Baptist News Global
Sections
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Curated
  • Storytelling
    • Faith & Justice >
      • Charleston: Metanoia with Bill Stanfield
      • Charlotte: QC Family Tree with Greg and Helms Jarrell
      • Little Rock: Judge Wendell Griffen
      • North Carolina: Conetoe
    • Welcoming the Stranger >
      • Lost Boys of Sudan: St. John’s Baptist Charlotte
      • Awakening to Immigrant Justice: Myers Park Baptist Church
      • Hospitality on the corner: Gaston Christian Center
    • Signature Ministries >
      • Jake Hall: Gospel Gothic, Music and Radio
    • Singing Our Faith >
      • Hymns for a Lifetime: Ken Wilson and Knollwood Baptist Church
      • Norfolk Street Choir
    • Resilient Rural America >
      • Alabama: Perry County
      • Texas: Hidalgo County
      • Arkansas Delta
      • Southeast Kentucky
  • More
    • Contact
    • About
    • Donate
    • Planned Giving
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Advertising
    • Ministry Jobs and More
    • Transitions
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions and Permissions
Support independent, faith-based journalism. Donate
Search Search this site

SBC leader rebukes Obama for remarks at poverty summit

NewsBob Allen  |  May 28, 2015

By Bob Allen

A top Southern Baptist Convention official says President Obama owes evangelical Christians an apology for suggesting at a recent anti-poverty summit that they care for the unborn more than the poor.

Frank Page, president of the SBC Executive Committee, accused the president of both “arrogance” and “ignorance” in remarks May 12 at the Catholic-Evangelical Leadership Summit on Overcoming Poverty at Georgetown University.

Sharing the platform in a panel discussion, Obama said he believes policy debate on how best to fight poverty often “creates a couple of straw men.”

The president said he believes the “truth is more complicated” than an argument between liberals who want to pour more money into social programs while not caring about family structures and “free-market capitalist types who are reading Ayn Rand and think everybody are moochers.”

“I think that there are those on the conservative spectrum who deeply care about the least of these, deeply care about the poor; exhibit that through their churches, through community groups, through philanthropic efforts, but are suspicious of what government can do,” Obama said.  “And then there are those on the left who I think are in the trenches every day and see how important parenting is and how important family structures are, and the connective tissue that holds communities together and recognize that that contributes to poverty when those structures fray, but also believe that government and resources can make a difference in creating an environment in which young people can succeed despite great odds.”

Later on, the president added that while there is great care and concern for the poor, the issue often takes a back seat to hot-button issues like abortion “when it comes to what are you really going to the mat for, what’s the defining issue, when you’re talking in your congregations, what’s the thing that is really going to capture the essence of who we are as Christians.”

“That’s not across the board, but there sometimes has been that view, and certainly that’s how it’s perceived in our political circles,” Obama said.

Frank-PagePage, a former member of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, said May 16 on the Washington Watch radio program with Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, that he was “deeply saddened” by the president’s remarks.

“To be honest with you, President Obama owes evangelical Christians an apology,” Page said, “first because of his ignorance and second because of his arrogance.”

“The arrogance is because he dared tell us what we should focus upon,” Page said. “If he had visited a church in years, which he hasn’t, and if he had ever visited an evangelical church, he might be aware, and that would help the second issue, and that’s his ignorance. He doesn’t’ even have a clue what’s going on. We have 46,000 churches, Tony. I’m sure there are some churches that are not involved, but I would guess to say that at least 40,000 of our churches all have some community based ministry to help hurting people.”

Page, a past president of the SBC, said the last church where he was pastor, for example, “had a six-day-a-week free medical clinic among dozens of after-school care and tutoring ministries.”

“Every Baptist church I know — any evangelical church — is involved in those kind of ministries,” Page said.

“I could go on and on, but my point is we are involved, and so there was both arrogance and ignorance involved in his comments,” Page said. “It bothered me deeply. We care about people. We care about the unborn, and we care about the born. And he seems to be arrogant about and ignorant about what we’re doing.”

“We have the third largest disaster relief ministry in the world,” Page said. “Who do you think is involved right now in Nepal? Well, we are. We were there before the government was and when the government leaves, we’ll be there. We were involved in Hurricane Sandy. You name it. President Bush said, ‘Frank, I was flying over New Orleans and I said “Who are all those people with yellow hats and yellow shirts?” And someone said, “Well, Mr. President, those are Southern Baptist volunteers.”’

“We do all the feeding for the Red Cross, for example,” Page said. “We are there in Nepal. We are there when there’s an earthquake in Chile, wherever it is, but he seems to be ignorant of those facts.”

Page said the budget of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission — the agency assigned religious liberty and public-policy concerns — is 1/20th the size of the World Hunger Offering. Combined with ministries in some 46,000 churches, he said, the amount of resources dedicated to the poor adds up into billions of dollars.

Page said Obama’s comments are “part of a bigger issue.”

“It’s a part of trying to silence Christians who are strongly pro-life,” he said. “It is part of a bigger issue to keep us quiet, to put us in a corner, to ostracize us, to alienate us and to make us seem like uncaring, hurtful people. And I heard his comments along that line also. I heard him talk about what he hears, how unloving it is. Well it’s very unloving to state things where you don’t know what you’re talking about and to attack where we put our emphasis.”

“We do believe in pro-life,” Page said. “We do believe in protecting the unborn. We’re not ashamed of that, but we also know that we’ve got to take care of the born, and the vast majority of our resources in that area go to protecting the born and helping the born, helping those who are hurting, helping those of every race, creed and culture in our world.”

Word searches on Baptist Press — the SBC’s official news service, which is managed by the Executive Committee — showed 8,990 results for “abortion” and 1,600 for “poverty.” Related terms such as “hunger” and “poor” combined for another 4,460 hits, compared to 4,150 for “pro-life” and 15,900 for “gay.”

Tags:AbortionPoliticsPresident ObamaPovertyFrank Page
Bob Allen
More by
Bob Allen
  • Get BNG headlines in your inbox

  • Featured

    • Next BNG free webinar will survey global religious issues and human rights

      News

    • Insurrection postscript: The church’s one foundation isn’t the USA

      Opinion

    • Three signposts for American Christians in a changing world

      Opinion

    • It’s still rare for a Baptist minister to serve in Congress

      Analysis


    Curated

    • Jen Hatmaker apologizes for line in inaugural prayer critiqued as erasing Native Americans

      Jen Hatmaker apologizes for line in inaugural prayer critiqued as erasing Native Americans

      January 22, 2021
    • UN approves global conference on protecting religious sites

      UN approves global conference on protecting religious sites

      January 22, 2021
    • Sen. Ossoff was sworn in on pioneering Atlanta rabbi’s Bible – a nod to historic role of American Jews in civil rights struggle

      Sen. Ossoff was sworn in on pioneering Atlanta rabbi’s Bible – a nod to historic role of American Jews in civil rights struggle

      January 22, 2021
    • US Catholic bishops divided over Biden presidency

      US Catholic bishops divided over Biden presidency

      January 22, 2021
    Read Next:

    ‘How can I talk to my parent who has been consumed by Trumpism and QAnon?’

    OpinionMark Wingfield

    More Articles

    • All
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Curated
    • What would happen if immigration policies were based on majority opinion in the U.S.?

      AnalysisMark Wingfield

    • Today, I’ve got nothing to say

      OpinionRuss Dean

    • Two words, two virtues, to help America move forward

      OpinionH. Stephen Shoemaker

    • Effort to end death penalty in Virginia gaining momentum; prayer vigils planned

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Trying to make sense of January 6: Jesus wept

      OpinionAlan Bean

    • Religious liberty groups praise Biden’s repeal of Muslim travel ban

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • These churches will resume in-person gatherings only when it’s safe for all

      NewsHelen Jerman

    • This church was online before online was essential, and they’ve got some lessons to share

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • A wish list for the common good in a new era

      OpinionMarv Knox

    • How the Ebola experience helped the African continent’s fight against COVID-19

      NewsAnthony Akaeze

    • The end of Trump’s presidency does not end America’s root problem

      OpinionWendell Griffen

    • Transitions for the week of 1-22-21

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • D.C.-area churches seek to offer calm amid a tumultuous January

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • ‘How can I talk to my parent who has been consumed by Trumpism and QAnon?’

      OpinionMark Wingfield

    • Insurrection postscript: The church’s one foundation isn’t the USA

      OpinionBill Leonard, Senior Columnist

    • Anticipating a new day in immigration policy, a pastor, pilot and bricklayer keep an eye on Biden’s next move

      NewsRay Mwareya and Nyasha Bhobo

    • Three signposts for American Christians in a changing world

      OpinionChris Conley

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • It’s still rare for a Baptist minister to serve in Congress

      AnalysisMark Wingfield

    • Denver is sweeping away homeless encampments; two churches help open their own

      NewsLiam Adams

    • It’s hard to quit Herod, but we must worship another

      OpinionJohn Inscore Essick

    • Fellowship Southwest becomes independent, ecumenical ministry

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Truth Decay: When truth stumbles in the public square

      OpinionDavid Gushee, Senior Columnist

    • Unification will happen only after repentance

      OpinionEarl Chappell

    • Inspiration from voices of American diversity

      OpinionPhawnda Moore

    • Effort to end death penalty in Virginia gaining momentum; prayer vigils planned

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Religious liberty groups praise Biden’s repeal of Muslim travel ban

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • These churches will resume in-person gatherings only when it’s safe for all

      NewsHelen Jerman

    • This church was online before online was essential, and they’ve got some lessons to share

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • How the Ebola experience helped the African continent’s fight against COVID-19

      NewsAnthony Akaeze

    • Transitions for the week of 1-22-21

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • D.C.-area churches seek to offer calm amid a tumultuous January

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Anticipating a new day in immigration policy, a pastor, pilot and bricklayer keep an eye on Biden’s next move

      NewsRay Mwareya and Nyasha Bhobo

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • Denver is sweeping away homeless encampments; two churches help open their own

      NewsLiam Adams

    • Fellowship Southwest becomes independent, ecumenical ministry

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • In New York City, serving the homeless offered a clue for how to serve trauma victims during the pandemic

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • At Central Seminary, Durso inauguration moves to virtual platform

      NewsBNG staff

    • Kentucky seminary receives Baugh Foundation grant to start Institute for Black Church Studies

      NewsPat Cole

    • American Protestants less open to sermons on race in 2020, survey finds

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • 3 current trends youth leaders need to know

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Seminarian, CBF and Georgia church find fellowship together

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • New effort to repeal federal death penalty is beginning

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Barna advice to pastors: Talk honestly about emotions and relationships

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Trump administration pushes evangelical agenda through last-minute actions

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Trump’s parting gift echos his immigration policies toward Africa

      NewsAnthony Akaeze

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • SBC seminary presidents meet with Black pastors but don’t change position on Critical Race Theory

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Q&A with Michael McMahon of the Hymn Society of North America

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Western Recorder, second oldest Baptist paper in America, to cease publication

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Today, I’ve got nothing to say

      OpinionRuss Dean

    • Two words, two virtues, to help America move forward

      OpinionH. Stephen Shoemaker

    • Trying to make sense of January 6: Jesus wept

      OpinionAlan Bean

    • A wish list for the common good in a new era

      OpinionMarv Knox

    • The end of Trump’s presidency does not end America’s root problem

      OpinionWendell Griffen

    • ‘How can I talk to my parent who has been consumed by Trumpism and QAnon?’

      OpinionMark Wingfield

    • Insurrection postscript: The church’s one foundation isn’t the USA

      OpinionBill Leonard, Senior Columnist

    • Three signposts for American Christians in a changing world

      OpinionChris Conley

    • It’s hard to quit Herod, but we must worship another

      OpinionJohn Inscore Essick

    • Truth Decay: When truth stumbles in the public square

      OpinionDavid Gushee, Senior Columnist

    • Unification will happen only after repentance

      OpinionEarl Chappell

    • Inspiration from voices of American diversity

      OpinionPhawnda Moore

    • Some hard questions for reflection on this MLK Day

      OpinionSid Smith III

    • Let’s move beyond the easy answers and MLK quotes today

      OpinionCraig Nash

    • The blasphemy of Franklin Graham

      OpinionRobert P. Sellers

    • 10 prayers for 2021 (if we survive January)

      OpinionErich Bridges

    • Why ‘moderate’ churches fear telling it like it is

      OpinionEric Minton

    • 4 things you can do to counter the millions of Americans who are fully radicalized

      OpinionCorey Fields

    • Christian symbols and sedition at the Capitol: The church has work to do

      OpinionRhonda Abbott Blevins

    • Give yourself some grace during the pandemic

      OpinionBrett Younger

    • Understanding the trauma and finding hope after the siege of the nation’s Capitol

      OpinionKathy Manis Findley

    • Why I long for the church of my youth

      OpinionRichard T. Hughes

    • ‘He being dead, yet speaketh’

      OpinionHarold Ivan Smith

    • Toxic masculinity, 24-hour news and complacency fed the Jan. 6 riots

      OpinionJohn Jay Alvaro

    • A lesson from 19th century North Carolina: Lost cause, lost opportunity

      OpinionGreg Jarrell

    • Jen Hatmaker apologizes for line in inaugural prayer critiqued as erasing Native Americans

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • UN approves global conference on protecting religious sites

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Sen. Ossoff was sworn in on pioneering Atlanta rabbi’s Bible – a nod to historic role of American Jews in civil rights struggle

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • US Catholic bishops divided over Biden presidency

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Baptist World Alliance Announces Racial Justice Action Group

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • 3rd Candidate Joins Race for SBC President

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • From Biden’s giant Bible to Christian flags waved by rioters, ‘religion’ means different things to different people and different eras

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • In Biden’s Cabinet, Catholics and Jews dominate

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Biden Invokes Augustine in Call for American Unity

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • St. Matthew’s Cathedral, where Biden attended pre-inauguration Mass, has long been a place where politics and faith meet

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • North Dakota lawmaker sorry for mass email of QAnon video

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Mohler Faces SBC Presidential Challenge from the Right

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Biden’s Big Bible Is Heavy with History, Symbolism

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • How the Ebenezer Baptist Church has been a seat of Black power for generations in Atlanta

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Annual March for Life goes virtual amid COVID-19, unrest at US Capitol

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • The Capitol siege recalls past acts of Christian nationalist violence

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Moms of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin portrayed in new book

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • ‘Christian nationalists’ accused of violating law in Georgia elections

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Joanne Rogers, widow of ‘Mr. Rogers,’ dead at age 92

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Israel hopes to vaccinate Holocaust survivors to save and repay ‘treasured’ population

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Conspiracy theories and the ‘American Madness’ that gripped the Capitol

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Anti-Semitism seen in Capitol insurrection raises alarms

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Most Evangelical Trump Voters Didn’t Turn on Mike Pence

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • What four strangers of different faiths learned while living together during a pandemic

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • In waning days of Trump presidency, Department of Health and Human Services undercuts religious liberty protections in new final rule

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    Conversations that Matter.

    © 2021 Baptist News Global. All rights reserved.

    Want to share a story? We hope you will! Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here.

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • RSS