Maj. Gen. Douglas Carver is a Southern Baptist and the Chief of Chaplains for the U.S. Army. In issuing a proclamation to entire Chaplaincy, calling for a "day of prayer and fasting, he could hardly have picked a less troubling date: April 8, which this year happens to be the first night of Passover, one of the most important on the Jewish calendar. The Passover seder, a meal celebrating deliverance from Egypt, is a widely observed custom in the Jewish community and, let's just say, not a very sensible candidate for a day of fasting that should be honoring all faiths.
But, as Bob Allen pointed out in his ABP article yesterday on the issue, Carver – like the Southern Baptist Convention that endorsed him – is no stranger to this kind of controversy.
Maj. Gen. Douglas Carver is a Southern Baptist and the Chief of Chaplains for the U.S. Army. In issuing a proclamation to entire Chaplaincy, calling for a "day of prayer and fasting, he could hardly have picked a less troubling date: April 8, which this year happens to be the first night of Passover, one of the most important on the Jewish calendar. The Passover seder, a meal celebrating deliverance from Egypt, is a widely observed custom in the Jewish community and, let's just say, not a very sensible candidate for a day of fasting that should be honoring all faiths.
But, as Bob Allen pointed out in his ABP article yesterday on the issue, Carver – like the Southern Baptist Convention that endorsed him – is no stranger to this kind of controversy.
The Southern Baptist label alone is enough to raise suspicion in some Jewish circles. In the past the SBC has sparred with Jewish organizations over a variety of issues, such as when Southern Baptists passed a resolution targeting Jews for evangelism in 1996 and published a prayer pamphlet urging Baptists to pray for the salvation of Jews during Jewish high holy days in 1999.
…
[Carver] is on record as finding parallels in the war in Iraq and situations written about in parts of the Old Testament book of Daniel that some Christians view as end-times prophecies…. Addressing an annual chaplains' luncheon at the Southern Baptist Convention in 2006, Carver described America's long war against violent religious extremism "as a war contending for the future of humanity as you and I know it."
So far, Carver has declined to comment on complaints over his peculiar scheduling, but this one shouldn't be difficult. An apology and a change in the calendar would be a good idea. There are other Wednesday nights. Maybe someone could pick up this book for him? Hanukkah present?
