James ‘the Giant’ Croft stands 3’10” tall. He’s a Southern Baptist evangelist preacher, and also a freshly-minted Baker County Commissioner in Florida.
It’s when Croft can’t keep those jobs separate that he appears to invite major trouble. The Florida Times-Union headlines its article about the reverend “James ‘The Giant’ Croft preaches from two pulpits,“ and right there the scope of this little preacher’s big arrogance becomes apparent.
While he saves most of his preaching for the pulpit, Croft believes in applying Christian principles to government and occasionally quotes scripture during meetings.
“We need to be placed where we have influence on folks in a positive way,” Croft said. “If we don’t, everywhere we leave a vacancy, Satan will fill it.”
If Mr. Croft really wants to serve the people of Baker County, he’d do well to keep his beliefs out of the local government’s business. I’d sure hate to see his constituents — believers and nonbelievers alike — have to foot the legal bill when the ACLU or the Freedom From Religion Foundation remind the commissioners of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.
Now as in the constitution he does have his rights to freedom of religion, but that does not mean he can mix his religion in with his duties as a commissioner that could be considered a violation of the separation of church and state
Your link to the news story is messed up.
Thanks Seamus. Fixed now.