Southern Baptists have voted to discourage the display of the Confederate battle flag, in support of racial unity. MPB's Mark Rigsby talked to two leaders of Baptist churches, with differing opinions on the issue.
The Southern Baptist Convention wants racial healing in America. The second largest religious group behind Catholics passed a resolution recommending the removal of the Confederate battle flag from public display.
"All the Confederate battle flags in the world is not worth one single soul being condemned," says Robby Rickard.
Robby Rickard is the pastor of predominately white First Baptist Church in Wiggins. He voted for the resolution.
"It's not being politically correct. It's about being unified with our brothers and sisters in Christ," says Rickard.
Thomas Winn is a former Southern Baptist pastor. He's currently the pastor of Grace Baptist, a Reformed Baptist church in Jackson.
"The issue is not the flag. The issue is the heart. We're dealing with the symptoms, not the root cause," says Winn.
Winn also speaks on behalf of the Dixie Alliance, a group that defends the Confederate flag.
"Removing a flag is not going to cause a man's heart to be right with his brother," says Winn.
The Southern Baptist's resolution states stopping the flag from flying will not solve racial tensions. They see the move as "a sign of solidarity of the whole Body of Christ, including our African-American brothers and sisters.”
