Another gem from our elected officials...

[R13]

But it's okay since most here are Christians right?

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ? Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley told a church crowd just moments into his new administration that those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior are not his brothers and sisters, shocking some critics who questioned Tuesday whether he can be fair to non-Christians.

"Anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother," Bentley said Monday, his inauguration day, according to The Birmingham News.

The Anti-Defamation League on Tuesday called Bentley's remarks shocking.

"His comments are not only offensive, but also raise serious questions as to whether non-Christians can expect to receive equal treatment during his tenure as governor," said Bill Nigut, the ADL's regional director.

Speaking at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church after the official inaugural ceremony, Bentley told the crowd that he considered anyone who believed in Jesus to be his brothers and sisters regardless of color, but anyone who isn't a Christian doesn't have that same relationship to him.

"If the Holy Spirit lives in you that makes you my brothers and sisters. Anyone who has not accepted Jesus, I want to be your brothers and sisters, too," Bentley said.

After his speech, Bentley said he did not mean to insult anyone.

Responding to questions about it, Bentley's office released a statement Tuesday saying he believes "he is the governor of all of Alabama."

"The governor clearly stated that he will be the governor of all Alabamians ? Democrat, Republican and Independent, young, old, black and white, rich and poor. As stated in his (inaugural) address, Gov. Bentley believes his job is to make everyone's lives better," the statement said.

Ashfaq Taufique, president of the Birmingham Islamic Society, told The Birmingham News he wasn't sure how Bentley's remarks were intended.

"Does it mean that those who according to him are not saved are less important than those who are saved?" Taufique said. "Does he want those of us who do not belong to the Christian faith to adopt his faith? That should be toned down. That's not what we need. If he means that, I hope he changes it. We don't want evangelical politicians. They can be whatever in their private life."

The official with the Anti-Defamation League, which fights discrimination against Jewish people, said it sounded like Bentley was using the office of governor to advocate for Christian conversion.

"If he does so, he is dancing dangerously close to a violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which forbids government from promoting the establishment of any religion," Nigut said.

New Ala. gov: Just Christians are his family - Yahoo! News

[1inStripes]

I don't really see anything wrong with what he posted or was offensive. He made a simple statement, and even clarified it by saying that he wanted all to be his brothers and sisters. He didn't say he was forcing anyone to, or hated those that weren't.

[R13]

I guess you wouldn't from viewing it from that side, but it shows where his priorities are, sadly the view of many of our officials.

[1inStripes]

Seriously, what's the problem? He isn't trying to force anything on anyone. Its no different than really when the President says God Bless or anything else. It is not like he is saying, he is only going to provide for those who are Christians and burn those at the stake or aren't. Nothing about that should be considered offensive. If a Muslim was elected Gov, and made those comments I would feel the same way. They would have the right to say it.

[R13]

Wow. Seriously? AGAIN, it shows his position on who's he's pandering to and who is his first priority. No one is saying he said any of what you just did and yeah, he can say whatever he wants, don't know where you're getting that that's being argued otherwise. If a Muslim official had said this, there would be complete and total outrage - as in a push to force his resignation to death threats. Like I said, if you're Christian I would suppose to wouldn't find it offensive either, but when you're on the other side you'd see a big problem with his comments.

[1inStripes]

Doesn't all politicians pander to someone? Thats a ridiculous statement. All pander to someone, but that doesnt mean they still won't make hard decisions that are right for the people the represent, in this case the state of Alabama.

[R13]

No it's not a ridiculous statement, there's a difference in pandering to VOTERS about LEGISLATION to get VOTES, than an entire group of religious people based solely on their religion.

If this guy had said someone else isn't white is not my brother or sister, if someone else that isn't straight isn't my brother/sister, if someone else isn't male etc. etc. etc....would that be okay too? Would some people not be rightly concerned that he might not be fair?

[1inStripes]

So pandering to voters about legislation that never takes place is totally different? Yeah I dont think so. The comparisons you just made are totally different. Those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior are brothers and sisters in Christ. He makes a statement that hopes all will. Thats totally different than wishing everyone would bleach their skin to be white, and etc. It still doesn't mean he wouldn't make proper judgements on legislation.

[R13]

HAHAHA REALLY? You don't think that saying "hey vote for me and I'll vote for/against HCR" is different from "hey, vote for me because we both go to church"? No they aren't really, they opposite are all minority groups. And I have mentioned anything about him changing, not saying he would say that about them, but him stating that about any other minority group would be wrong and he would be criticized just the same and damn fairly so.

[cosmo99]

Ala. governor apologizes for remarks on Christians






By BOB JOHNSON, Associated Press Bob Johnson, Associated Press ? 2 hrs 46 mins ago
MONTGOMERY, Ala. ? Two days after being sworn in as Alabama governor, Robert Bentley apologized Wednesday for proclaiming to a [COLOR=#366388 ! important][COLOR=#366388 ! important]Baptist [COLOR=#366388 ! important]church[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] audience that only Christians were his brothers and sisters and vowed to work for people of all faiths and colors.
His comments Monday shocked and offended some believers of other faiths, but the backlash didn't seem to be a serious political wound for the retired dermatologist and [COLOR=#366388 ! important][COLOR=#366388 ! important]Southern [COLOR=#366388 ! important]Baptist[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] deacon.
In a conservative state with some of the highest levels of church attendance in the country, some Christian leaders defended the remarks and the Republican will likely get a fair chance to pursue his agenda in the coming legislative session.
"If anyone from other religions felt disenfranchised by the language, I want to say I am sorry. I am sorry if I offended anyone in any way," he told reporters Wednesday after meeting with leaders of other faiths in his new office.
After he took the oath of office at the Alabama Capitol on Monday, Bentley headed across the street to a service honoring Martin Luther King Jr. at King's first church, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.
During his speech, he remarked: "Anybody here today who has not accepted [COLOR=#366388 ! important][COLOR=#366388 ! important]Jesus [COLOR=#366388 ! important]Christ[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother."
The former director of the Center For The Study Of The Law And The Church at Samford University, Chris Doss, said he believes Bentley stumbled briefly, partly because he is a Baptist deacon, speaking in a Baptist church.
"He was talking to his own flock," Doss said. But he added Bentley will need to be careful that he doesn't repeat that mistake.
Bentley apologized for his remarks, but not for being a Christian.
"I will never deny being a born-again Christian. I do have [COLOR=#366388 ! important][COLOR=#366388 ! important]core [COLOR=#366388 ! important]beliefs[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] and I will die with those core beliefs," Bentley said. "But I do not want to be harmful to others. And I will die if I have to to defend someone else's right to worship as they choose."
The pastor of the First Baptist Church of Montgomery, the Rev. Jay Wolf, said he thought Bentley's remark was misunderstood by the news media.
"He was trying to relay something that is fundamental to our faith, that people who believe in [COLOR=#366388 ! important][COLOR=#366388 ! important]Jesus[/COLOR][/COLOR] are related," Wolf said. "He didn't mean that he's not part of the brotherhood of humanity."
Wolf said the 67-year-old Bentley has spent his career as a physician helping people.
"To say now that he's being exclusionist, that's absurd," Wolf said.
The president of the national Interfaith Alliance, the Rev. Welton Gaddy, said Bentley "went too far."
"I thought that with his statement he created two classes of citizens in Alabama, those that were his brothers and sisters in Christ and everyone else. As an elected official, he has the responsibility to serve all the people and treat all the people equally," Gaddy said.
The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish group that fights discrimination, said it sounded like Bentley was using the office of governor to advocate for [COLOR=#366388 ! important][COLOR=#366388 ! important]Christian [COLOR=#366388 ! important]conversion[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR].
"If he does so, he is dancing dangerously close to a violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which forbids government from promoting the establishment of any religion," said ADL regional director Bill Nigut.
Retired University of Alabama political scientist William Stewart said the remarks were a mistake.
"I don't think the governor needs to get into things like who is going to be in the kingdom and who isn't going to be in the kingdom," Stewart said.
But he believes Bentley will be able to rebound.
"There's going to be goofs by anybody," Stewart said. "Once he gets into his policies and the substance of his administration, I think he can turn it around."
Candy Gunther Brown, an associate professor of religious studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, said Bentley was making a "theological statement" to a church crowd. She called Bentley's statements a "classic altar call" from an evangelical.
"He's saying I want to be your brother. That's an invitation. But basically the way it's heard is as an exclusionary statement," said Brown, who studies evangelical Christian literature.
"My guess is that expressions of shock and concern by critics are even perhaps disingenuous, because this can scarcely be the first time they've heard a similar statement. If they're in Alabama, they've heard this before, they've heard it many times before and maybe even by political leaders."
One of the Jewish leaders who met with Bentley Wednesday, Rabbi Jonathan Miller of Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham, called the new governor's remarks "a difficult misstep" at the beginning of his administration. But he said he was pleased with the governor's apology and said "I hope and pray we can come together in the next four years."
Another rabbi, Elliot L. Stevens of Temple Beth Or in Montgomery, called the meeting with Bentley a positive step.
"We are all gathered here at the table in the first days of his administration and we are talking about inter-religious dialogue," Stevens said.
___
Associated Press Writer Dylan Lovan in Louisville, Ky., contributed to this report.
(This version CORRECTS Corrects quote in 10th paragraph to add omitted word 'to'.)