Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty
Commission (ERLC), expressed gratitude the pope spoke to Congress "about
the dignity of all human life, whether the unborn, the elderly or the
immigrant, as well as the importance of the family in a free and
flourishing society."
He went on to say, however, "I do
think that the pope's address was an opportunity to address urgent moral
issues like abortion culture and religious liberty with more clarity
and directness than what was delivered."
R. Albert Mohler
Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said the pope's
reference to abortion and marriage "was a very fuzzy and evasive
approach that left many people wondering if he was actually talking
about either abortion or marriage at all."
The invitation
by congressional leaders to the head of a religious body to speak to
legislators also was problematic, said Mohler and some Southern Baptist
pastors.
"I wonder what evangelical religious figure would
be accorded such an opportunity," said Mark Dever, senior pastor of
Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., in a written statement
for Baptist Press.
Bart Barber, pastor of the First Baptist
Church in Farmersville, Texas, told BP in written comments, "For
Congress to treat a church as though it were a state and the head of a
church as though he were the head of a state runs contrary to basic
First Amendment principles of disestablishment."
While he
commended the pope's advocacy for the sanctity of human life, "together
with our Baptist forefathers I ask our government not to extend special
diplomatic privileges to the Roman Catholic Church that it does not
extend to any other religion," said Barber, a member of the ERLC's
Leadership Network Council.
Mohler described the pope's address to Congress as a "troubling development."
Baptists
"historically have been very opposed to the United States government
recognizing any religion or religious leader in such a way," Mohler had
told BP before the pope's visit to Washington.
"[I]t
is essential to note that almost no one in the media or in the culture
referring to the pope's visit identifies him as a head of state,
although that is the legal justification for the fact that he is here on
a state visit," Mohler said in his Sept. 23 podcast, The Briefing.
