Harper Lee, Roy Moore and Alabama values

[yallerdawg]

Source: AL.com

By Wayne Flynt, an historian of Alabama who has written nine books about the state, the most recent being Southern Religion and Christian Diversity in the Twentieth Century and Mockingbird Songs: My Friendship with Harper Lee.


After reading a copy of my book, Alabama in the Twentieth Century, novelist Harper Lee wrote me a letter on February 18, 2005, expressing her fears about the direction her beloved state was headed based on its past: "It looks like to hell if we don't get some things changed. . . . I dread the advent of Roy Moore's administration but its coming sure as doomsday. What is wrong with us? Are you old enough to remember when people were less ignorant? I am."

*****

The choice for Alabama Methodists (such as Harper Lee) or Baptists (such as me), Pentecostals and members of independent megachurches, is to determine in this election whether white evangelicals retain the vision of the Kingdom of Heaven proclaimed by Jesus, the establishment of a just and righteous nation, or whether that evangelical tradition is now ethically, morally, intellectually, and (most tragic of all) Biblically bankrupt.

Hundreds of Alabama religious leaders have signed a letter denouncing the conduct of Roy Moore and his anti-Christian values.

My name as a Baptist minister/professor is on the list despite Harper Lee's humorous dismissal of my Baptist identity as being inappropriate to so intelligent an historian. I believe that our understanding of our people and their understanding of the Bible and personal moral character will prevail on December 12. But if not, then the churches should turn off the lights and nail up the doors, for they stand for nothing better than misogyny, religious and racial bigotry, and discrimination. And so far as the state's G.O.P. is concerned (in 1960 I was chairman of Alabama College Students for Nixon/Lodge), it might as well change its acronym to Grand Old Pedophile.

And the national party's cowardice in this Alabama uncivil war will swamp any pretensions it may have to the moral high ground of American politics.

Read it all at: http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/12/harper_lee_roy_moore_and_alaba.html#incart_most-read_

[guillaumeb]

1. Recommended.

But some here, upon reading this:

Hundreds of Alabama religious leaders have signed a letter denouncing the conduct of Roy Moore and his anti-Christian values.

will complain that not all of the religious leaders have denounced Moore's conduct, making the perfect the enemy of the good in another attempt to paint religion as a force of oppression and violence.

[yallerdawg]

2. I'm optimistic!

I believe that our understanding of our people and their understanding of the Bible and personal moral character will prevail on December 12.

These are Republicans he's talking about!

Everyone knows Democrats don't go to church!

[Mariana]

3. You're being dishonest again, Gil.

Absolutely no one expects every religious leader to come out against Moore. The problem is that if religion is really a good thing, if it really is beneficial, there should be more than a tiny minority denouncing him. Hundreds of Alabama religious leaders have signed a letter. How many religious leaders are there in Alabama? How many of them are actively supporting Moore? Why do you expect us to just ignore them and the effect they're having?

[guillaumeb]

4. Thank you for illustrating what I said.

Especially about the perfect being the enemy of the good.

How many celebrity non-theists have denounced Moore? What has Dawkins said? What has degrasse Tyson said?

If they have said nothing, does that mean that they do not care? Why are they so silent about the issue?

[Mariana]

5. That's a pretty crappy comparison, Gil.

Neither of the men you mention is a leader of any kind, and neither lives or works in Alabama. Dawkins doesn't even live in the US, so there's no reason to suppose he's even following the Moore story. I don't know why you think their silence (if they have been silent - I don't know if they have) on this issue is analogous to the enthusiastic support of Moore on the part of many religious leaders in Alabama. Now, if you can find someone like a president of some atheist group in Alabama who is encouraging people to vote for Moore, then you'd have a something like a valid comparison, not exactly, but a lot closer than what you've come up with.

[guillaumeb]

7. That sounds like rationalizing and explaining the silence.

Perhaps Dawkins and deGrasse Tyson are far too busy being condescending to theists to be concerned with such trivial issues.

Oh well, perhaps it is too much to ask these celebrities to stand up in this matter.

[Mariana]

9. And?

I'd sure like someone to explain the enthusiastic support of Moore among many mostly Christian religious leaders in Alabama. Seems to me that is much more influential and important. What is it about their faith that inspires them to want this man to represent them and their congregations in the Senate?

[Cuthbert Allgood]

6. Well

The Freedom From Religion Foundation
Atheist Republic
Secular Coalition of America
Link to tweet
" target="_blank">American Atheists

That took about 3 minutes.

[guillaumeb]

8. Good to know. Thank you.

Perhaps you should post this in the A/A group.

[Lordquinton]

11. Speaking of condescending and insulting...

You ask for something then tell the person who responds with the answer to post it somewhere else.

practice what you preach?

[guillaumeb]

14. No, I suggested that the responder

might want to consider this as a separate post.

Why do you feel this is condescension on my part? That is an interesting response on your part.

[Mariana]

13. But Dawkins, who doesn't even live in the US

hasn't been in the headlines condemning Moore. That is just the same as all those preachers in Alabama encouraging their flocks to vote for Moore.

[Lordquinton]

10. Atheist leaders don't have to

He's not their responsibility.

It's also interesting how he mentions that he's fully republican, but this guy is where he had to draw the line, not the decades of economic ravaging they have caused to his state.

[guillaumeb]

12. Are we not all responsible for acting in this matter?

Acting in a variety of ways, but acting just the same.