Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy on Olbermann

We saw Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy a few months ago being interviewed on MSNBC and last night he was invited to appear on Countdown with Keith Olbermann. For me to have nothing but great things to say about a Baptist minister from the Deep South is surreal to say the least.

I don't know who plucked this guy from an obscure pulpit; maybe he did it himself to get a rational message out there.

Bravo.

Last night I was thinking he is the only minister I might actually enjoy hearing speak from a pulpit in a church. And I did not know until this morning that his church is the Northminster (Baptist) Church in Monroe, Louisiana, a town I pass through when I go visit my mother in Arkansas. In fact, Monroe is only 90 minutes from my mom's house.

I really like this quote from 2003 pertaining to the dangers of mixing religion with politics:

...what we've seen happen is our democracy, I think, is being crippled in its ability to practice healthy debate because of escalating every issue to a kind of transcendent religious moral substantive subject. When you do that you shut down the debate that makes democracy work, honest debate where there is an exchange of ideas and people refine their thinking and together our differences of opinion help us discover a better way.

This man is clearly adept at uncloaking bullshit for everyone to see and smell. I find him mesmerizing to watch, and such a refreshing voice of absolute reason in these frightening times when theocrats are clamoring for the national stage and power.