Richard Land
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Dr. Richard Land is the president of Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), the public policy entity of the Southern Baptist Convention, a post he has held since 1988. He is also the host of For Faith & Family and For Faith & Family's Insight, two nationally syndicated radio programs. He was the primary author of the Land letter, an open letter sent to President George W. Bush by leaders of the religious right in October 2002 which outlined a "just war" argument in support of the subsequent military invasion of Iraq.
In 2001, President Bush appointed Land to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a federal agency, where he continues to serve.
Land appeared prominently in the PBS Frontline documentary The Jesus Factor, covering the Evangelical Christian views of President George W. Bush.
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[edit] Abstinence from Alcohol
On July 26, 2006, Land wrote an article for the Baptist Press in which he argued that Christians should abstain from alcohol.[1] The argument he uses is that a Christian essentially has a choice between using his Christian freedom to drink alcohol, or having a good witness to unbelievers. The choice he sets before his readers is "my wine or my witness?"
[edit] Education
- A.B., Princeton University
- Th.M., New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
- D.Phil., University of Oxford
[edit] Quotes
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- I was in Houston last week and didn't see one solitary mosquito, which is amazing if you knew how Houston was... Like mosquitoes, if you're going to deal with terrorists you can't just swat them or use insect repellent. You have to drain the swamp. Saddam Hussein is one of the major swamps. The U.S. would be doing the world a favor and acting in the best interest of future citizens of the U.S. by removing Saddam from power. - Christianity Today, September 4, 2002)
- We often have been reminded of the potent question from Charles Sheldon’s “In His Steps”: “What Would Jesus Do?” Let us ponder that question. Can anyone really imagine Jesus weighing the decision, “My wine or my witness?” -- and choosing the wine? - Baptist Press, July 24, 2006)
- If it weren't for the marriage amendment in Ohio, John Kerry would be president. So shut up, Dick. - Washington Post, November 3, 2006