Lt. Gen. William G. “Jerry” Boykin spoke to an audience gathered for breakfast about his belief that God will forgive anyone for anything, and that a relationship with Jesus Christ is more important than following the rules of an organized religion.
The retired Army general supplemented his thesis with stories of his time in combat when he says his faith was rewarded, and other times when it was tested and restored. In one case, Boykin believes the “Holy Spirit” spoke to him in a time of doubt, telling him that “If there is no God, there is no hope.”
Boykin avoided discussing another religious belief during his speech at the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast: Islam. The retired general has been outspoken on that topic at times, arguing that mosques have no place in America and describing Islam as a “totalitarian way of life.”
His invitation to Ocean City aroused dismay from People for the American Way and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and those groups urged Mayor Rick Meehan and Ocean City Council members to rescind Boykin’s invitation, or not attend his talk. The annual event name-checks the mayor’s office but is organized and funded privately, not by the town.
In the end, the mayor and one of the seven councilmembers, Doug Cymek, attended; and Boykin didn’t stray from the path of discussing Christianity. He shared stories of his reliance on prayer during dangerous missions he embarked on during his lengthy career with the Army’s Delta Force, including one occasion during the infamous “Black Hawk Down” mission he commanded in Somalia.
“There is nothing you’ve ever done that God won’t forgive you for, and you might say, ‘Well, you don’t know what I’ve done,’” he said. “But yo, you don’t know what I’ve done.”
Meehan said he felt Boykin’s speech had matched the tradition and spirit of the event, resonated with the audience and conveyed a positive message.
The perception that Boykin brought with him a tint of religious intolerance is “certainly not” accurate, according to Meehan. That was an argument made by a Baltimore Sun editorial, “‘Islamophobic’ Ocean City?,” saying if elected leaders attended it would “reflect badly on them and the resort town they lead.”
“Perception can be very tough to deal with, but Ocean City is open to all faiths and beliefs, and we absolutely embrace everybody,” said Meehan. “We want to make sure that message is very clear.”
Peter Montgomery, a People for the American Way senior fellow, attended the event, and agreed Boykin had stayed away from the vein of inflammatory comments he’s made in past speeches. But given Boykin’s past statements, Montgomery said, it was still disappointing the event’s organizers invited him to speak.
“I don’t doubt that the mayor and council didn’t know about (Boykin’s) past,” he said. But after they learned about his views on Islam, he said, it became a question of holding public officials accountable.