Posted on 07/07/2023 11:26:20 AM PDT by Morgana
A Baptist church in Texas is apologizing for comments about slavery made by a relative of the scandal-plagued Duggar family during a guest sermon in which he quoted a Bible verse about repentance.
Mike Keller, father of Anna Duggar of reality TV’s Duggar family, made the controversial comments during a June 25 Sunday School lesson at Fairpark Baptist Church in Fort Worth.
A clip of the sermon — which has since gone viral — showed Keller comparing the political protests of the current era with slavery.
As part of a message on 2 Chronicles 7, in which God promises to forgive Israel if they turn from their sin, Keller commented on how he believes the Church can “change America.”
"A hundred-fifty years ago, or two hundred years ago when the blacks were slaves, did they ever go to Washington, D.C., and have a rally 200 years ago to protest against slavery?” Keller asked. “No. What did they do?
“Well, a lot of good people in the plantations would say, ‘Hey, it's winter time, let us help build a church for you dear folks,’ and they loved them and taught them how to read so they can read the Bible,” he added.
He then went on to paraphrase 2 Chronicles 7:14 in the context of slavery and his view of how God responded to prayer.
“Here's what the blacks did about 150 years ago. They humbled themselves, they prayed, they sought God's face, and they turned from their wicked ways and God made slavery illegal through several white presidents, right?” Keller continued. “It worked, didn't it? They didn't protest.”
Following a backlash on social media, Fairpark Baptist Church shared a public apology with The Christian Post, which read in part: “The comments were hurtful and reflected a misrepresentation of racial and historical issues and we completely disagree with the statements that were made. Fairpark Baptist Church affirms that racism and slavery are wrong, sinful and violate the Scriptures.
“As a part of our faith we would never condone slavery, or tolerate any kind of prejudice against people of color. We seek to follow God's words found in Romans 12:9: ‘Let love be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.’"
Keller, the father-in-law of Josh Duggar, known for his role in the TLC series "19 Kids and Counting,” who was convicted in 2021 on charges of child pornography, is also the father of Priscilla Waller, who is married to David Waller, the pastor of Fairpark Baptist.
The couple’s personal website includes a photo of Keller with Priscilla and other family members.
Fairview Baptist describes itself as a “Christ centered, Biblically based Independent Baptist church” which works to “promote family integrated activities and desire to aid fathers in being the spiritual leaders of their homes.”
After a video of the sermon was posted to the church’s YouTube page, several local and national media outlets covered the message, including the Daily Beast, which falsely suggested that in his “bonkers racist sermon,” Keller used the phrase “turned from their wicked ways” specifically in reference to black people, rather than as direct quote from the Bible.
The story written by “race and identity” reporter Brooke Leigh Howard also used the phrase “wicked ways” as its subtitle without any context for its biblical origin.
As part of its fact-checking effort, The Daily Beast did not mention the phrase “wicked ways” is found verbatim in 2 Chronicles 7 in reference to Israel, and instead, the report criticized what the outlet called a “bastardized historical account of enslavement.”
The report also appeared to mock Keller’s description of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as “God-fearing” and his reference to “satanic strongholds.”
The Daily Beast, which has been accused of assailing the private beliefs of churches in the past and has previously called Christianity “a religion built on a patriarchal structure that leads to abuse against its women,” did not respond to a request for comment as of Thursday.
In reporting the sermon, a host for The Damage Report, a YouTube channel affiliated with the online news show The Young Turks, called Keller a “wacko” and said she had the desire to physically assault him.
“What a wacko,” said host Sharon Reed, who is black. “I don’t believe in violence, and I don’t want anyone to have to endure it, but as you play that segment, I had an out-of-body experience in which I ran up and punched him right in the face, ‘OK, to shut him up.”
While theologians have long wrestled over whether the passage in 2 Chronicles 7 applies exclusively to Israel or to the Church as a whole, the context of the passage, according to pastor and CP guest contributor Shane Idleman, is about God’s response to the prayers of His people.
“When Martin Luther prayed, the church was reformed. When John Knox prayed, Scotland was revived. When John Wesley prayed, America was restored. When George Whitefield prayed, nations were changed. When D.L. Moody prayed, America fell to her knees. When Amy Carmichael prayed, India received the Gospel. And on and on it goes,” Idleman wrote.
“When you pray you move the hand of God. The dry, dead lethargic condition of the Church simply reflects an impotent prayer life.”
Are the Duggars something like Jesus Kardashians?
He’s not wrong...we’re all sinners. We ALL need to turn from our wicked ways....However, his delivery kind of sucked.
With that being said, the more I read and research slavery in the USA, most people were against it. And even though there are horrors from slavery and it’s wrong, most that were sent here could not be sent back and treated as indentured servants. They went to Church with plantation owners, worked side by side and so forth.
The difference is slave trading vs slavery-—96% of the slaves went to South America and treated horribly. Also, Africa, Portugal, Europe and so many other countries were heavily involved in slave TRADING.
Once again, as a Christian, we are to help those in need and share the Gospel. But the USA story of slavery is a half truth.
“Are the Duggars something like Jesus Kardashians?”
You could say that.
They had mind you HAD, a reality show on TLC’s ringling brothers and barnum and bailey circus. You know, along with “I am Jaz, Here comes honey boo boo” and all the other Circus freaks.
This was until their oldest son, Josh was found to be a child molester of 4 of his sisters and a baby sitter and the parents covered it up to keep the show going on.
The parents Jim Bob and Michelle want harsh penalties for other rapists and people who harm children but when it came to their own son all they said was “he just made poor choices” “The rules are for thee but not for me” with that bunch.
Black slaves turned away from their wicked ways, prayed, and then the slaves were free?
Black slaves didnt go to Washington to protest slavery? Does this guy think that would have been possible, back in the days of slavery?
This guy seems to have a bizarre reading of history and a strange thought process.
If the slaves had tried to protest slavery in America they would have been beaten or killed. Maybe both.
Come on dude. This man is a first class idiot.
and he’s WRONG there were protesters. Harriet Tubman was a protester! She was a conductor on the underground railroad so I think that makers her a protester.
“”A hundred-fifty years ago, or two hundred years ago when the blacks were slaves, did they ever go to Washington, D.C., and have a rally 200 years ago to protest against slavery?” Keller asked”
No
Because there slaveowners would have prevented it
It looks like Mr Keller doesn’t actually understand what slavery was about.
Read my post 6
I so agree but in a way blacks like Harriet Tubman did protest it. Conductors on the underground railroad. Is that not a form of protesting?
I never stated I agreed with him other than 2 Chronicles 7:14——we’re all sinners in need of God’s grace and Mercy. But I agree, they couldn’t protest, but slaves did convert their masters to Christianity and were able to win freedom that way-—that’s why I stated his delivery sucked:
“The truth is that it was the Founding Fathers who were responsible for planting and nurturing the first seeds for the recognition of black equality and for the eventual end of slavery. This was a fact made clear by Richard Allen.
Allen had been a slave in Pennsylvania but was freed after he converted his master to Christianity. Allen, a close friend of Benjamin Rush and several other Founding Fathers, went on to become the founder of the A.M.E. Church in America. In an early address “To the People of Color,” he explained:
Many of the white people have been instruments in the hands of God for our good, even such as have held us in captivity, [and] are now pleading our cause with earnestness and zeal. 40”
https://wallbuilders.com/founding-fathers-slavery/
I think that was his point. They were able to accomplish through prayer what they couldn’t use protest to accomplish.
“but slaves did convert their masters to Christianity and were able to win freedom that way”
The masters were all Christians, the Southern Baptist Convention broke away from other Baptists over the subject of slavery.
She never heard of Nat Turner?
I forgot about him. that was a 4 day revolt too.
Consider Romans 7, especially 7:6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.