By Bob Allen
Heads of four historically black Baptist denominations joined other faith leaders Feb. 28 in an open letter condemning recent comments by Franklin Graham questioning whether President Obama is a Christian.
Signed by leaders of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, National Baptist Convention USA, National Baptist Convention of America and Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention, the letter accused the son of evangelist Billy Graham of joining those who “use faith as a weapon of political division” during a recent interview on MSBNC.
The faith leaders said Graham’s comments on the Feb. 21 Morning Joe program that he doesn’t know if Obama is a Christian and could not rule out the possibility that he is a Muslim “could have enormous negative effects for America and are especially harmful to the Christian witness.”
“Many of us are working around the world now to advance the cause of peace and religious tolerance, and we believe that statements like Rev. Graham’s have potentially dangerous consequences domestically and internationally,” the letter said. “The world is looking to America’s faith leaders to help build bridges of understanding and mutual respect, not to further erect barriers of doubt and mistrust. It is unsettling and counter-productive to American values and interests to engage in this kind of misleading rhetoric cloaked in religion that divides our nation and international neighbors over matters of religion and faith.”
The leaders said people can disagree about what it means to be a Christian engaged in politics but that Christians “should not bear false witness.” They also voiced concern that Graham’s words might be used to promote racism.
“We urge him to be mindful of the unprecedented verbal attacks on President Obama based on his race and be careful not to allow his own voice to be used to help drive such hateful words,” the leaders said.
Signers included Carroll Baltimore, president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention; Julius Scruggs, president of the National Baptist Convention USA; Stephen Thurston, president of the National Baptist Convention of America; and David Emmanuel Goatley, executive secretary-treasurer of the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention.
Other signers represented the NAACP, as well as Disciples of Christ, Methodist and Episcopal Christian traditions. One signer, Frederick Haynes III, a member of NAACP Religious Affairs Committee, is pastor at Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas.