Southern Baptist Minister Prays for Obama's Death
Washington Afro, News Report, James Wright Posted: Jul 07, 2009
(June 21, 2009) - A well-known minister of a denomination that once supported slavery and is firmly against a woman’s right to an abortion said recently that he is praying for President Obama to die.
The Rev. Wiley Drake, a former second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, told Fox News Radio earlier this month that he was practicing “imprecatory prayer” or seeking a divine curse that would cause the president to die.
“If he does not turn to God and does not turn his life around, I am asking God to enforce imprecatory prayers that are throughout the Scripture that would cause him death,” Drake said in an interview with Fox’s Alan Colmes, according to the Associated Press.
The Southern Baptist Convention was formed in 1845 so slaveholders could continue to serve as missionaries. The church supported the South during the Civil War, supported segregation of the races before and during the Civil Rights Movement and has been known for its hostility toward affirmative action and busing to achieve racial balance in schools. The church has been a favorite of conservative Republican Party candidates.
In 1995, Southern Baptists formally sought forgiveness from African-Americans.
By 2007, the convention's minority membership, including African-Americans, Asians and Latinos, had grown to about 18 percent, said the Rev. Richard Land, head of the denomination's public policy arm. But like many other U.S. denominations, the 16.2 million-member Southern Baptist Convention remains overwhelmingly White.
Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton were raised Southern Baptists. Carter left the church in 2000 over its increasingly right-wing agenda and while Clinton acknowledges his roots in the denomination, he attends services with his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is a United Methodist.
Roger Oldham, vice president for convention relations with the Southern Baptist's executive committee, said that Drake's comments were out of line with church teachings. Oldham told the Associated Baptist Press that Drake's comments do not reflect the actions, resolutions or positions of the denomination.
”I think it is a fair statement to say that the vast majority of Southern Baptists are committed to praying for the well-being of the president in accordance with the specific instruction given in 1 Timothy 2:1-3,” Oldham said, quoting, “’First of all, then I urge petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior.’”
Drake recently said that he prayed for the death of famed abortion doctor George Tiller. Tiller was shot to death in his church on May 31 in Wichita, Kan. by an anti-abortion activist.
In regards to Obama, Drake, who pastors a church in Buena Park, Calif., had not retracted his statement as of AFRO press time.
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User Comments
Trevor on Aug 02, 2009 at 23:06:10 said:
So, if he does not represent the views of the views SBC, what action will the SBC take against him?
Probably none if, as I understand it, they still do not require members of their convention to abandon racial segregation!
Mardel Rick on Jul 31, 2009 at 16:03:53 said:
So he is a man of God.I would not want to be him on judgment day.
Ralph on Jul 08, 2009 at 11:55:47 said:
As repugnant as this minister praying for Obama's death is, to say that makes him as bad as Osama bin Ladin is a huge stretch. If the radical fringe of Islamists only prayed for people's deaths instead of blowing thelmselves up near them, then you'd be correct.
Rev/J on Jul 08, 2009 at 10:05:14 said:
As an ordained Southern Baptist minister, who is also white, I am horrified by the comments of Mr. Drake. He does not represent the SBC with his comments, nor does he represent the current biblical, doctrinal, or social beliefs of Southern Baptists.
Thank you for also including the fact that our denomination asked for forgiveness for an area of our past that was quite dark. I pray that we would continue to move more toward the racial/ethnic reconciliation that is taught in the New Testament and am deeply saddened when someone like Mr. Drake drives a wedge in that progress.
Marco Moreno on Jul 08, 2009 at 06:49:33 said:
Well we also have our fundamentalist. This man is the american version of Obama Bin Laden,,,what else?
Curtis Hershey on Jul 07, 2009 at 23:02:13 said:
How does this man call himself a Christian? I do not mean to judge him but as a minister of the gospel he must realize that God decides who it is that rules each nation. Romans ch 13 says that all government is ordained by God for the benefit of the people. The bible as noted by the other Southern Baptist Minister calls for us to pray for thoughs in authority.We as christians are called to depend on God to give wisdom to those who he has assigned to rule over us. Now I realize that you will find several imprecatory Psalms in the Bible, but they were all written before the coming of the Lord Jesus. How can one claim to be a follower Christ and yet live in rebellion against Him? We are called to one another as ourself. If I am sinning I would want for myself that anyone praying about me would pray That God make tender my heart so that I might repent of whatever evil I was doing. I'm sure this minister would want the same.
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