Shurden says the idolatrous mixing of church and state can happen in the United States

June 26, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Despite claims to the contrary, the idolatrous mixing of church and state can happen in the United States, Walter B. Shurden said at the 16th annual Religious Liberty Council luncheon held Friday in Atlanta.

The luncheon was held in conjunction with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's General Assembly, June 22-23.

"'But we have a Constitution that makes things clear,' so it cannot happen here," Shurden said, repeating the mistaken claims of many. "'We have a Bill of Rights and the First Amendment that makes things even clearer. Our national pluralism will not permit it to happen here.'"

"It can happen here," Shurden said, because of "religious right wing militancy," "sincere religious ideologues" and "ignorance of our history."

And because many Baptists have lost their way, the Baptist Joint Committee is essential to our life together, Shurden said.

At the meeting, Shurden was awarded the J.M. Dawson Religious Liberty Award, which was established on the 50th anniversary of the BJC in 1986. The award recognizes the contributions of individuals in the area of the free exercise of religion and church-state separation. Previous recipients include Jimmy Carter, Bill Moyers and Tony Campolo.

Shurden is the Callaway Professor of Christianity in the College of Liberal Arts at Mercer University. He is also the executive director of The Center for Baptist Studies at Mercer University and the author or editor of 15 books.

The Religious Liberty Council is the individual membership organization of the BJC, which is celebrating 70 years of securing religious liberty in the nation's capital.

For a full text of Shurden's address, please visit our web site www.BJConline.org.

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