Through the Looking Glass

This headline from the good people at Reuters:

Baptists reluctantly embrace "liberal" McCain

The article included this choice quote Fairfield, Texas churchgoer Jodie Sanders: "It's basically a choice between a liberal and an ultra-liberal."

Apparently what damns McCain in Baptist eyes is his support for finding ways that microscopic pieces of tissue can be used to cure cancer and Parkinson's diseases. We can't have that, can we? Oh--and let's not forget immigration reform. The McCain-Kennedy Immigration Reform bill was pretty scary stuff: I mean, my God--amnesty for people who have committed the heinous crime of working in this country, building our houses and harvesting the food we eat? Madness. And let's not forget the bill included a section entitled Relief for Children and Widows. I can see why churchgoers would be against that.

But seriously, the Southern Baptist Convention is a denomination that has been on the wrong side of every major social and political issue since 1845. It was actually founded to be on the wrong side of a social issue: slavery. Ever since--African-American rights, workers' rights, womens' rights--the SBC has chosen (with a consistency bordering on perverse genius) the politically regressive and ethically wrong side of every possible political conflict. Quite a record for a church.

I suppose veering from such a straight and narrow path is all it takes to make a liberal these days.