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Now Southern Baptists Anger Clinton

A P Kamath

The Christmas week brought no gift for the Southern Baptists from the White House.

On the other hand, President Bill Clinton, who belongs to the 16-million-strong denomination, angered the church leaders by not withdrawing the remarks made by his spokesman who had announced the group as among those who "perpetuate ancient religious hatred".

The Southern Baptists, who have announced a month-long session of religious workshops and charity work in Chicago next year, were asked last month by many Christian and Jewish leaders to cancel the program since it could lead to religious conflict and clashes. They turned down the suggestion and claimed a witch-hunt was on against them.

Clinton has "been very clear in his opposition to whatever organization, including the Southern Baptists, that perpetuate ancient religious hatred," spokesperson Joe Lockhart said.

In hitting back against Clinton, the Southern Baptists resorted to strong language.

Paige Patterson, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, said the comment shows "that the president or his press secretary or both have once again demonstrated that the one thing for which they have no regard is truth."

Clinton "has very few convictions," Patterson told The Baptist Press, the denominational newspaper.

The Southern Baptists drew angry protests from Indian Americans when they published a booklet during the Diwali season denouncing and ridiculing Hinduism. It was sent to more than 40,000 churches.

More than 300 Indians protested outside Southern Baptist churches in Boston, Atlanta and Houston against the booklet. A handful of Jewish leaders also joined the protests.

The booklet urged its members to pray for 900 million Hindus it said were "lost in the hopeless darkness" of their religion.

The denomination previously published booklets soliciting prayers for Muslims and Jews, offending leaders of those faiths but the booklet about Hinduism gained particular notoriety.

Though a handful of church leaders regretted the language in the booklet, they did not demand that it be withdrawn.

The remarks Lockhart at a briefing last week came when he was asked about the denomination's campaign to pray for and share the Gospel with Hindus, Jews and Muslims.

Lockhart said Clinton has said one of the coming century's greatest challenges was "dealing with ethnic and religious hatred, and coming to grips with the long-held resentments between religions."

Morris Chapman, president of the convention's executive committee, said Baptists "do not persecute people of other faiths or no faith."

He called Lockhart's comments "a clumsy attempt to intimidate" Christians. He said the comments were "improper and reprehensible".

EARLIER REPORT:
Southern Baptists Ignore Warning

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