious angle? He's a Christian, big whoop. My Member of Parliament is a minister in the United Church of Canada and has a doctorate in theology, so I know he's drinkin' the Jesus Kool-Aid; as an ex-Christian and current agnostic, though, it doesn't bother me. (Incidentally, my MP is also gay and gay-married, and that doesn't bother me either.)
Posted by: H.E. Pennypacker | January 19, 2011 at 07:55 PM
He was speaking to a collection of religious folks --
Dude, his segue into this was...
"There may be some people here today who do not have living within them the Holy Spirit,"
Are you sure he was talking to the religious folk?
Posted by: Vandelay | January 19, 2011 at 08:39 PM
This is completely fine. He's up there speaking as a dude - not legislating.
If he says:
"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. Because if you're not my brother, good luck getting your kids into state college."
...then you'd have a beef. He can't let his religion (or any lack thereof) affect his professional role as an elected official. What he did up there is no different than a governor saying he wants everyone to root for the local team or exercise more frequently. He's allowed to have opinions.
Posted by: Assman | January 19, 2011 at 10:25 PM
What he did up there is no different than a governor saying he wants everyone to root for the local team or exercise more frequently.
No. No it isn't like that at all.
Posted by: Vandelay | January 20, 2011 at 11:25 AM
No. No it isn't like that at all.
What's the difference, legally speaking?
Posted by: Assman | January 20, 2011 at 04:51 PM
He's a governor and he's alienating a large group of people based on their religion or lack thereof.
Posted by: Vandelay | January 20, 2011 at 10:16 PM
Which isn't very nice. And it could possibly hurt his electability. But until he does something using the power of the state that affects the religious or unreligious, he's just a blowhard.
Governors alienate people all the time. My governor alienates pretty much everyone.
Posted by: Assman | January 21, 2011 at 10:49 AM
Right, I mean on the day you're being elected governor, any creepy euphemisms you'd like to use regarding brothers and sisters and daddys and shit, should only be in regards to his fellow Alabamians.
I hear ya though...maybe it's not unconstitutional per se, but it's darn fucking reprehensible.
Posted by: Vandelay | January 21, 2011 at 11:09 AM