Folks, after my post on Romans 13, I found one that hits some points that mine did not, so I wanted to share it with my readers.
The issue of Romans 13 and obeying authority has been something that throughout church history Christians have struggled with.
Let me put this into perspective.
When we take a look at the Bible, we see throughout scripture those who disobey unfair and unjust government commands.
Moses disobeyed the Pharaoh as we see in the book of Exodus.
Paul was constantly in jail because he was violating customs and laws that interfered with spreading the gospel. He lost his life because of it.
Peter was told by the authorities to cease teaching and preaching in the name of Jesus. He said to those in authority over him, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). After being arrested a second time and questioned about his disobedience, Peter declared emphatically, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
We see it with Gideon, Ehud, Jepthah, Samson, and Deborah – all were charged explicitly by God to resist the rulers who were practicing injustice against the people and interfering with God’s people.
We see it in church history with Martin Luther and John Calvin.
We see it in those who fled oppression throughout the world and came to America.
We saw it in abolitionists such as Harriet Tubman who defied the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 by helping slaves escape from the south and flee to northern states.
We saw it in Corrie ten Boom who hid and protected Jews from NAZI government forces in Germany – and lied to NAZI officers when they came looking for Jews.
We saw it with Martin Luther King, Jr. standing up against the oppression of people simply based upon their skin color.
Go back to the American Revolution. In the American Revolution, Christians were often divided, but we were fighting for our freedom against oppression.
That’s where Patrick Henry said: “Is life so dear or peace and safety so sweet as to be purchased at the price of slavery?”
Were all these examples violations of scripture? No.
Those who say Christians are in violation of scripture if they are opposed to today’s tyrannical government officials telling us not to worship are not considering the entirety of God’s word. They are reacting in fear of man.
“The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.” (Proverbs 29:25)
When we look at Romans 13, we need to understand that the principle of being in subjection to governing authorities has to be balanced with the rest of scripture. When we see God opposing injustice and resisting oppression and abuses of government authority, is this a contradiction of Romans 13? No, it isn’t.
To a man, every minister that I have heard, justifies the reason for closure of his church and all worship services citing Romans Chapter 13. Before I go further, let’s look at the passage.
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. Romans 13: 1-7 KJV
In summary, the passage states:
God appoints all rulers, (this is a basic tenant of God’s sovereignty)
Rulers are not a terror to good but evil, they punish law breakers
Christians should obey rulers, for this cause you pay taxes (tribute)
Thus, when government authorities asked churches to close indefinitely, their pastors willingly went along with the request. Folks, this happened no matter what denomination you look at. Now these pastors are awaiting permission from these same authorities to resume their services. They are unwilling to do this without their approval. This is true, not only in all 50 States in our country but most of the other nations in the West and beyond. Think about it, north of one billion believers have not been attending worship services lately based on fear not faith.
In his ministry, Walter Martin would frequently say, “A text without a context, is a pretext; usually for error.”
Dear readers, this certainly applies in this application of the cited passage of Romans.
Historical Context
Paul likely wrote this book while in Corinth to a church meeting in Rome, a city he had not yet visited. This passage was addressed to Christians about a decade before Nero sat on the throne. This book was written when worshipping Jesus was treason and punishable by imprisonment and possible death. Christians met to worship in people’s houses at great risk; they faced loss of life, liberty, and property.
My point is that, in proper context, Christians are being told to obey the government at a time when they were lawbreakers for believing in Jesus or gathering to worship him. So how can these verses mean what your average minister thinks they do? Paul told the believers in Rome to obey the government and did not see a conflict that they were embracing treasonous and illegal beliefs and flaunting the government by both their beliefs and meeting for worship. How do you square these verses in context with current interpretation that God demands that we shut churches and cease worship if the secular authorities forbid it? Folks, there is no clearer example of Scripture twisting than this interpretation behind which thousands of clergymen are hiding.
But why? Simple, they fear men more than God. If standing for Christ has a cost, most are unwilling to pay it. Whether they fear the loss of their tax-exempt status, or fear tort lawyers suiting them for wrongful whatever, or fear running afoul of local police, city council, etc., I don’t know; but these guys are a fearful and timid lot.
The truth is they want to maintain good relations with the magistrate and hide behind Romans 13 to justify a decision that they already made. Guess it’s easier to go with the flow than swim upstream. Only in a world where the State establishes the Church can you get such twisted excuses for this interpretation of Romans 13.
Paul, however, can only be correctly interpreted when you understand that the government needs to stay in their lane and the church needs to stay in hers. Biblically speaking, the government has no legitimate power over such decisions of the church. Or as Jesus said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Mark 12: 17
Any government or political system that tries to dictate doctrine or practice of Christians in their midst is a tyranny. As I said a few days ago, we are commanded to gather as believers and any government order to prohibit worship is an illegal and unconstitutional one. I cannot envision a scenario where banning all worshipping in a nation of 330,000,000 million is legal Constitutionally, biblically, in Common Law, or any other way you wish to examine the question. Only in a nation ruled by tyrants can you find such edicts being enforced by civil government.
Government Dictates Worship
Look at these articles about Christian worship that have been published in the last few days. The governments: federal, state, and local in the United States claim all the same powers to regulate Christian worship as Communist China, the Soviet Union, Cuba, Nazi Germany, and every other tyranny you can name. Thus, the church serves not God but at the pleasure of the State.
Government Says Not to Meet
LEICESTER, United Kingdom – According to the leaders of Ireland’s main Christian denominations, “at this time it would not be appropriate to consider a full return” to regular worship services.
Government asserts the right to dictate what churches may or may not do in their worship.
Germany reluctantly allows congregations to meet, but they are not allowed to sing.
Germany allowed church services to resume in a limited capacity on Sunday following a six-week hiatus during a countrywide coronavirus lockdown – but worshippers won’t be able to sing just yet.
A set of strict rules prohibits worshippers from singing in the church over fears the COVID-19 virus could spread more easily that way, German broadcaster Deutsche Welles reported. The congregation must wear masks and must follow social distancing rules, which have prohibited the traditional handshaking that is part of Catholic ceremonies.
In the Tennessee, churches can meet for worship but not Christian instruction. Furthermore, they are prohibited from celebrating communion, taking an offering, using Bibles, or hymnals.
In addition, “The physical taking of communion/sacrament should not be performed due to the serial breaking of physical distancing across a congregation.” Churches are urged to “consider guiding parishioners in how to connect with the spiritual aspects of these practices during this phase.” Never mind that for Christians, Communion is a requirement, not an optional activity that can be transmitted over the internet.
Not only that, but church attendees are also banned from physically embracing or shaking hands with one another. And singing, while not banned, “is discouraged as it is thought to be an activity that expels significantly more virus than talking.”
Also banned by the Knox County order: “communal items (for example, tithe plates, hymnals, bibles, etc.).” Churches are told they should use a donation box in lieu of an offering plate. “Only core worship services are permitted in Phase One,” the order reads. “Activities such as groups and classes, youth services, social events, potlucks, communal snacks or food, and nursery, are not permitted in Phase One.”
The good news is that a few intrepid people are seeing the light and wanting to resume worship without waiting for government permission.
The pastor of an Orrington church announced Sunday that next week he will open the doors of Calvary Chapel to in-person worship in defiance of an order issued by Gov. Janet Mills to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Ken Graves also said during a drive-in worship service in the church parking lot that the evangelical congregation would be the lead plaintiff in a federal lawsuit — expected to be filed by the end of the week — challenging the constitutionality of Mills’ executive order that has shuttered houses of worship throughout Maine and limited gatherings to 10 people.
Folks don’t expect your pastor to come to the same conclusion that I have about this interference of the State in the affairs of the Church. Somehow, my pastor is ok with the closure and plans to stay shutdown until he is given permission to open his doors again. He thinks that the Covid-19 scare will result in a revival of people in his community. Based on what I don’t know. His congregation is as frightened as your average MSNBC viewer. Since the Church is not radiating salt and light in this situation but willing to hide it under a bushel basket until told to do otherwise by the civil magistrate, I don’t see that happening.
The good news in this shutdown is not coming from people of faith but people in dire financial straights that are starting to push back by opening their businesses without permission, something that churches that shutdown should consider too.
We are writing to you to express our concerns about the church’s unwillingness to hold any kinds of services or gatherings because of fear.
Embedded in both the history of the Christian Church and our country is the need, dare we say imperative, to meet.
As believers, if there is a crisis in our society then the best place that God’s people can be is in the Church. I’ve never heard of shepherds scattering their sheep as a strategy to protect them from the devil, the flesh, or the world. If you truly believe that Covid-19 rises to the level of an existential threat to our society then we should be before the throne of God begging for mercy not hiding in our homes waiting for the end.
Our country is based on a Constitution that holds freedom of worship and assembly in very high regard. From both a biblical and Constitutional point of view, giving up this right at the request of a civil magistrate is a dubious proposition; one which may be beyond the authority of a civil magistrate to either legally request or enforce; unless you believe that the Church is established and recognized by the State and not by God.
While I do know that certain Reformers did allow in dire situations for churches to be closed or not to meet such as war and pestilence, this was regarded as an extreme measure that might be invoked occasionally in a handful of communities. The idea that such an action could disband all worship in a land of almost 40 million souls or a country of 330 million would be incomprehensible to them.
Several weeks ago, when predictions were most dire and fear was at a high mark, most Churches did decide to suspend all activities. Whether we agree with this or not, it was done.
Later word went out that some Church leaders was considering small group gatherings where worship and Communion would be offered. As the appointed time drew near, the pastoral staff cancelled the proposal. I’m bringing this up because recently I heard clergy say that cancelling any small gatherings was the right call. One minister commented I couldn’t live with myself if I knew that someone had gotten sick as a result of gathering to worship in my congregation.
We cringed when we heard that. First, one could never know if anybody got sick from them in the first place. Covid-19 is the flu not Ebola. It takes up to two weeks to get the illness after exposure. Second, most people never even know they have the illness. Third, where is God in this. Some clergy were considering offering His Sacrament to His people and planning to take extreme precautions to boot but most bailed on the idea altogether.
Dear pastors, the only place the Bible talks about people getting sick from partaking of Communion is when they do so unworthily. A medical doctor one told us that even with a common cup, the transmittal of disease was almost unheard of in medical literature, if the common cup was lined with silver. I would think individual disposable cups would be even more sterile.
Next is the issue of “essential” or “nonessential” work. I was taught long ago that all labor—sacred or secular—is God’s calling on our lives. How does it feel to know that the civil authorities that you are allowing to direct the closure of your church are also calling your ministry “nonessential” and instruct you to remain closed indefinitely but these same magistrates call killing babies at the local Planned Parenthood “essential” work.
Staying home for the sake of “flattening the curve” is not about saving lives or preventing people from being exposed to Covid-19. Flattening the curve is just prolonging the infectious period so the healthcare system doesn’t get overwhelmed. Something which has not happened. Furthermore, many people that work in the healthcare field have lost their jobs or been furloughed as a result of the panic about Covid-19.
If you listen closely to what the civil authorities in California are saying, you’d learn that the church will be shut down for most if not all of the summer. The idea that come May 15th, we all go back to the way it was is not going to happen. In southern California, they have already cancelled large gatherings, like church, for the rest of the year, regardless of whether this action is warranted or not.
If you want to obey the spirit of the closure and still get the church back up and running, then you need to get the entire staff tested for Covid-19 antibodies and then put people to work. Start opening the church and quit waiting for permission.
Depending on which studies you look at, and where they were done, many millions of people in the United States have already recovered from the Corona virus. Given the timeline that this illness has been active in California and your occupation, you likely had it several months ago anyway.
The point is that folks get it, they recover, and life goes on. Which circles back to the fear issue again. We’ve heard a lot from scared and fearful people in our congregations. Sadly, most pastors are right there with them. We, as Christians, are commanded not to fear but to hold fast to Christ. For God has not given us a spirit of fear…
Dear pastor, who lives and who dies is God’s decision and always has been. When your time is up, it won’t matter if you wear a face mask and gloves or nothing at all.
How is it that in ages past great men and women left the comfort of their homes and went to work with the sickly and diseased. We as Christians should not fear men or microbes but only almighty God. Whether David Livingston, Mother Teresa, Eric Liddell, or any of the rest, these folks trusted God for their safety and went about his work. I don’t understand why American pastors can’t do likewise.
Jesus said, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
It just seems to us that we can stand for Christ, worship our God as he has commanded, and still show deference and respect to the elderly and at risk in our midst.
I celebrated Easter this past weekend like most religious folks try to do. I woke up, poured a cup of coffee, sat on my couch, and logged into a “live stream” Easter service. To be very frank, this was the most forced, pathetic let down I have witnessed in my years on this earth. Allow me to explain.
First our head priest “abandoned the flock” by returning to the Philippines to mourn a relative who had passed. I do not take issue with his mourning, as that is not my place, but the timing was horrific. It left our associate priest in charge, and with English being his 2nd or third language I feel he takes a back seat on everything that doesn’t involve the Spanish mass. The music was live played recordings from YouTube….yes, we even got treated to the commercial advertising prior to the songs being played. After the homily (sermon) I had to turn it off, it may have been a valiant effort, and the devil was likely smiling at my decision, but it looked forced. The priest was literally reading his homily off an iPad, and during the hymns he had a mono-toned voice, which again seemed very forced.
I was a little taken aback that we never were treated to the typical Christmas and Easter ode where the priest apologizes to all the folks who only show up to mass twice a year. It’s honestly a tradition unlike any other…and I’m not talking about the Master’s. It’s hard to fathom but yes, most all Catholic Priests apologize in hopes these folks will start showing up weekly to service….it never occurs. I never understood why someone would eschew the regulars in hopes that a couple additional folks will resume full attendance at mass.
Sadly it all boils down to $$$. More folks in the pews = more $$$ on the plate, and more money in the bank account. That being said, I was more taken aback by an email I received from the Bishop of Northern California Diocese. I will paraphrase and not include the email, but it talked about “tithing” which is a “highly suggested amount of required giving to the church of your before tax salary.” I literally was stunned. While I do not pretend to know anything about this Covid-19, I do know this, people are scared, and church has been closed for about 4 weeks now. A closed church means very, very little money donated. I feel for the church, even though ours is not struggling; we have almost 2 million in the bank. However this has to be one of the more tone deaf things I have heard. We have almost 22 million folks nationwide unemployed, most of which are all in the same sectors, meaning their unemployment is going to be long term. I thought churches were supposed to charitable. Why is it we have shut down entirely, yet we demand folks….check that….guilt trip folks to keep giving? I hate to say this but when an economic crisis like this occurs, folks need to take care of themselves, and I hate to break it to clergy folks, but at the moment, you are not the most important thing in people’s lives. Homes, cars, and food on the table are far, far more important. Church giving, and other charitable giving are optional.
However an organization I love to beat up on outdid the “Holy, Catholic, Apostolic, Church” I’m talking about the Knights of Cash…. I mean Columbus. Check this out. Our first vow, one of charity should be in full force right now. Our local food bank has made a desperate call for volunteers, and donations; for both food and money. However this plea fell on deaf ears. Instead, both the state office and the supreme office have sent out email blast upon email blast saying now is the best time to recruit new members. Think about that one for a minute, rather than actually do some good and help the folks who actually need it, at the local level, we are being told to recruit???? Increasingly I have begun to be distant with this cult, as I feel it has turned into a pyramid type scheme. Seriously only an organization led by an incompetent jackhole like Lee Ann Harper could possibly think this is a smart idea.
Not to be outdone, here at the local level, we were going to have a ceremony to promote to the 4th degree, this ceremony requires folks to pack in shoulder to shoulder in a church…again this is mostly older folks mind you. For a day long ceremony, followed by a banquet, where the usual folks promote themselves for sainthood all while this virus is killing folks in this demographic group! Yes you cannot make this up….even doing this over the priest’s objections! When the event was finally cancelled, the email focused more on how upset the leadership was that the recruits would now count toward next Columbian Years numbers! I swear these folks must all belong to a local Amway chapter; the absolute lack of common sense is befuddling to me. Again, this virus seems to kill folks who are elderly, which happens to be the age of all our new recruits…. but what’s a few lives when a silver star for recruiting is at stake.
It’s very disappointing to me. Great moments come from great opportunity, and while I won’t say Covid-19 is a great opportunity, it has presented a challenge for which the Church or the Knights could shine. Instead both have decided to ignore the Bible and its teachings and put money and recruitment above all else. How tone deaf can you be? While in the midst of a crisis, you are guilt tripping folks into giving money while not having the compassion to understand this economic depression that we are entering into is wrecking families. No one at my church, or my Knights Council will be lifting a finger to help those in need, and frankly why should they? The lesson seems to be that money should be hoarded and, in such times,, who the heck cares about the needy or charity? Maybe the Bishop should question why Planned Parenthood gets to remain open rather than asking us to reach deeper into our wallets? Maybe he should come out of his ivory tower and recommend we help at the local level, set our swords and shields down for a minute, and volunteer? What better tool for candidate recruiting or growing the church or Knights Council than needy folks seeing local groups step up? You know like the Rotarians, or Elks? The church may be in for a day of reckoning soon and not just falling membership…. changes to Prop 13 and our tax-exempt status may be coming soon. You think the state/county/local government wouldn’t love getting a piece of that 2 million?
Jake the Snake
Editor’s Note: Jake this change in religious practice was all predicted 16 years ago. At the time we thought it was a joke but considering that Bill Gates is at the epicenter of the pandemic modeling that closed your church maybe…
“we will make the sacraments available on-line for the first time”
“You can get Communion, confess your sins, receive absolution — even reduce your time in Purgatory — all without leaving your home.”
President Trump declared Sunday March 15, 2020 as a National Day of Prayer. While people like me were happy about the announcement, some folks were just “triggered” by the news.
As usual, Trump made the announcement on Twitter.
It is my great honor to declare Sunday, March 15th as a National Day of Prayer. We are a Country that, throughout our history, has looked to God for protection and strength in times like these… No matter where you may be, I encourage you to turn towards prayer in an act of faith. Together, we will easily PREVAIL!
…Trump has previously given other days the designation during emergencies.
At lunch on Friday, I tried to have a factual discussion with a coworker about Obama’s response the H1N1 v Trump on Corona. (It was at our lunch hour that day when the President was going to declare Corona a national emergency.) Like most people, he never knew anything about H1N1 even being a problem but because of the 24/7 coverage, he thinks everyone that gets Corona will die.
I tried to give him the three dates, first US case, declaration of public health emergency, and declaration of national emergency. The question that I was building up top was this, if Trump is so evil then why did he declare a national emergency when there are less than 50 deaths while Obama waited until over one thousand had died? (For those of you lacking math skills, the interval for Obama was six months and about six weeks for Trump.)
He kept interrupting me as I built up to my question and informed me that Trump was purposely withholding testing and medical treatment from Americans. Furthermore, he said Trump did not care and Trump was willing to let regular Americans die just to promote himself. He also was demanding that everyone — sick or healthy—be tested today. I explained the medical protocols used and that testing is only done for high risk people or if the results will affect a patient’s treatment and recovery, quoting the Center for Disease Control and Prevention amongst others. It was an exercise in futility.
(As you continue reading this account, I’m sure the biblical phrase of “casting pearls” will come to your minds too.)
For those of you living outside of California, sadly this is the predominant view of way too many people living on the Left Coast. Is it any wonder that Bernie Sanders easily won the Democrat Primary here?
In an effort to show him the compassionate side of Trump, later that night, I sent a copy of Trump’s Twitter message declaring a National Day of Prayer on 03/15/20 with the this note “This is one reason that we like Trump.”
I’m trying to give him concrete and unfiltered examples of what is happening before he is told by whoever he listens to (which clearly is not me) how to feel about it. The fact that Obama never once in his 8 years as President declared a national emergency as a cause for prayer would never occur to this guy.
After a short time, this was his response.
Yep, when I think of a Christian heart, soul and behavior trump is first person to come to mind. The last time he prayed was the last time I dated a super model.
Then he responded with a screen capture of Trump praying with Terrance Williams and some others in the Oval Office of the White House with his caption of “This is one reason why I hate him.”
Oh, I looked up Michael Steel, the guy that retweeted the post and made a snarky comment, on Wikipedia. He is some NeverTrumper guy on MSNBC. Seems like his page has been scrubbed of anything about him since he left politics, or he hasn’t done anything worthwhile since then.
I then got some even crazier stuff from Mr. Trigger about Trump being “Our Jesus replacement.” Again, where do you get this crap, I have no idea. It just makes me even gladder that I cut the cord many years ago.
FYI: Mr. Trigger makes no claim of any religious affiliation and gets to church only at weddings and funerals, if he is forced to, but he is always telling me what God thinks about Trump. He calls people that support Trump cultists. He also says Trump lies every day. I often get asked how can I support a guy that has lied over 18,000 times since taking office? Of course, he offers zero evidence or a single example… even when challenged. I guess he thinks that what he is saying is such common knowledge that everybody just knows it. Weird.
The irony is that Trump is the most honest guy to run for office. He does what he says and says what he does. There is no duplicity in him, especial when compared to the political class in Washington.
After three years of this, I finally got frustrated and fired this off to him.
Have you ever thought maybe Trump is telling the truth and CNN is not? All I get from you is “he lies” yet when I bring you facts, even from Democrat sources, somehow instead of looking at it, you go off on Trump thinks he’s God, Jesus Christ and king of the world, etc. I get a rant from you and not a discussion. Oh, and you often tell me what God thinks about it or how can I be a Christian if… As I keep trying to tell you, I believe people should be held to the same standard regardless of party or income. When I try to point out inconsistencies in how he is treated, you dismiss them out of hand and don’t care to look at the evidence. Today is only the latest example. Today you even accused Trump of purposely trying to kill Americans to benefit himself. You constantly argue feelings and don’t care about facts; especially if they might just prove you wrong. Dialogues are based on facts not feelings. Today when I showed you that your assumptions were wrong you just attacked Trump all the more. When he asks for prayer, which he has done several times before, again you opine on God. Its not a partisan request, it’s a patriot one. Sadly, you can’t ever consider that it might be a genuine act.
I realize the guy is spiritually dead but the “eyes that don’t see” and “ears that can’t hear” describes Mr. Trigger to a T. He has no awareness of the world around him. He is a most unhappy and miserable creature. He is imprisoned and bound in his own closed mind more surely than anyone in a forgotten gulag in Siberia. This guy spends his spare time searching for more chains to bind himself even further.
Watching his behavior makes me think of a C.S. Lewis book I read many years ago about people in hell taking a holiday in heaven and finding it so unpleasant that they were not able to get back to hell fast enough. Unless God kicks his mental and spiritual doors down and shines His light on this dude, he will stay lost.
When I talk with him about anything of substance—except himself—sooner or later he closes his mental eyes, covers his ears, and starts screaming, “La. La. La. La. I can’t hear you” and tries really hard to change the subject. I’ve had my fill of his folly. Sadly, I live in a State of 36 million most of whom are just like him.
The Blog Father sent an urgent communication to Jake the Snake which he received while at work yesterday. It was an article that said the Pope during his sermon (or homily) earlier this week said folks should refrain from trolling during Lent.*
On Wednesday, Pope Francis added a modern twist to the list of things to quit during the season and beyond: insulting people on social media.
The pope made his appeal to tone things down while speaking to tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square for his general audience on Ash Wednesday, the start of the 40-day season that leads up to Easter.
Just like in the presidential debates, when you call someone out or invoke their name, they get a chance to respond….so Jake put out the Bat Signal and………………..Troll Attack!!!!!!!
At first, Troll thought for certain the signal was a notification of a direct message from Hope Hicks, but alas it was not to be. Once he heard the Pope was gunning for him; however, Troll reacted mercilessly with the following rant.
Batten down the hatches readers Troll takes zero prisoners, better hope he doesn’t get after you next!
First of all……lighten up Francis! Because no one has been a bigger troll than you since you became Pope. Maybe rather than talking down and looking over your fiefdom, you should talk to the actual people; like you once did when you started as a priest and again as a bishop? Back in the day when you didn’t ride around in a Popemobile and didn’t wear such a ridiculous hat?
Give it to me again……give it to me again…..I’m just heating up!!!!!!!
Remember that time when you slapped that poor ladies hand when she tried to touch you…..haven’t you heard of the #metoo movement! Sorry I need to give up trolling on Twitter so…Me Too Movement! You may have apologized, but who do you confess your sins to!!!!!! Jesus himself????? I would love to think your confession penance was to kiss and make up….but that’s only allowed with priests and young boys!!!!!!!
Give it to me again…..Give it to me again…..Give it to me again!
Speaking of the young boys scandal, why do you continue to hide bishops, priests and others who actually did abuse their victims? You know like maybe de-frock them and allow prosecutors to do their job, you may be wealthy and powerful (the Pope usually is one of the most wealthy) but you’re not above the law.
Ok I caught my second wind……Give it to me again…give it to me again!!!!!!!
Why Francis, do you continue to apologize for the church’s misdeeds? Every Easter and Christmas service I hear the same speech which I am told comes directly from you. Look, these folks I call Creasters–they attend at Christmas and Easter only–which I don’t see as being a big deal, yet we constantly pander to them…how come? They do attend on what most would say are the two most important days of Holy Obligation.
One last time Troll…..Troll him!!!!!
Francis, why have you in essence become a Democrat? I say that because you take to the pulpit and you constantly lecture us on what Marx said we should do, not what the Bible says. Shouldn’t your job be to grow the church? Why did I see a sermon from you on how the death penalty is immoral, even though the Bible says “an eye for an eye?” If God didn’t believe in the death penalty then why did Jesus have to die? You tell us in America we must take refugees and immigrants, yet the Vatican where you reside is a closed environment surrounded with a large wall and security force? Must be nice to “do onto others as you would do onto yourself.” I say you are a Democrat not because of your social justice upbringing but because you have made the church into an apologist for all we have done bad over the years, yes, the Bible shares some very nice things from our past, yet why must we continue to apologize for it? I don’t hear Japan apologizing for Pearl Harbor each year!
Oh Boy one last time…..give it to me again….give it to me again!!!!!
Francis, do us a solid, quit worrying about Twitter trolls, because they will not stop; instead, spread the good news of the Bible. The church used to be something where differences were tolerated, now we get shamed or demeaned constantly, all under your tutelage. I used to attend a church where our priest once gave a pro-Prop 8 sermon, I visited that church last year, and it’s so far left of center now, I thought they would be sponsoring an abortion clinic and conducting gay marriages. My current place of worship is now dominated by folks with Bernie or Hillary bumper stickers; keep in mind those same people while being social justice warriors like you, elect apostate Catholics to office at the State and federal level who want to spend my taxpayer dollars to fund abortions thru all nine months of pregnancy!
Ok I lied….I’ll hit confession Friday….give it to me again……give it to me again!!!!!
Finally how come you don’t stick up for Christians? We are being persecuted as a group throughout the Middle East, and now in Europe, for nothing other than our Catholic faith. Additionally ISIS has said they want you and all Christians dead. Yet you don’t speak out against any of this. Funny that you find time to tell me about how bad my beliefs on the death penalty are? Or chide me that I’m not all in on the myth of global warming? I thought you were supposed to say God is in charge not man. You won’t stick up for Christians in China either but give your blessing to the government that persecutes your flock. You should be focused on growing the church, yet you choose these dumb social justice fights? And worse yet you choose to talk about the evils of trolling? Like you ever actually use Twitter? Maybe you should be more like President Trump and clean house….remove the filth, turn over the bad apples to local prosecutors…most seem more than willing to knee cap the church anyway…..let them do it! As far as folks whose beliefs stray from the church’s teachings on; abortion, pre-marital sex, the death penalty etc? They will answer to God upon death, and that’s ok. But please, please stop this senseless trolling you have done since you were elected Pope, or step down….because if I looked up rudderless ship in the dictionary, it would be a photo of the Vatican.
The Troll
Let me leave you with some additional photos of future Mrs. Troll as I will give her up for Lent!
Bloggers note: Lent is a season in Christianity leading up to Easter, where for the layman us Catholics “give up” something for Lent…basically an almsgiving. I personally Hope the Troll gives up Hope, because we can all agree there is none for him.
Yesterday, I did something that I’ve never done before, I went to a lunch where Ham was the featured item. Folks this is very rare for me. You see, as a rule, I really avoid any kind of ham. About every four years you’ll catch me with a sliver of the Honey Baked Ham but otherwise it’s a nonstarter.
Yesterday however was different. I loaded the family into the car and drove all the way to Modesto for a special lunch. You see Ham was featured but not on the menu. No, the menu was actually BBQ meat–pork or beef–and chicken, rice, BBQ veggies, salad, and so forth. It was served buffet style at Big Valley Grace Community Church.
The event was a fundraising presentation by Answers in Genesis (AIG). This is the second such event that we’ve been invited to attend, the other being last spring in Stockton.
Answers in Genesis is a group that is built on the premise that the Bible is true.While this sounds like something most Christians claim in their denomination’s statement of faith, in reality, most folks put a mental asterisk next to such a claim. They have dumbed-down the Scriptures and the faith so that they don’t conflict with whatever thing is popular today. If the Bible is in conflict, it gets jettisoned in favor of popular culture. Believing there is a separation between secular and sacred is such a false dilemma. Trying to reconcile evolution and Genesis is another.
AIG rightly understands that if you deny six-day creation, Adam’s Fall, and Noah’s Flood, and reduce them to allegory and myth, then eventually you will deny all supernatural claims of Scripture including the virgin birth and bodily resurrection of Christ.
What I find amazing is that folks that don’t believe in any of the supernatural claims of the Bible continue to call themselves Christian. Sadly, some of them occupy the pulpits of formerly orthodox denominations that are now on the forefront of schism and heresy.
The speaker at yesterday’s event was AIG founder Ken Ham. Ham talked about his organization, the tourist destination that his group has built, and the witness that they are making for Christ and biblical inerrancy.
Ken Ham Modesto, CA 01-11-2020
He also spoke briefly of how he got involved in the issue of defending Genesis. He credits his parents for teaching him apologetics, even though they never used that word.
I was happy that he credited Whitcomb and Morris’s book The Genesis Flood as being influential on him. This book had a profound impact on me when I read it in junior high school. I have tried with varying degrees of success to get others to read it too. If you only read two other books in your life besides the Bible, they should be the Genesis Flood and Kingdom of the Cults by Walter Martin.
Ham made a point of repeatedly saying that it is the church that has failed the culture and needs reformation. Until we stand on the Word, we will have no impact on the world around us. He views his mission as equipping believers with the tools to withstand the many attacks on the faith that are brought to bear by those around us.
AIG’s Ark Encounter
The meeting closed and we were asked to see the guys at the back table if we were interested in contributing. We had a family photo taken with Ham and thanked him for his work.
ReallyRight Jr., Ken Ham, William & Mrs. William
I then went to the back table and turned in the paperwork, giving my usual amount and had them spread it out over many payments. In exchange I got the appropriate swag bag and their thanks.
I’m glad that Ken Ham and others are being a witness to those around us that He is There and He is not Silent—as Francis Schaeffer used to say.
This blog is the result of a recent discussion about Mary, the mother of Jesus.
For the past two years, my family has been worshipping as part of a conservative Lutheran congregation. Last weekend, I was invited to a church related event held in someone’s home. Part of the discussion was about the life of Jesus.
Except for one incident about Jesus visiting Jerusalem at age twelve, all we know of his life is centered on either his birth or subsequent ministry at the age of 30. Nevertheless, within the gospels are interspersed a few nuggets concerning his background and that of his earthly family.
At the event last weekend, I think I conducted myself well—theologically speaking—during most of the discussion except in one area where stepped in it. Below is a more reasoned and thorough discussion of some of the controversial topics discussed that evening.
Note to readers:I’m going to deal with today’s subjects in terms of the Roman Catholic and Protestant branches of Christianity, while I think the Orthodox folks would mostly agree with Rome, I’m not familiar enough with their theology to say for certain. As is typical on my blog, all verses are from KJV.
Mary and Joseph
I think I’m on fairly safe ground when I say that Mary was young when she became the mother of Jesus. I’m not aware of any dispute in the historic church on this point. However, Joseph is another matter altogether. Joseph is sometimes portrayed as being near the same age as Mary but many Protestants and virtually all of Rome would disagree. The prima facie proof that Joseph was much older than Mary is that Joseph is never mentioned by name after Jesus’ visit to the temple at age twelve.
And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. Luke 2: 42-43
Ok, but what about Jesus’ family? He was not an only child.
Brothers and Sisters
Jesus’ siblings were mentioned in a few different places.
And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. Matthew 13:54-57
Same account from Mark’s gospel.
And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. Mark 6:1-4
The wedding at Cana–Jesus’ first miracle.
After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. John 2:12
Wedding at Cana
Below is a summary of other mentions in the New Testament of Jesus’ mother and siblings.
Jesus’ brothers, sisters & mother
Jesus’ siblings are mentioned as accompanying Jesus and his mother to Capernaum after the marriage at Cana (John 2:12). Later Mary and these brothers are recorded as seeking an audience with Jesus (Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21). Toward the end of Jesus’ ministry, His brethren are mentioned as urging Jesus to prove His Messiahship, which they themselves doubted (John 7:3-5). That they were later converted is clear, for they are described in Acts as uniting with the disciples and others in “prayer and supplication” prior to Pentecost (Acts 1:13-14). Paul implies that they were all married (1 Corinthians 9:5).
Many commentators hold that the author of the epistle of Jude, who identifies himself as the “brother of James,” was one of these brothers (Jude 1). It is also generally believed that the leader of the church at Jerusalem was James the brother of Jesus, (see Acts 12:17; 15:13). This seems to be confirmed by Paul’s reference to his visit to Jerusalem, in which he states that he saw only Peter, and “James, the Lord’s brother” (Galatians 1:18-19).
Rome and some Protestants believe that the brothers and sisters mentioned above were not Mary’s biological offspring but Joseph’s from a previous marriage, making them all half siblings. They assert that Joseph was a widower that then wed a much younger woman. Some of you may wonder why it matters and others will jump to where I’m going next.
Mary: a Perpetual Virgin?
You see, some maintain that Mary was and remained a virgin throughout her entire life. Thus they need for the four brothers and unknown number of sisters of Jesus to be someone else’s children.
I first encountered this issue about fifth grade. I went to a Catholic elementary school and my Religion class was taught by nun. I was a Catholic at the time but had run across some folks that got me to read the Bible for myself. I brought this passage to my teacher and she was horrified.
“Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us?”
In fact her response to this and other questions I brought to her that year was that we needed to leave biblical interpretation up to priests and bishops. She stated that lay folks were not capable of understanding the Bible on their own. She stated furthermore that if we began reading the Bible for ourselves, we might become heretics like Martin Luther.
FYI that was the first time I had ever heard the name, Martin Luther.
Folks remember that she was my teacher for a class to instruct me in Christianity—Roman style—and that was her view!
My Dissent
Folks I dissent on the claim that Mary was perpetually a virgin. There is simply no biblical warrant for such an idea. There are biblical passages on the issue but why let them get in the way of something that you need to be in there because of your presuppositions on celibacy?
Let’s skip my opinion and jump right into the Bible.
Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. Matthew 1:24 & 25
Oh, the King James Bible usage of the word “knew” in this passage means the same as it does in Genesis 4:1. (For purists, I’m arguing the KJV is consistent in the way they translate this idea of marital relations. I’m fully aware that NT was Greek while Genesis was originally Hebrew.)
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
Knew in Strong’s is #1097 in Greek. If you look it up you will find “3. By a Hebraistic euphemism…is used of the carnal connection of male and female”
And the final nail in the perpetual virginity coffin is a quote from Mary herself.
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? Luke 1:34
Strong’s citation of #1097 indicates that the same word is used in both passages, Matthew 1:25 and Luke 1:34. Thus Mary didn’t have sexual relations with Joseph until after Jesus was born which is just what Matthew says. Any speculation about Jesus’ siblings being from a previous relationship of Joseph or Mary being a perpetual virgin do violence to the clear reading of the gospels.
So far, I think I’ve been on strong (pardon the pun) theological ground; however, I then got myself off of firm ground and out on a limb.
Did Jews call Jesus a bastard?
The short answer is yes, but my question was when? And why?
The Talmud seems to reference Jesus and when it does, in an unfavorable light, but whether these references are original or later edits is debatable. If you wish to wade into this question, see Jesus in the Talmud However, at some point, Jesus was accused of being the offspring of Mary and a roman soldier.
Does the New Testament indicate that Jesus’ critics made such accusations? At the event last week, I asserted that they did and of course was challenged. At the time, I couldn’t find a biblical reference. Later I did find the passage where the Jews called Jesus a bastard.
They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. John 8:39-41
The phrase “We be not born of fornication” is the textbook definition of “bastard”– a person born of parents not married to each other. Was this a shot at the parentage of Jesus or his theology? Both?
Pharisees
At least one Gospel writer indicates the possibility…
And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph… Luke 3:23
Is there more evidence?
However, besides this one account of Jesus being called a bastard, the New Testament is silent on the issue… unless you can fit it in ambiguous verses like the one below.
And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee? And many other things blasphemously spake they against him. Luke 22: 64 & 65
While it’s probable that the Roman soldiers called Jesus such names and worse, there is no explicit account of that in the Bible. If the soldiers did say derogatory things about Jesus’ parentage, it was just harassment of the condemned, as they would not know of the story of his virgin birth.
Also, in the verses quoted above about Jesus being “the carpenter’s son” and “Mary, his mother”, nothing indicates that the people that Jesus encountered during his ministry questioned his origins. If they had, it would have been a continuing source of harassment his entire life.
The testimony of the genealogies given in the gospel is that Jesus has a rightful claim to the throne of David both thru the linage of Joseph and Mary. Were he a bastard, this claim would be void and grounds to reject his claim as King of the Jews.
The Annunciation
So why was I so wrong?
At last week’s gathering, I was wrong in my assertion that Jesus (and Mary) had to contend with rumors that Mary had become pregnant by someone other than Joseph. On this point I was wrong but I’m not alone.
After reflecting on the topic, I remembered where I’ve heard this claim of Jesus being called a bastard. I took this as true because I’ve heard it stated many times in the context of discussing the life issue. We, prolifers, want to try to relate our faith with women that find themselves in a crisis pregnancy. We try to make a connection between Mary being poor, single, and pregnant as a bridge to the situation these women are in so we can convince them to “save their baby.”
Our argument goes much like this: We say Mary was poor and disadvantaged. She faced disruption of her life and risked the social stigma attached to being pregnant. Her situation was much like yours now. Were Mary in your situation and chose abortion then Jesus would never be born. Thus, we argue, be like Mary, choose life for your baby.
Journey to Bethlehem
I think this idea is based in part on distorting verses like “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) and “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses” (Matthew 8:17).
In our zeal to be relevant and persuasive on the life issue, we find ourselves making theological pretzels by trying to force the Bible to say something that it does not. We desperately want to make the point that Jesus loves and understands both the pregnant woman and her unborn child because he and his family went thru the same life events that the young woman is now facing.
While the sentiment is understandable, it is not biblical. We have forced the text to fit an emotional argument that we want to make, to fit an emotional situation, that yields a rational result.
Sounds good but…
Here is a typical example of a different but related argument that I have often heard. I got this example from my handy internet search engine. The author is referring to Deuteronomy 22:20-29.
As you can see, the status of betrothal was almost identical to the status of a married woman. A betrothed woman who lay with a man that was not her intended husband, was punished as if she had committed adultery.
Mary of Nazareth, unwed and pregnant, knew the punishment she faced—stoning. She had nothing but the story of an angel to tell her parents and Joseph, the man she had promised to marry. Joseph would have been well within his rights—even within his duty—to expose her sin and witness her execution.
It was only with the intervention of an angel and Joseph’s own faith-filled acceptance of the angel’s message, that saved both Mary’s life and the life of her unborn baby, the Incarnation of God.
Mary knew exactly what she would face in her home and community after she said her faith-filled “Let it be done to me according to your word” to the visiting angel. And still, she said yes. She trusted that God would take care of her, and he did, through her holy husband Joseph.
This is a classic proof that equates Mary’s situation with a crisis pregnancy in modern day America.
Stoning of Stephen
Was Jesus’ birth really an unplanned pregnancy?
In a rebuttal to this idea is the following:
There is a popular meme making the rounds on social media that attempts to make a clever point about the importance of being open to life. Showing an image of the Nativity, the meme states, “One unplanned pregnancy saved us all.” The problem is that not only is the meme untrue, but it reduces a sublime and divine event to a common and mundane situation.
The fact of the matter is that the Incarnation was the most “planned” pregnancy in all of human history, and NOT just from God’s perspective. After writing a post on Facebook about this meme, explaining that the plan for the Incarnation was established at the very beginning, a lot of discussion ensued, most particularly focused on whether Mary had planned on having a baby or not.
But the question continues to be raised as to whether or not Mary’s surprise at Gabriel’s greeting and subsequent explanation of the Incarnation constitutes an “unplanned” pregnancy.
Truth cannot be based on a lie, distortion, or misstatement. We are on the right side on the life issue but misrepresenting our God, His Word, or our faith to score points at the local clinic is not the path we should choose.We can communicate God’s love to both the woman and her baby without the sentimentality of recasting the faith into something that it is not. We are challenged to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8) and that doesn’t require any artificial sweeteners to be added.
Conclusion
It is wrong to claim that Mary was perpetually a virgin and/or equate the virgin birth of Jesus with a “crisis pregnancy.” Many well-meaning folks make both claims. Lastly, no internal evidence in the New Testament exists that a shadow hung over Jesus or Mary as a result of the virgin birth. In my mind if such were the case, Jesus would be confronted with it during his public ministry or during the various trials held prior to his crucifixion.
Rarely do I ever do a book review on this blog but occasionally something rises to the level of deserving such attention and folks, “How to be a Perfect Christian” is such a wonder. Forget what you think you know about church and give this book a try. Using their Holiness Progress Tracker 5000, the Babylon Bee staff coaches you thru the perils and pitfalls of modern American Christian culture so you can arrive at the pearly gates completely under your own efforts.
Here’s a sample of endorsements for the book:
“Forget love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control! Perfection is so much better than the fruit of the Spirit. And, as the Babylon Bee’s How to be a Perfect Christian shows, it’s a lot easier too.” –Karen Swallow Prior
Karen Swallow Prior
This book is a checklist for spiritual supremacy. Chapters include such topics as Joining the Right Church.
If the church has a lit name, a slick website, no statement of faith, a modern building, and membership of at least fifteen thousand each week, then great! You may have found the place where God will have your material needs met and keep you entertained…slip out of your old church without so much as a goodbye, and get ready to visit your new home at whichever of the nine weekend service times is most convenient for you.
In the chapter Worshipping Like a Pro, you will read such valuable tips as this about your first visit to church:
You’re staring down the welcome team, and now, here it comes: the primary litmus test of the morning that will forever decide whether or not you should make this church the place where you will achieve perfection. We’re talking about the quality of the church swag they give away to visitors such as yourself. (emphasis in original)
What you’re looking for is high-end gear here: aluminum water bottles, American Apparel T-shirts, expensive vacation giveaways, and NFL tickets. Freebies like these let prospective visitors know the church is serious about helping them attain true godliness and they’re not just messing around.
The Bee covers the gambit of modern living and governing your household. Such topics as child-rearing, dating oops I mean courtship, and marriage. They even acknowledge two models of family, the Complementarian and Egalitarian. Here are samples of their advice.
Complementarian Men These men rule their home as ruthlessly as supreme leader Kim Jong-un runs the great Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Every minute household decision must be run by the husband and he gets the final say—no ifs, ands, or buts about it. In Ephesians 5, Paul addresses how men are to run their homes, and he’s pretty clear that the Lord calls men to be unilateral, totalitarian dictators, like Big Brother or the Dark Lord Sauron.
Dark Lord Sauron
In the name of Christian liberty, the Bee also recognizes that in God’s grace, some men prefer to let their wives run the home in an Egalitarian way.
We recommend that egalitarian husbands are never to be the breadwinners. In fact, you probably shouldn’t contribute financially to the family at all. Instead, you should play the latest Madden NFL game on your Xbox all day long and rest in the knowledge that you’re not being a burden on the home. You are, instead, empowering your wife to work eighty-hour weeks to pay the family’s mortgage. There’s no better way to be a godly husband. And you don’t want to be oppressive and lead your home like those backwards complementarians, do you?
We have friends of the blog in both camps and you know who you are.
Anyway, I think I’ve given you a feel for this book. If you love sarcasm and humor that makes a point, then this book is worth a look. I read it Christmas Day and I’m glad my wife bought it for me. I’d rate it 8.5/10.
Orson Scott Card wrote a book many years ago called Speaker for the Dead and yesterday Christianity Today decided to do just that claiming that Billy Graham himself would have opposed the Orange Man and support his removal via impeachment. Today I wish to unpack this controversy and the Graham family’s response.
In our founding documents, Billy Graham explains that Christianity Today will help evangelical Christians interpret the news in a manner that reflects their faith. The impeachment of Donald Trump is a significant event in the story of our republic. It requires comment.
The typical CT approach is to stay above the fray and allow Christians with different political convictions to make their arguments in the public square, to encourage all to pursue justice according to their convictions and treat their political opposition as charitably as possible.
That said, we do feel it necessary from time to time to make our own opinions on political matters clear—always, as Graham encouraged us, doing so with both conviction and love.
So here’s the setup. We (Christianity Today) have a charter granted to us from Billy Graham to speak to actions in the public square. Thus Christianity Today is “the voice” of evangelical Christianity. So dear readers, listen up.
Let’s grant this to the president: The Democrats have had it out for him from day one, and therefore nearly everything they do is under a cloud of partisan suspicion. This has led many to suspect not only motives but facts in these recent impeachment hearings. And, no, Mr. Trump did not have a serious opportunity to offer his side of the story in the House hearings on impeachment.
Then the editor of Christianity Today says we know the Democrats have it in for Trump and we have only heard from one side in this impeachment thing but…
But the facts in this instance are unambiguous: The president of the United States attempted to use his political power to coerce a foreign leader to harass and discredit one of the president’s political opponents. That is not only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly immoral.
So literally without any evidence presented, we at CT know that Trump is guilty as sin. Why? Because we don’t like his Twitter posts.
The reason many are not shocked about this is that this president has dumbed down the idea of morality in his administration. He has hired and fired a number of people who are now convicted criminals. He himself has admitted to immoral actions in business and his relationship with women, about which he remains proud. His Twitter feed alone—with its habitual string of mischaracterizations, lies, and slanders—is a near perfect example of a human being who is morally lost and confused.
That Trump fired guys that were later convicted as criminals—many in a failed effort to take him out—and yet despite Mueller’s Report, he is still there. Oh, and he admitted that he likes women and has done business in New York (immoral actions in business?).
Whether Mr. Trump should be removed from office by the Senate or by popular vote next election—that is a matter of prudential judgment. That he should be removed, we believe, is not a matter of partisan loyalties but loyalty to the Creator of the Ten Commandments.
Trump broke the Ten Commandments so for God’s sake he must be removed.
To the many evangelicals who continue to support Mr. Trump in spite of his blackened moral record, we might say this: Remember who you are and whom you serve. Consider how your justification of Mr. Trump influences your witness to your Lord and Savior. Consider what an unbelieving world will say if you continue to brush off Mr. Trump’s immoral words and behavior in the cause of political expediency. If we don’t reverse course now, will anyone take anything we say about justice and righteousness with any seriousness for decades to come? Can we say with a straight face that abortion is a great evil that cannot be tolerated and, with the same straight face, say that the bent and broken character of our nation’s leader doesn’t really matter in the end?
How can you be a Christian and support Trump? If abortion is an important issue for you then remove Trump and give us a pro-abortion Democrat so sanity can return to American politics.
So we have done our best to give evangelical Trump supporters their due, to try to understand their point of view, to see the prudential nature of so many political decisions they have made regarding Mr. Trump.
We have done our best to put up with you Trump supporters but it’s time for you to throw him under the bus otherwise he will be reelected and God help us if he is.
Rebuttal
Billy Graham voted for Trump
On social media, Franklin Graham wrote, “Christianity Today released an editorial stating that President Trump should be removed from office – and they invoked my father’s name (I suppose to try to bring legitimacy to their statements), so I feel it is important for me to respond.
“Yes, my father Billy Graham founded Christianity Today; but no, he would not agree with their opinion piece. In fact, he would be very disappointed. I have not previously shared who my father voted for in the past election, but because of this article, I feel it is necessary to share it now. My father knew Donald Trump, he believed in Donald Trump, and he voted for Donald Trump. He believed that Donald J. Trump was the man for this hour in history for our nation,” he said.
“For Christianity Today to side with the Democrat Party in a totally partisan attack on the president of the United States is unfathomable. Christianity Today failed to acknowledge that not one single Republican voted with the Democrats to impeach the president. I know a number of Republicans in Congress, and many of them are strong Christians. If the president were guilty of what the Democrats claimed, these Republicans would have joined with the Democrats to impeach him. But the Democrats were not even unanimous – two voted against impeachment and one voted present. This impeachment was politically motivated, 100% partisan. Why would Christianity Today choose to take the side of the Democrat left whose only goal is to discredit and smear the name of a sitting president? They want readers to believe the Democrat leadership rather than believe the president of the United States,” Franklin Graham wrote.
Christianity Today ignores the Bible when trying to tell us what to believe about impeachment. In fact, what they said in this editorial is so unbiblical as to be nothing but sins of omission. What does the Bible say about rules of evidence?
1 Democrats have never produced one witness with firsthand knowledge of anything let alone two or three.
One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. Deuteronomy 19:15
“Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” 2 Corinthians 13:1-2
In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. John 8:17
2 Do not decide a matter without first hearing both sides
“He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.” Proverbs 18:17
He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him. Proverbs 18:13
Trump a notorious sinner and so are you
Is President Trump guilty of sin? Of course he is, as were all past presidents and as each one of us are, including myself. Therefore, let’s pray for the president as he continues to lead the affairs of our nation. – Franklin Graham
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23
For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law Romans 2:12
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 John 1:10
Trump’s Character
Christianity Today attacks Trump’s character with ad hominem claims “He himself has admitted to immoral actions in business and his relationship with women.” The claim is used as a factual statement without any proof or foundation and is used to buttress their assertion of his guilt in the impeachment accusations.
President Trump has been married more than once, as was Ronald Reagan whom I regard as the greatest President of the 20th Century. Trump surrounds himself with beautiful women but does not have a reputation of having intercourse with them in the Oval Office as has been the practice of other Presidents. Divorce is a sin in most circumstances but this has not been an issue in Evangelical circles for many decades. Was this a shot at Stormy Daniels?
Most of those who formerly worked for Trump and are headed for jail were convicted of offenses prior to being on Trump’s payroll. We have previously documented on this blog that Trump’s pool of campaign staff was not top tier, especially early in the campaign. Trump got last pick of those that remained after Bush, Rubio, Cuz, etc. had hired their staffs. Any people not in this category were never found guilty but entrapped. They had the choice of fighting prosecutors with unlimited budgets or saving their personal assets and taking a plea deal. This was not a criminal issue but an economic one. In light of recent revelations by the government, some are trying to undo their plea bargains and be cleared.
Hitting Trump with the argument that we don’t like what you say on Twitter is not relevant to the impeachment issue either. On Twitter, Trump is typically defending himself in real time or touting his accomplishments; neither of which the media is willing to report. In a world with 24/7 news coverage in which almost 100 percent of everything about Trump is presented negatively, what do you expect him to do? Trump, like Saint Nicholas, hits heretics right between the eyes.
CT concludes by saying Evangelicals should flee Trump
My question is why? I can rebut their assertion in several ways. Here’s three quick ones.
“You can’t beat something with nothing.”
“You go to war with the army you have not the one you want.”
Oh, and Trump is president because it is God’s will.
Conclusion
CT asks something that deserves comment. “Consider how your justification of Mr. Trump influences your witness to your Lord and Savior.”
My response is this, if we continued down the road Obama put us on, it would be illegal for us to have any public witness for our Lord and Savior. All religious institutions were being subjugated to the State by the State’s use of the sword and mandated to accept homosexuality and other perversions, compromise on abortion, and the core claims of Christianity such as Jesus being the only way to God. We as Christians were staring into the abyss. We were in danger of having our children removed from us by the State, our institutions outlawed, and other retributions visited on us for being practicing Christians. (This is always the experience of Christians in socialist societies.) Trump stopped this momentum and is reversing this danger to the very fabric of our existence. Trump is our Constantine. Whether he is one of us or not, he has never said but his policies are exactly what Christianity needs to be legal and free in this country. The fact that Christianity Today is willing to throw us under the bus to score cheap political points is all you need to know. They are not on the side of light.
The final tell in their editorial is, “we have done our best to give evangelical Trump supporters their due…” No. They are tired of us sticking to this man in spite of all hell being loosed on him and him being unscathed. Folks all this impeachment stuff has done is insure the Donald Trump will spend the rest of his days fighting for this country and for us. The days of ex-Presidents sitting silently on the national sidelines are over. Trump will remake the Republican Party just as I’ve been saying for many years. To NeverTrumpers and Democrats, look out, the Orange Man cometh in wrath and vengeance.
