Carter’s liberal Baptist primary convention

One would hope the “Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant” gathering in Atlanta today and the next two days might, as its organizers tout, help bring Christians together.

Unfortunately, it seems designed to do anything but.

The event, organized by former President Jimmy Carter (first warning sign), a longtime Bible teacher at his Plains, Ga., church, will “solidify the image of Baptists and Christians being able to cooperate with each other,” Carter claims.

He continues: “We’re not going to delve into past divisions. We’re going to try to show we can work in harmony.”

It all sounds warm and fuzzy, except that the other stated aim of the gathering is to counteract the influence of those pesky conservative Christians.

To be fair, conservatives were sent an invitation to the event, which Southern Baptist Convention President Frank Page rejected last year by saying, “I will not be part of any smoke screen left-wing liberal agenda.”

He was a little more diplomatic this week, saying, “I continue to be concerned as to at least some participants’ motives for this event. However, I have assured President Carter of my prayers for this meeting.”

His reservations about the gathering are understandable.

Several skeptics have pointed out the timing of the liberal rah-rah fest just days before the Super Tuesday primaries. Organizers deny any connection to the presidential campaign, and there are a handful of Republicans slated to speak, but prominent on the speaker lists are numerous Democrats, including Bill Clinton.

Also prominent are workshops on poverty, health care policy and other “social justice” issues intended to form political momentum against conservatives.

According to David Gushee, ethics professor at Mercer University and another organizer of the event: “The Baptist brand has been damaged over the last 40 years, especially the Southern Baptist brand, by the idea that conservatives or Baptists or Southern Baptists are mainly known for what they’re against, who they’re boycotting next.”

One wild card at the event is Al Gore, who is featured at a special luncheon. It will be interesting to watch the Nobelly-empowered former veep bring his cult of global doom into the midst of a genuine religious convention and see whether he can make the entire event about himself and his quest for power. Being a Southern Baptist himself, Gore may get a lot of momentum from the gathering.

Whatever happens, the last thing the event seems likely to create is Christian unity.