- Richard Land
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Dr. Richard Land Born 1946 Occupation President, The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission Religion Southern Baptist Part of a series on the Southern Baptist
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SeminariesDr. Richard D. Land, aka Chief Red Bull, (born 1946) is the president of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), the moral and ethics concern entity of the Southern Baptist Convention in the United States, a post he has held since 1988. He is also currently serving as interim pastor at Red Bank Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN.
Contents
Public Policy involvement
In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Land to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a federal agency, created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1988, for the purpose of monitoring the freedom of conscience, thought and religion or belief abroad.
President Bush reappointed Dr. Land for a second term in June 2004. He was subsequently appointed by then Majority Leader Bill Frist in July 2005. Land continues his service to the Commission.
President Bush appointed Land to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to Jerusalem for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel in May 2008.[1]
Land advocates for a fundamentalist biblical position on issues ranging from religious liberty to the economy when he appears on radio and television news programs. In 2005, Land was recognized as one of the "25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America" by Time Magazine.
Land has been appointed to a Board of Reference for the establishment of the Judge Paul Pressler School of Law in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana. The facility, which will stress the Creator God, inalienable rights, and original intent of the U.S. Constituiton, will be tied to Baptist-affiliated Louisiana College in Pineville.[2]
In July 2011, Land spoke about Muslims and Sharia. He said while using Islamic law in US courts was unconstitutional, Muslims had the right to abide by Islamic rules, so long as they weren't imposed on the government. He concluded that Muslims had the right to have a mosque near where they live, the right to use Islamic customs in their marriages, and the right to choose to veil.[3]
Media appearances
Land joined ABC's "This Week" with Christiane Amanpour for a roundtable discussion on "God and Government" and "Civic Discourse."
In October 2005, Land and Pat Buchanan appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" to discuss the United States Supreme Court.
Land addressed immigration reform on Greta Van Susteren's "On the Record" on Fox News in July 2010.
Land appeared in the PBS Frontline documentary The Jesus Factor, covering the Evangelical Christian views of President George W. Bush. Land often appears on news programs to discuss Christian matters. Land also appeared in the movie Article VI, in which he discusses religion in politics.
Articles
"Americans Don't Want a 'Truce' on Social Issues." The Wall Street Journal guest columnist.
"The Consequential Election of 2010." The Hill guest columnist.
"God and Immigration Reform." USA Today guest columnist.
"The Unalienable, Universal Right to Religious Freedom." ERLC.com
"Biblical Marriage Under Assault." ERLC.com
"Starting Over on Health Care Reform." ERLC.com
- More first-person articles by Dr. Land can be found here.
Radio
He is also the host of For Faith & Family and Richard Land Live!, 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.
Ecumenical activities
In November 2009, Land signed an ecumenical statement known as the Manhattan Declaration, a statement opposing abortion and same-sex marriage. It was originally signed by about 150 prominent Christian clergy, ministry leaders and scholars and was released at a press conference in Washington, DC.
Books authored
Land's most recent book is The Divided States of America? What Liberals and Conservatives Get Wrong About Faith and Politics published by Thomas Nelson. Prior to that, he authored Imagine! A God-Blessed America (Broadman & Holman, 2005) and Real Homeland Security (Broadman & Holman, 2004). His other books include: For Faith & Family, The Earth Is The Lord's, Life At Risk, Citizen Christians, and Christians In The Public Square.
Land serves as Executive Editor of FFV, a national magazine dedicated to addressing issues of traditional religious values, the challenge of Christian ethics, and other cultural trends.
Education
- A.B., Princeton University
- Th.M., New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
- D.Phil., University of Oxford
See Also
- Southern Baptist Convention
- List of Southern Baptist Convention affiliated people
- The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
- Manhattan Declaration
References
- ^ http://www.nysun.com/foreign/bush-visit-may-boost-olmert/76303/
- ^ "Judge Paul Pressler School of Law", Columns: The Magazine for Louisiana College Alumni and Friends Winter 2010, pp. 16-19
- ^ Stephanie Samuel, Southern Baptist Leader Chides Cain for Mosque Ban Remarks, Jul. 18 2011.
External links
- Richard Land at The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
- Richard Land Live! Radio Program
- PBS Frontline: The Jesus Factor
- PBS Frontline: Interview with Richard Land
- Meet the Press transcript
- Richard Land at the Internet Movie Database
- Video interview/discussion with Brian McLaren on Bloggingheads.tv (2nd Conversation)
Categories:- 1946 births
- American Christian religious leaders
- Living people
- Southern Baptist ministers
- Separation of church and state
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