Is Richard Land A Liar? SBC Blogger Suggests So

This exciting occasion comes on the heels of an "endorsement" of the popular yet controversial SBCOutpost blog by four prominent Southern Baptist leaders.

Dr. Bart Barber of PraiseGodBarebones has the play-by-play.....

In the meantime, it has been quite a day of activity in the blog world. David Dockery, Morris Chapman, Jerry Rankin, and Thom Rainer have all endorsed a site that has endorsed the departure of Richard Land from the helm of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. It all happened within a little more than twenty-four hours.

Here you can find the article linking to the four endorsements. Dockery commends the site for "positive and constuctive interaction." Morris Chapman articulates a confidence in the site's "stated intention to tone down personal criticisms of those who have differing views." Jerry Rankin speaks of the site's "respectful exchange of diverse opinions." Thom Rainer voices a "hope and prayer" that the site will "be used by God to open doors of conversation."

Now, on the very next evening, this post by Art Rogers makes its own endorsement of sorts, saying not at all subtly that Richard Land ought not to be at the head of the ERLC. Rogers writes:

Dr. Land is President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. If he has deliberately lied, he certainly should not be in leadership anywhere in the SBC, much less his current post. On the other hand, if he legitimately believes what he said and is just horribly wrong, then his abilities to lead are thus called into question.

The implication is plain: Land either believes what he said or has deliberately lied, and either way, somebody else ought to be leading ERLC.

If this is the kind of thing that these four are endorsing, then future meetings of the Great Commission Council are going to be very interesting. On the other hand, if they did not intend to endorse such speech, it will be interesting to see how they react to Rogers's statements.

This is the second time in two weeks that SBCOutpost has put the squeeze on Tricky Dick. In a rather moving post filled to the brim with sarcasm, the Outpost Team expressed their appreciation of Land for his....

exemplary leadership in promoting the World Hunger Offering through the ministries of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, and especially for prominently displaying this critical ministry of social concern on the ERLC website, though we must agree with him that the Senate Crime Bill and Gay Marriage are more pressing issues that require Southern Baptists greatest expenditure of energies and resources.)

Ouch. We hope more Southern Baptists will begin to see Richard Land for who he really is - a self-serving opportunist whose unholy marriage to the Bush Administration and the Republican Party has left him unable to speak prophetically on Capitol Hill.