Even In Death

Via Matty Drudge:

KING FUNERAL TURNS POLITICAL: BUSH BASHED BY FORMER PRESIDENT, REVEREND

Tue Feb 07 2006 15:49:48 ET

Today's memorial service for civil rights activist Coretta Scott King -- billed as a "celebration" of her life -- turned suddenly political as one former president took a swipe at the current president, who was also lashed by an outspoken black pastor!The outspoken Rev. Joseph Lowery, co-founder of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, ripped into President Bush during his short speech, ostensibly about the wife of Martin Luther King Jr."She extended Martin's message against poverty, racism and war. She deplored the terror inflicted by our smart bombs on missions way afar. We know now that there were no weapons of mass destruction over there," Lowery said. The mostly black crowd applauded, then rose to its feet and cheered in a two-minute-long standing ovation.A closed-circuit television in the mega-church outside Atlanta showed the president smiling uncomfortably."But Coretta knew, and we know," Lowery continued, "That there are weapons of misdirection right down here," he said, nodding his head toward the row of presidents past and present. "For war, billions more, but no more for the poor!" The crowd again cheered wildly.

Former President Jimmy Carter later swung at Bush as well, not once but twice. As he talked about the Kings, he said: "It was difficult for them then personally with the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated as they became the target of secret government wiretaps." The crowd cheered as Bush, under fire for a secret wiretapping program he ordered after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, again smiled weakly. Later, Carter said Hurricane Katrina showed that all are not yet equal in America. "This commerative cermony this morning, this afternoon, is not only to acknowledge the great contributions of Coretta and Martin, but to remind us that the struggle for equal rights is not over. We only have to recall the color of the faces of those in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi," Carter said, the rest of his sentence drowned out by loud applause. "Those who were most devastated by [Hurricane] Katrina know that there are not yet equal opportunities for all Americans. It is our responsibility to continue their crusade."

So what I'm wondering, and would respectfully ask both The Most Reverend Lowery and former Sunday School teacher Carter if given the opportunity, is: Was Christ glorified? At a funeral, in a church, was Christ glorified by these things you said? Were souls won for Christ because of what you did? Was the community of believers, which I don't think I have to tell you includes BOTH President AND Mrs. Bush, unified and strengthened and energized by your speeches?

I saw the vid clips last night, and I will tell you what your words did for me...they made me angry. Red-faced and cursing angry. This morning, I'm just sad. I stumble, a LOT, in my walk with Christ, but one thing I have never EVER done in a front-and-center church setting -- and yes, I've had more than a few of those occasions -- is deliberately say something that would cause discord amongst the body of believers. I have never EVER singled a fellow Christian out for criticism in front of a church.

I've seen it happen, in the spur of the moment when people got flustered or were just shooting from the hip...but your words yesterday, they were prepared and written down and thought out. And you went ahead anyways...

Why? Can it be that your politics are more important to you than your faith? How can you justify that, except maybe for some completely off-the-mark interpretation of Jesus as the original Che Guevara or something, "revolutionary for the people."

It's sickening and disgusting to me. But in the end, what I think really doesn't matter that much. It's what God thinks that counts. You answer to Him in the end, not to me or anyone else.

And really, Mr. Lowery and Mr. Carter, I can't imagine what that answer is going to be. Nothing in the New Testament supports what you did yesterday. Even in death, you feel the need to score some political points. It is unbelievable.