Wednesday, January 9, 2002
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Wednesday, January 9, 2002 |
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An open letter to our elected officials By REV JOHN HATCHER I have written the following as an open letter to every Christian who holds public office: Dear Christian leader: Since there was nobody to say I couldn't, I am writing you to let you know my feelings and personal expectations for you as Christian office holder in our community. First, please let your faith show where it counts most: in your home with your family. How many public servants have been caught with their pants down at home where they should have been wearing their pants as spiritual leaders? Would it have been too much for Baptist Bill Clinton to sit down with his wife and daughter to read the Bible and have prayer? Would it have been too much to ask for Christian Bill Clinton to live his witness as a man of God before his own family? Is it too much for men and women who hold office and who say they are Christians, to act and behave as Christians at home? No! Second, let your witness (that's that thing that says you are a follower of Jesus Christ) show in public appearances. It disturbs me deeply when, after the people elect an individual who has made no secret about his or her Christian faith, that same individual behaves as an Universalist in public forums. They seem fearful of mentioning Jesus Christ much less declaring that Jesus is Lord of their lives. The Constitution prohibits church and state interferences. The Constitution does not, however, prohibit the influence of God in the life of an office holder. I would love to hear a politician say, "Well, I have taken this particular stand because of my faith in Jesus Christ." Too often Christian politicians go soft on their faith, thinking that others will consider them provincial if they voiced their faith-based convictions. What would happen if our elected officials took a poll of the Bible before casting a vote and then voted a certain way because of Biblical convictions? This is one reason Senator Edward Kennedy blows my circuits: he says he is a good Catholic. Baloney! No good Catholic stands in favor of abortion. Senator Kennedy, on the other hand, would be very spiritual if he were to repent of his previous stand and votes for abortion and embrace the teachings of his church, the Bible, and the Judeo-Christian religion in general. Abortion is sin! Third, I would ask that Christian office holders manifest their love for the bride of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The church, that is! Many years ago I served as a local campaign coordinator for former Governor Carl Sanders as he opposed Jimmy Carter. I made a decision that there would be neither political meetings on neither Sunday nor Wednesday night. Why? Sunday is obvious. But Wednesday nights have been traditionally the one week night set-aside for the church to offer specialized programs like children's choirs, youth activities, and prayer meetings. It was a simple matter of making a simple decision: no political meetings involving Carl Sanders campaign would be conducted Sundays or Wednesday nights. Now, pray tell, why can't our elected officials and even Christians appointed to decision-making positions decide one night a week is off-limits? It's possible if they will put their vote where their faith is! For too long we have elected men and women who come out of strong, evangelical congregations only to see them become spiritual mush in the political spotlight. People have been turned out of office because of lying, cheating, and stealing. How many do you know who have been turned out of office because they stood up for Jesus, based their votes on the Bible, and insisted that values of church and home be on the table when making decisions for the public good?
The Rev. Dr. John Hatcher is pastor of River's Edge Community Church in Fayetteville. |
