From Grace and Truth to You ( Rev. Wade Burleson is a Southern Baptist Minister)
Last night I was able to visit with Wiley Drake by phone. He adamantly denied ever signing any online petition and said his name has been falsely used. Below is the statement Wiley emailed to me and asked I place on my blog.
I did not sign any such document and anyone who says I did is telling a lie.
Until a friend called me about this I had never heard of nor did I know who James Kopp is.
My stand against killing babies has not changed. I am against killing babies.
Killing a doctor that is a baby killer is never right. Two wrongs do not make murder right.
Please hear my heart, I am deeply sadden about our killing of babies, and all those who do so will face an angry God; but that’s God’s business not mine.
Dr. Wiley S. Drake Sr
Okay.
A blogger at Twelve Witnesses posts that he also called Drake and has posted his reponse.
If this is true and Drake’s name was faked, why hasn’t the SBC leadership spoken out clearing his name?
If they have, where are their links with the facts and their support?
I understand Rev. Wade Burleson and Twelve Tribes doen’t have clout, they wanted to ask thier friend directly and they did.
Drake would not speak to outside investigators who have contacted him about his signature on the Army of God 2002 declaration.
If Burleson and Rogers got through to Drake by phone, higher ups in the denomination can get through.
Why isn’t this deemed important enough for denominational leadership to speak up if they’ve investigated and determined Drake was set up?
Leadership has refused to speak to any reporter that has inquired about Rev. Drake’s name on that document.
If someone put Drake’s name on an Army of God document supporting a domestic terrorist, why no investigation by SBC leadership to find out who thought it would be clever to fake Drakes signature and support?
Was this petition signed by participants off line or online?
People that orginally investigated Drakes’ involvment (Ethics Daily and the Southern Poverty Law Centre) got stone cold silence from Southern Baptist leadership. That makes little sense if their minister is innocent.
Those of us outside the SBC can ask questions, but we have of have no power other than to ask. Nor should we have any more power than that, the denomination is not a public company and does not have to answer to outsiders.
I’m not understanding why leadership has chosen three years of silence.
If they have determined their 2nd Vice President is innocent, then stand up, step forward and show proof.
The SBC is a huge organization with the resources and lawyers necessary to do the job.
Drake has finally spoken saying he didn’t sign the support document for an assassin.
He has been approached several times since this document came out in 2003. He chose not to comment.
Logic, respect and love by his administrative collegues would push them to find out who faked and smeared Drakes endorsement and take appropriate steps. Why would leadership leave Drake twisting in media coverage wind?
Frederick Clarkson asked why Drakes name is on that document. So has Big Daddy Weave, Ethics Daily Mainstream Baptist, BaptistLife, Southern Poverty Law Centre and Street Prophets.
Given the coverage this is receiving, isn’t it also logical and in the best interests of the Army of God to step forward with the information necessary to clear Drake if he has been the victim of fraud? Have other supporter names on this document been faked?
My original post is here.
Update: 04/05/07 Wiley Drakes name and comment have been removed from the Army of God declaration.
Published 1 year, 3 months ago
Search
Subscribe 
You are currently browsing the Bene Diction Blogs On weblog archives.
Related Entries
- Southern Baptist blogs
- The Army of God and a Southern Baptist Convention leader
- Republican Southern Baptists
- 2nd Vice President of Southern Baptist Convention is silent - Wiley Drake and The Army of God
- The dire situation of the Southern Baptist Convention
- The way forward. Ben Cole, The Southern Baptist Convention
- Praise the Lord and show me where to sign up
- Jimmy Carter
- Baptist bloggers look up from navel gazing
- New SBC President Johnny Hunt and his diploma mill "doctorates'
For blog design, Wordpress or MovableType coding or blog consulting, see cre8d design.
I can only answer part of your questions.
Wiley says that he was never contacted and never knew who Kopp was before yesterday when bloggers started calling him.
Your statement that he was contacted several times over three years regarding this is in contrast to his own words. Perhaps he is lying, but of all the things Wiley Drake is, a liar has never been one of them, from what I understand and know personally.
I would also like to hear from Ethics Daily, SPLC and the Army of God as to what evidence they have for any of this.
At this point, they are silent.
Finding out facts is not going to be that difficult whether truth comes from an internal SBC investigation or an external inquiries.
Wiley Drakes name and comment are no longer on the current page of Army of God declaration.
So there has not been silence -
No comment from the Army of God? No comment from Ethics Daily? No comment from the SPLC? Sounds like silence to me.
The absence of Wiley’s name looks like a wordless retraction.
As for the SBC, Wiley would have to do something illegal for them to investigate it formally. As despicable as the statement was, it was not illegal.
The SPLC alleged Wiley’s name was confirmed to be accurately placed on the list of supporters. Wiley called anyone who said such a thing a liar. the onus is now on them to produce evidence that Wiley was the one who placed the name and comment, or evidence that he had confirmed the statement to be his.
Waiting…
Why did The Army of God take his name off their website?
Who in SBC leadership was aware Wiley Drake’s name was on this declaration?
Prior to his election?
After his election?
You have access to Wiley Drake, you spoke to him. Speak to him again.
Ask him about his association with Bob Ferguson, Bruce Murch or Stephen Wetzel.
Ask who he thinks he was referring to specifically when he wrote:
“The price of blood is high. Some will pay high, and some will pay low, but pay, we all will for the 40 million babies we have killed.
God bless you my brother as you serve Him, and His little ones. ”
Please ask him how he thinks his name remained on a domestic terrorist declaration for five years.
Ask him if that statement was written online or off.
Ask him who removed his name, or who he believes removed his name.
Ask Wiley Drake how he believes it got there in the first place.
Ask him what he does know about the Army of God.
Ask if, when and how he had contact with Donald Spizer.
Ask him about his friends in Missionaries to the Unborn.
Ask him who is out to get him so desperately, they’d put his name on a domestic terrorist declaration.
Ask him if he has contacted law enforcement about his name being used without his permission.
If he hasn’t contacted law enforcement, why not?
Ask Wiley Drake what he is doing to get to the bottom of this criminal use of his name?
This is your denominational 2nd Vice President, you have access, ask him.
Waiting…
Wordless retraction.
Nice turn of the phrase, I’ll have to remember that.
Your litany of questions consistently presumes that Wiley actually wrote the words and is now lying.
How could he know, if he were telling the truth, if it were filed electronically or by mail? What the author intended when he/she wrote those words?
If Wiley answered those questions, he would be the dumbest man on earth.
Again, he has denied knowing about it, and it is no stretch to not be paying attention to such an online document. Even if you knew it existed, would you spend any time scanning it for your name? Continuously?
The constant presumption that Wiley is guilty and should have known colors your line of thought.
As for the leadership, no one wants to be drawn into this, and I don’t blame them. No one I hear from knew anything about it until recently.
Any information I do get, I’ll post on my site. See you there.
Thanks for the turn of phrase compliment.
Of course I’m skeptical.
No investigative questions were asked, I certainly respect you, Burleson and any blogger that got through to Drake by phone.
You obtained access as peers, not investigators and were granted a react.
While rumours, arguments, gossip and sides are being taken, and reactionary response ripples through parts of the SBC, we both know more will be out Monday.
There remain important unanswered questions.
Many in the SBC deeply concerned about this have a great deal to lose, that is an appreciable and valid concern.
I understand SBC leadership is not comfortable with scrutiny, even if a criminal act has been committed against Drake.
Credible people are responding to The Intelligence Report seriously, Ethics Daily is able to do it’s own investigation, and Frederick Clarkson is known for his experience and accuracy.
I see no reason Wiley Drake and supporters would not welcome a credible and thorough investigation.
Saying people are liars does not uncover truth.
(it is a declaration, not a document)
Of course the questions above are double edged.:^)
I will post ethically, check information as it unfolds, and appreciate your comments and concerns.
Evasion, diffusion, denial, distracting, lying, attacking, outrage are all ingredients in this kind of story. Shooting the messengers, name calling and claiming character assassination are common responses.
Healthy skepticism is prudent.
The Southern Poverty Law Centre is no fly by night advocacy group. It is used world wide by researchers, journalists, academics, civil rights workers and most importantly lawyers and law enforcement.
Information is legally checked; as a domestic terrorist information clearing house they are aware of the consequences of their information.
If Drakes entry in The Intelligence Report is inaccurate or incomplete it is in everyone’s best interest it be updated promptly.
Which brings us right back to Wiley Drake and The Army of God.
As 2nd Vice President of The Southern Baptist Convention, law enforcement officers within the denomination interested in the truth would be willingly to offer him their expertise and assistance, don’t you think?
His name was on that declaration.
I will be over to your blog for your updates, thank you.