Petitioning our Civil Authorities
Most Baptist in the past have taught that as a religious organization, we should not be overly
involved in politics, in which I strongly concur. We as a church of Jesus Christ should not have a politically agenda and mess in politics
as an organization. However, in America, petitioning for redress of grievances is a guarantee of our constitution and when appropriate even churches
should use the petition to inform the political leaders of our concerns and beliefs. For churches to get involved in petitioning the government there
should be a compelling reason for not remaining silent. Just such a situation now exist in America where our leaders have allowed a great
departure from God's moral laws to in many cases actively promoting anti-God practices.
The scriptures as well as Baptist history will reveal that our forefathers in the faith were not silent when faced with a flagrantly immoral society and/or ill treatment by the civil authorities. John the Baptist spoke openly and publicly against King Herod's adulterous marriage. The Apostle Paul appealed to the civil authorities of Rome in his defense against those that would have him silenced for preaching the Gospel. We better wake up because we are not far from facing the civil authorities for publicly preaching against sodomy.
The liberties and freedoms we have enjoyed in America were very much influenced by the Baptist faith.
Ministers Elder John Leland and Elder Isaac Backus (One example)
were very active in petitioning our founders in securing our religious liberty. With many of
our leaders actively promoting immoral and anti-God practices, such as abortion, sodomy and removal of God from the public square,
how can we remain silent. I strongly believe that every Primitive Baptist church, and/or association of Churches should petition our government over
issues such as Abortion, sodomite marriages, denial by federal Judges of our right to public prayer and public acknowledgement of God. Below
will be found a petition that we the Mt. Moriah Primitive Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Alabama sent to our elected representatives.
I encourage all Primitive Baptist Churches as well as all Baptist and indeed all people of faith to construct their own petitions and do likewise. Elder Claude McKee
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Mt. Moriah Primitive Baptist Church
To the Honorable servants of the people of Alabama and the United States of America
President George W. Bush
Greetings: We the Mt. Moriah Primitive Baptist Church of Calhoun County Alabama enjoin you as our elected representatives to actively engage in maintaining the moral laws of this nation regarding marriage and sodomy. Also the right of all persons in and out of Government to publicly acknowledge their creator God is a God given right and needs to be vigorously defended. It has become clear that many members of the three branches of government do not know or they blatantly disregard the history of this nation and the fact that our nations moral laws were founded on the moral Laws of God. Since the 1960’s, many judgments made by federal judges have been intrusive into our liberty of conscious such as: a right to publicly pray, a right to publicly acknowledge God, and the Judicial redefining of immoral behavior as a civil right. All of these decisions are contrary to our founding father’s thoughts and indeed violates the intent of the constitution of the United States. We therefore petition you to support judicial restriction by the congress in areas of liberty of conscious and the acknowledgment of God. We also support an amendment to the United States Constitution, which will maintain the centuries old law of marriage defined as the union of one man and one woman, excepting incestuous unions. We humbly pray the blessings of almighty God upon you as our leaders and may we all turn back to Him and the principles, which made this nation great.
Unanimously approved by church vote on Sunday June 27, 2004
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