News-Record.com

And promoter of Christianity, apparently, while serving in that post of Secretary of State. One of the local networks this morning called said the SBC was to visited by a politician today. Ain't it the truth.
A diplomat would be etter suited to the job. Brilliant though she be, she steps directly in her boss's footsteps, lockstep.

How exactly is Condoleeza Rice supposed to be a pertinent topic for a religions blog? Did she expound on some Christian doctrine, other than being heralded off the platform with that great Jewish songsmith, Irving Berlin? Strictly tin-pan alley. A rouser, I'll admit.

I read today's story on Rice's speech at SBC. Okay, now that I know her religious background, it's fair to discuss such things on a religions blog. The entire context was contaminated by the strong rhetoric on Iraq. From what I gather, her diplomatic stance is that the US needs to stand for somehing big. The implication, while speaking to Baptists, is that this something is Christianity. The anecdote about her father going to college and finding out Presbyterian preachers' kids got big scholarships, etc., was amusing and touching, if a bit instrumentalist. Happy to hear hse is an accomplished instrumentalist.

It makes one wonder, though. With the "slip of the tongue" from Bush at the start of the war, calling this a "crusade," and this General Boykin giving speeches -- in uniform, no less! -- to churches talking about the war in terms of Christianity vs. Islam, is it any wonder that there are many who worry about the conduct of American foreign policy these days?

"... her diplomatic stance is that the US needs to stand for [something] big. The implication, while speaking to Baptists, is that this something is Christianity."

Yeah... heaven literally forbid that America stand for something like freedom of religion, or respect for international law or anything that the whole world can relate to.

Of all the major denominations, at the outset of Bush's Middle East Boondoogle, the SBC is the ONLY one to support the military intervention! That should say something about the mindset of the leadership AND membership of today's SBC!

Having Condi Rice be the ending keynote speaker was nothing more than a political gesture. The smell of this ploy reaks throughout the ENTIRE Triad. It smells worse than a poultry farm in Union Co., NC on a day when the air is still.

From my perspective, the SBC is nothing more than a PAC. It IS NOT the SBC of my childhood and prior. That entity NO LONGER exists.

How, or whatever reason, ANYONE or NEWSPAPER can premise an article on Condi Rice as "RELIGION NEWS" is atricious. I am disappointed with the N & R for doing such, SHAME.

Shalom

But Darryl, she spoke at the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting. How does that not qualify as religion news, even if some of what she said is political in nature?

Amy, I agree with you. This certainly does qualify as "religion news." The fact that the Baptists are in the forefront of the movement to get the church-state wall in our nation destroyed is an issue that all religious (and us non-religious folks as well) should be aware of. It's a vital issue that needs to be debated as well.

Freddy, when I commented on an earlier post that this area is a target-rich environment for religion/ethics news, this is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about. The stories are everywhere, once you start looking. :-)

The anecdote about her father going to college and finding out Presbyterian preachers' kids got big scholarships, etc.,

"They said they have what's called a scholarship and if you want to be a Presbyterian minister then you could have a scholarship, too,"

I believe it was about her granddaddy getting a scholarship and not Presbyterian preachers kids. PK's don't just get an automatic scholarship to a Presbyterian school or a Baptist school for that matter. They have to be earned.
That is however just a sidebar. The point is that Grandaddy Rice wanted to go to college and he found a way. Just that story could be grounds for the religion blog in that Jesus said, in Matthew Chapter 7, Verse 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." It would seem that this is what Grandaddy Rice did and Condi Rice has learned well from both her Grandaddy and from the scriptures.

That's hardly a universal truth, Mr P. I sought for many things in my time, asked for many things, knocked on many, many doors... yet I never found, received, nor had any doors opened to me, even if only long enough to slam them in my face again. Well, no doors that mattered to me.

Those who are fortunate in their lives aren't necesarily models for all others. Often hope is created that ends up hurting all that much more when those hopes NEVER bear fruit. Such was my case. All that stuff about trying incessantly until you get what you want, from Luke? It's rubbish, if you ask me.

Amy, when the "religious" have to have the "political" to give addresses, there is a problem.

While Eric's point of the SBC being on the forefront to destroying the church-state wall is well noted. It should also be noted that early Baptists fought to have this same separation included. How times have changed. I belive that religious people can and should be involved in politics. However, it crosses the line when a political person is invited into a "religious" gathering and then speaks of politics. That in and of itself should be grounds for revoking the tax free status of the SBC!

As I have stated previously, the SBC as it exists today is not the SBC of my youth/childhood. That entity no longer exists, nor ever will again. What exists today is Southern and a Convention; however, it is FAR from being Baptist.

The leadership today cannot give you any idea of what historic Baptists were and sought to be/have. Todays leadership can only spout off about evangelizing and baptisms; while those things in and of themselves are not bad, they have been made so by the SBC. When any entity loses sight of people and only views them as a number, then the soul of an entity is lost. That has sadly happened.

The glory is that I came through the fires of the SBC and am all the better for it. While I do not speak highly of it now, I am appreciative for what I learned while affiliated. The sad part again is that the learning I had does not take place today. So, a young person today, like I was years ago, would not be as fortunate. Indoctrination is evil. That is the problem today.

Shalom

Glad to see my small pun did not go unnoticed, mr.p.
The story about Grandaddy was, as I said, touching. You must admit, though, converting to or getting ordained as a Presbyterian minister in order to go to college has a touch of the opportunist to it. Bravo for him, though. If there were priesthoods for atheists and it allowed me to go for a Ph. D. for little or nothing, I'd be first in line. Trouble is, no atheist worth their salt would want the job.

And I must concur with Eric about the sheer whimsy of circumstance being at least as influential as seeking or working for achievement. It never hurts to ask and hope, or actively pursue (even connive) to get what one desires. But beware both the statistical "laws" of reversion to the mean/averages and unintended consequences. I suspect Grandaddy Rice was genetically endowed with an intelligence and drive that aided his rise, and hers.

Why is no one commenting on the fact that she erroneously noted Condi Rice as the first black secretary of state? Rice wasn't. Colin Powell was. Hello -- it wasn't that long ago people.

Actually, I think she was correctly identified as the first black woman to be Secretary of State. We're starting to run out of minority demographics to be "firsts." Which can be a good thing in a way...