Southern Baptist Convention says take the flag down

http://www.russellmoore.com/2015/06/19/the-cross-and-the-confederate-flag/

Powerful words from an otherwise extremely-right-wing organization.

Haven't checked out your link, but this would be very good news indeed!

Powerful article. Thanks for posting.

The link is well worth reading...as a son of Mississippi and a descendent of Confederate soldiers, he lays out why the use of the flag is wrong, from a deeply Christian perspective.

Amen!!

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham will call Monday for the removal of the confederate flag from state grounds, a source familiar with the decision told CNN.

Graham, a 2016 presidential candidate, will make his announcement during a press conference with South Carolina's Republican governor, Nikki Haley, at 4 p.m. Monday.

I'm glad some Southern Baptists and Lindsey Graham are speaking out. I hope more come around!

Amen!

Glad Graham is (belatedly) seeing the light!

I can't believe I just read and agreed with a southern Baptist published article.

The governor gave Graham some gover, since she signaled she would ask that it be taken down as well. But it's up to the legislature and it requires a 2/3 majority of both state houses due to a previous compromise that moved it off the statehouse building.

Tim Scott also supports taking it down

FilmCarp said:
I can't believe I just read and agreed with a southern Baptist published article.

LOL. AND Lindsey Graham! (On one thing anyway...)

Seriously, this is good to hear.

Thank goodness, because I don't feel like moving again.

Good. Better late than never. But where were the calls for this before last Thursday? Governor Haley and Senator Graham and these other groups lost the opportunity to be proactive and to avoid the appearance of merely responding too late to a crisis.

Good statement by the president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Commission on Ethics and Religious Liberty, but do we know that the Southern Baptist Convention itself has called for the flag to be taken down?

They just reviewed the US demographics for the next election.

paulsurovell said:
Good statement by the president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Commission on Ethics and Religious Liberty, but do we know that the Southern Baptist Convention itself has called for the flag to be taken down?

He clearly speaks in his official capacity and thus for the group. They are a controlled group. (If you read on his blog, and try to "Contact" him, you are told other staff schedule his time for him. Nobody goes off script.

Walmart has agreed to stop selling merchandise with flag according to CNN

That was a wonderful article. I, too, am amazed to be on the same side as the Southern Baptist Convention! Just when I think I have everyone correctly labeled... ;

susan1014 said:
Walmart has agreed to stop selling merchandise with flag according to CNN

That's huge.

The flag has to go.

The question becomes how will it's removal be received (and responded to) by those who fly it?

Moore's words having an impact in MS: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Mississippi-Tennessee-debate-future-of-6342875.php

I'm in the minority, but I see this issue as merely a distraction. That flag is nothing but a meaningless symbol. Will removing the flag change the lives of everyday black people? NO! Will jobs be miraculously created, education opportunities improved, or decent housing made available to black people, especially those who struggle to make ends meet everyday...NO. Will black men and boys no longer be viewed as a threat and as criminals...NO. But we can all feel good that South Carolina no longer has a Confederate flag flying over their government building....okay.

ETA - and I'm saying this as a Black American who has roots in South Carolina. My father's family fled small town SC back in the 50s due to its overt racism and lack of opportunities for black people.

erins said:
I'm in the minority, but I see this issue as merely a distraction. That flag is nothing but a meaningless symbol. Will removing the flag change the lives of everyday black people? NO! Will jobs be miraculously created, education opportunities improved, or decent housing made available to black people, especially those who struggle to make ends meet everyday...NO. Will black men and boys no longer be viewed as a threat and as criminals...NO. But we can all feel good that South Carolina no longer has a Confederate flag flying over their government building....okay.
ETA - and I'm saying this as a Black American who has roots in South Carolina. My father's family fled small town SC back in the 50s due to its overt racism and lack of opportunities for black people.

This is an important point. It is an important symbolic win for sure but it doesn't address the underlying problem at all. And it's a way for the politicians to avert real discussion of the conditions which led to the murders.

It's like taking a favorite toy away from a misbehaving toddler. You feel like you've done something but you haven't done anything to deal with the behavior. And you now have an angry toddler with no understanding of what they did wrong.

"Meaningless symbol" is a contradiction in terms. By definition, a symbol has meaning.

tom said:
"Meaningless symbol" is a contradiction in terms. By definition, a symbol has meaning.

You brought semantics to an ethics fight.

This is a great post about the 'meaning' of the flag.

https://medium.com/@thejohnprice/yes-you-re-a-racist-and-a-traitor-6c4bb12c5b63

tom said:
"Meaningless symbol" is a contradiction in terms. By definition, a symbol has meaning.

So, the flag isn't meaningless, but I don't think that changes Erins argument.

You are right...my mistake. Maybe I should call it a toothless symbol?

tom said:
"Meaningless symbol" is a contradiction in terms. By definition, a symbol has meaning.

I think there is more meaning for it to still be flying than in the actual flag, if that makes sense. It makes a statement that it's up there.