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Janet Mefferd on Russell Moore and the Conservative backlash: “This isn’t just about Trump”
Talk-radio host, Janet Mefferd, writes a convincing account of the issues many Conservatives have raised concerning Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) president, Russell Moore. Writing as a non-Southern Baptist, Mefferd claims many in the media falsely assume Conservatives’ problems with Moore began with his criticism of then presidential candidate, Donald Trump. She demonstrates Moore’s excessive and over-the-top criticism of the President-elect, including Moore’s unreasonable and misguided criticism of evangelicals who voted for the President-elect, was but one of several issues many Conservatives have raised since Moore became president of the ERLC almost 4 years ago.1
Where and when this plane will finally land is anybody’s guess. Personally, I think it will land and land safely for now. Moore’s position is hardly on the line presently.
On the other hand, many Southern Baptists have definitely lost confidence in the ERLC and the role it plays representing the Southern Baptist Convention. What is more, many Southern Baptists are losing confidence that trustees genuinely address the issues they repeatedly voice concerning entity leaders like Russell Moore.
From Janet Mefferd’s article–
A few weeks ago, a reporter at National Public Radio contacted me to comment on a story about Southern Baptist conservatives’ growing frustration with the head of the ERLC. The story noted that Moore was experiencing a backlash from conservatives in his denomination because of his “anti-Trump comments.”
I had explained to the reporter that, in fact, Moore’s anti-Trump comments were only the tip of the iceberg when it came to why conservatives were upset with Moore. I provided many details, but none of them made it into NPR’s story. And the inadequate “Moore’s only in trouble because he was just too moral and ethical to cave on his principles and get behind Trump” narrative kept spreading and spreading.
It even spread to Christian media. Moody Radio Network host Julie Roys, in a Jan. 6 op-ed at The Christian Post, posed the question, “Do Christians want leaders or lemmings?” before opining that “Moore is in hot water because he opposed Donald Trump during the campaign. … Russell Moore put his job and livelihood on the line to do what he thought was right. He should be rewarded for that, not censured. .. Southern Baptists need Russell Moore. Evangelicals need Russell Moore, and more leaders like him.”
Unfortunately, it’s easy to insufficiently conclude this is “all about Trump” if you’re just jumping into the controversy now (all emphasis original).
Read Mefferd’s entire article “Russell Moore vs. Conservatives: This isn’t just about Trump“
1for the record, Russell Moore has apologized for implying all evangelicals who voted for Mr. Trump “gave up everything they ever believed” and therefore were on the “wrong side of Jesus,” an apology many of Moore’s defenders strangely claimed was unnecessary.
Source: http://peterlumpkins.typepad.com/peter_lumpkins/2017/01/janet-mefferd-trump-russell-moore.html
