I’m sure brand new Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley knew what he was asking for when he decided to say this as part of a Martin Luther King Jr. Day address to the state:

“There may be some people here today who do not have living within them the Holy Spirit. ‘But if you have been adopted in God’s family like I have, and like you have if you’re a Christian and if you’re saved, and the Holy Spirit lives within you just like the Holy Spirit lives within me, then you know what that makes?

“It makes you and me brothers. And it makes you and me brother and sister. Now I will have to say that, if we don’t have the same daddy, we’re not brothers and sisters. So anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I’m telling you, you’re not my brother and you’re not my sister, and I want to be your brother.”

Of course he knew. He had to. When he said this, the media went nuts.

The headlines write themselves in a situation like this, and CBS News pretty much summed it up with theirs: “Alabama Governor: Only Christians are my brothers”

Now I will tell you that there is disagreement among people of the Christian faith as to which circumstances present the right opportunity to make a statement like that. If I were a governor making an inaugural address, I don’t think that would be the occasion I would choose, mainly because I wouldn’t run for governor for the purpose of achieving evangelical aims, as I don’t think government is an effective mechanism by which to do that.

But one of the main arguments against doing what Bentley did may also be an argument for it. By making the statement, and prompting the media to go nuts just as surely as Pavlov’s dog would have done, Bentley has got people talking about the statement and what it means.

And if you know what it means, you know it demonstrates the media are either a) completely ignorant about Christian doctrine; or b) being disingenuous; or most likely c) both.

To describe fellow believers as your brothers and sisters in Christ is basic, Christianity 101 type stuff. Every church has its own vernacular, but in some, everyone is Brother This and Sister That. And if you have any understanding at all of the basic doctrine of Christ, you know that doctrine says that those who put their faith in him have a sonship with God that will lead to eternal life, and those who do not . . . do not.

So when political reporters toss their cookies and scream, Hey! The governor just said only Christians are his brothers!, they mean to imply that Bentley just promised to govern for the benefit of some people more than others. They also want you to think Bentley seeks to exclude certain people from brotherhood with him. Of course, he didn’t say that all, and in fact he said exactly the opposite. He said he will govern for the benefit of all people, and that he hopes those who are not his brothers in Christ will become his brothers in Christ.

These are basic beliefs held by all Christians. The rare Christian who works on the same news staff with these reporters believes that too. It’s a little unusual for a governor to express it in such a high-profile address, but it’s nothing Christians haven’t believed for 2,000 years.

Political reporters intentionally report such comments as if they represent beyond-the-pale, kooky sentiments. The very fact that the quote became a news story implies that they think it’s scandalous.

By the way, in the course of their scandal-mongering – which of course, had to include getting a comment from the president of American Atheists – CBS managed to churn up the shocking observation that Bentley “puts his Bible above the Constitution of the United States.”

Wow. Really?

I sure as hell hope so. I know I do. The Constitution is an awesome document, but it doesn’t show the way to the grace of Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit or the promise of eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

Bible > Constitution.

Pretty shocking news for American Atheists, let alone CBS News.

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