Sandy, back up the line 4 or so post You quoted me as writing Ed Pettibone wrote:"Note that page 384 in the first full paragraph your authority (McBeth) says "In the Carolinas and Georgia, no significant anti slavery movement developed among Baptist; In South Carolina for example, such outstanding Baptist preachers as Richard Furman, Peter Bainbridge, and Edmund Bodsford where among the larger slaveholders."
And then you wrote w/o citation of McBeth or any one else "I don't believe I said anything contrary to that. I believe the conclusions I drew, around Haruo's original comments were that, 1) Baptists in the South prior to the Civil War supported slavery. 2) The SBC formed in 1845 after the Triennial Convention determined that slave owners could not be appointed by the missionary society. 3) Prior to the Civil War, Baptists were not a predominant denomination in the South. There were several reasons for this, one being the different theological and social strains that existed in the states where most of the churches were located, two being that home missionary work and denominational support was lacking because the Triennial Convention was located in the North, and generally ignored the Southern churches, and three, Baptist church members were generally drawn from less educated, poorer, less influential segments of society. 4) During the Civil War, Baptists in the south coalesced around the core issues of the Confederacy, including the preservation of slavery and the fight against strong federalism. 5) During Reconstruction, Southern Baptists tied themselves to the social and cultural fabric of the old Confederacy, adopting the promotion of a uniquely Southern culture. They were able to blend that into church life by a more centralized denominational structure, and that solidified loyalty to the denomination from the churches. That was the bridge Southern Baptists crossed to becoming the predominant Christian denomination in the South, and the largest Protestant denomination in the US". Saying they are conclusions that you had drawn around Haruo's original comments
When I questioned the over all validity of that material you said McBeth's
The Bapist Heritage was your source. And when I asked for citations from that source, you say " It isn't a direct quote from a specific location. So where did I blend in fiction?
1. Indeed the majoity of Baptist in the south prior to the civil war supported Slavery. As I quoted McBeth giving the esample of 3 of the most prominent Baptist pastors in South Carolina being slave owners. Including the name sake of Foxy's most beloved Furman University.
2. The banning of slave owners as missionaries whom they would support was not new in1845. What was new was a small delegation accepting slavery had the temerity to present a slave holder as a missionary candidate.
3. I am not real sure which denomination was predominant in the south up to the Civil War. And a good deal of searching over the past week has not solved that question for me. While I am persuaded that by definition only one could have been "
predominant", I agree that it was probably not Baptist. Most of the Historians that I find writing on the religon in that period including our own Bruce Gourley, simply refer to "protestants", occasionally adding a phrase that reads "such as Methodist, Presbyterians and Baptist". I would settle for third. Keep in mind Alabama prior to the war had a total population (Black & White) of less than 100,000.
4. Yes during the war Baptist like almost everyone else with the exception of a few small sects that are now extinct, "coalesced around the core issues of the Confederacy, including the preservation of slavery and the fight against strong federalism."
5. Ditto 4. But Sandy the Methodist and Presbyterians had even longer experience with centralized denominational structure, than did the Baptist of the era.
So Sandy I am still looking for evidence that where he still alive that McBeth would accept the conclusions you drew "around" Haruo's statements.
Ed, still typing with my left hand and now and then one finger on the right. Had the stitches out yesterday. Also have a new cast. Found that two fingers have temporary pins that will stay in for two more weeks.