A most undeserving awardee

February 10, 2007

Guest Post by Morbo

This country could use a few more preachers like John Leland.

Leland, a contemporary of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, was a Baptist minister and powerful advocate for religious freedom under girded by the separation of church and state. Here are some cool things Leland said:

“Government has no more to do with the religious opinions of men than it has with the principles of mathematics. Let every man speak freely without fear, maintain the principles that he believes, worship according to his own faith, either one God, three Gods, no God or twenty Gods; and let government protect him in so doing, i.e., see that he meets with no personal abuse, or loss of property, for his religious opinions….”

“The notion of a Christian commonwealth should be exploded forever.”

“Guard against those men who make a great noise about religion in choosing representatives. It is electioneering intrigue. If they knew the nature and worth of religion, they would not debauch it to such shameful purposes.”

I could go on, but you get the idea. This man was no fan of mixing church and state. Although he spent most of life in Massachusetts, Leland lived for a while in Virginia. He greatly admired Jefferson, despite Jefferson’s religious skepticism, and celebrated his election to the presidency in 1800 by bringing the new president an unusual gift: a 1,200-pound wheel of cheese.

I mention Leland because the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has something it calls the “John Leland Religious Liberty Award.” It’s a nice idea, but unfortunately, the SBC leadership today is dominated by knuckle-dragging flat-earth types who long ago turned their backs on Leland’s principles.

This year they gave the award to President George W. Bush.

That’s right. The SBC’s officials gave an award named for a man who loathed church-state unions to the biggest architect of “faith-based” government in modern times. Here’s more bad news: Previous awardees include Sen. Sam Brownback and former Sen. Rick Santorum.

John Leland died on Jan. 14, 1841. He is buried in Cheshire Cemetery, Cheshire, Mass. His grave marker makes note of his lifelong passion for religious and civil liberty.

I don’t know if anyone reading this lives in or near Cheshire, but if so, do me a favor: Head over to the cemetery and keep your ears open for odd noises. I have a feeling John Leland is turning over in his grave.

I personally liked the following quote;

The liberty I contend for is more than toleration. The very idea of toleration is despicable; it supposes that some have a pre-eminence above the rest to grant indulgence, whereas all should be equally free, Jews, Turks, Pagans and Christians.

This administration and its enablers should remember to check the beam(s) in their own eyes before worrying about our motes.

  • Ohio’s a long way from Massachusetts, but if I can find the number to a florist’s over that way, I’ll try to order a wreath for Rev. Lelend’s grave. It’s nothing less than a travesty, what the SBC has done to his name—and to that for which he stood. I’ll also not shed a tear for these “knuckle-dragging, flat-earth types” when they eventually choke, die, and face the actions of their lives on this earth….

  • Let’s remember that the Southern Baptist Convention was founded in 1859 for one purpose and one purpose only: to defend the institution of slavery in the South, once the Baptist Convention (which represented all the others) had taken a position of opposition to slavery and in favor of abolition. In other words, these snake-handling roll-in-the-sawdust products of too much hillbilly incest have been wrong from the very beginning of their church.

    And further reason to decide we don’t need another one of them in the White House. Like John “I’m against gay marriage because of the way I was raised a Southern Baptist” Edwards.

  • This is what happens when the highest office holders in the land refer to the Constitution as “just a piece of paper” and denigrate the ideals of those who founded this nation on a daily basis: you get folks like the SBC saying Leland’s just another dead guy and they can give the award named after him to whomever they wish. Righties have no respect for heritage if it disagrees with them.

  • i think that before anybody should be allowed to run for elected office, they should receive a review course in american history. i am continually amazed at how relevent the comments made in the federalist papers, et.al., are today. these were brilliant people.

  • Next week, Bush will be the recipient of the First Annual Montgomery
    Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence.

    He will then be promoted to the rank of Grand Admiral in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska.

  • Thanks Morbo.
    He greatly admired Jefferson, despite Jefferson’s religious skepticism, and celebrated his election to the presidency in 1800 by bringing the new president an unusual gift: a 1,200-pound wheel of cheese.

    And now we have a president who will cut that cheese. Bush is unworthy. Bush is unworthy.

    Next week, Bush will be the recipient of the First Annual Montgomery
    Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence.
    Comment by 2Manchu

    🙂 Let’s just hope he isn’t crapulous when he accepts the award.

    I watched Jesus Camp and then Farenheit 9/11 again this week. Neither is good for the blood pressure.

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