January 19, 2011

UPDATE: The more things change...

… the more they stay the same.

Only moments into his new administration, Alabama’s newly elected Governor discounts about a quarter of the population of his state.

"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."


Bentley's comments are dismissed in The Guardian, with the comment, "... well, that's the south."


UPDATE:

The events described happened on Monday. Today, Wednesday, Alabama governor, Robert Bentley apologized.

"If anyone from other religions felt disenfranchised by the language, I want to say I am sorry. I am sorry if I offended anyone in any way," he told reporters Wednesday after meeting with leaders of other faiths in his new office.

This is a step in the right direction, but if Alabama follows the rest of the country, about 15 to 17% of the population remains disenfranchised. That is the number of Americans the Pew Foundation says have no religion at all.

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4 Comments:

Ambulance Driver said...

Sounds like one professed Christian who needs to re-learn some Christian precepts.

I'm sure you've noted that this guy doesn't sound so very different from a radical Muslim.

Mule Breath said...

In other countries, yes, but not so many in the good ol' U.S. of A.

If it were my choice, we would concentrate more on the weeding out or educating of our own constitutional backsliders, and less time rationalizing our faults by comparison to outsiders. Once our own house is in order... then we can perhaps justify the finger pointing.

While I'm a little impatient, we are getting there. As recently as the 99th Congress, both houses were overwhelmingly Protestant… fully 71% between the two… and it is the Protestant sects that tend to be the most “radical.” The 111th Congress is about 54%, and we actually have two Muslims, two Buddhists, and perhaps seven to nine atheists serving (officially listed as “Unaffiliated.”). The numbers of Catholics and Jews are rising as well, so we are undoubtedly more diverse.

Old NFO said...

Gotta agree with AD on this one...

Chris Taus said...

All Christians are his brothers and sisters. Which means hiring Christians anywhere in the state government - the business he runs - is nepotism. Aren't their laws against nepotism? Won't the state govt have to hire only non-Christians during his term?