MONTGOMERY (AP) — New Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley upset some with his remarks about only Christians being his brothers and sisters. But he has plenty who agree with him in the Bible Belt state.
Even so, some fellow Baptists say Bentley could have found a nicer way to express his religious views when he made the statement at a Martin Luther King Day service on Monday.
Bentley is a Southern Baptist deacon, and officials with the state Southern Baptist organization say the denomination has about 1.1 million members in Alabama. As many as 600,000 more are members of Baptist churches not affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
In Wetumpka (WEE-tuhmp-kuh), 72-year-old Ron Brooks said he's "inclined to agree" with Bentley's remarks. But he says the new governor wasn't being smart when he made the remarks.
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