I am a Christian in the sense that I have accepted Jesus as my savior, and I try to follow His teachings. I am also a person who believes in the freedom that comes with the separation of church and state, a key component upon which our nation was founded. As a citizen, I exercise both my right and my patriotic obligation to petition our government. And so, I again wrote to Speaker Mike Johnson. I share this letter, hoping to inspire my readers to write letters to him and to other lawmakers on issues of concern.
Dear Speaker Mike Johnson,
Yet again, I find myself writing to you based on something you said that I find deeply disturbing. I see you and I hear you and I know you are coming from a place of sincerity. However, I believe that you are sincerely wrong in your assessment of God and His judgement of our nation. Jesus made it clear to us that God isn’t in the human government business anymore, but in the personal relationship business. The religious leaders of the Jesus’ day were obsessed with this world and Jesus tried to turn their eyes to His Kingdom in the heavens, not made with human hands. He told them in Matthew 22:21 “render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” God is interested in the eternal salvation of souls through belief in the sacrifice of Jesus who took the sins of the world upon Himself on the cross. So, why are you so obsessed with other people’s “sins”? You should be a minister, preaching the Good News, not a politician trying to do what God already determined was not possible because the heart of men must be reborn, not coerced into morality.
What’s even more upsetting is that you chose the most immoral and despicable human being among us as your representative, Donald Trump. The form of idolatry around guns and Trump worship is mindboggling. I would think that the Almighty could find a more articulate, more competent, and certainly more decent human being to bring about the return to God you so desperately think is needed. Your weapon of choice is a gun, not love. You chose a person who insults our military, sexually assaults women, dodges the draft, evades taxes, defrauds people in business, and hates immigrants who are not white, as your nominee? Make that make sense to any thinking human on the planet. I think Jesus is shaking His head in dismay. You’ve forgotten that Jesus told Peter to put down his weapon when he tried to defend Jesus against the state.
As an older person who grew up in the evangelical church, I recall when this new theology you espouse entered the church through politically minded Republicans. They lifted scriptures like 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked way, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Someone even turned it into a nice song. They took on the issue of abortion as a national sin that would bring God’s judgment upon us all. They used the example of Sodom and Gomorrah to stir up anti-gay sentiments and fears that our nation would be judged if we allowed it.
The problem is that God changed His strategy when it comes to the wicked ways of men. Your theology elevates temporary political power above the actual teaching of Jesus to love God, to love thy neighbor, and to preach the gospel so that souls can be saved and escape the eternal judgement of God in the end. God has preserved a day of judgment for those who reject the salvation offered to them. According to 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” This world and everything on, is temporary. Jesus left us with the mission to preach the “Good News” of the gospel, not the “bad news” that our government on earth will condemn you, imprison you, and harm you if you don’t adhere to our Christian beliefs.
As an educated person, I assume you know that history has repeatedly showed us that changing the heart of people to believe in Jesus can’t be accomplished through war, torture, murder, re-education, nor laws. It is the kindness of God that leads man to repentance. Jesus is our example. His kindness, mercy, healing, generosity, and love drew followers to Him. He shows compassion to the sinner, the sick, the hungry, and the immigrant. Your party does the exact opposite. It’s no wonder fewer people are going to church and that the saying, “there is no love, like Christian hate” is so prevalent.
You and your backward Old Testament “mean and murderous” God theology is causing real harm to our country and to the Christian message. There was never a time when this nation was a shining example of Christian values. It was a nation that began with the murder of native Americans to steal their lands. It was a nation that brutally exploited the labor of black slaves, raped the women, and separated families. It has always been a nation that discriminated, exploited, oppressed, and harmed the weak, including women.
So, if God was going to execute the judgement you so fear, it would have already happened over the genocide of the native Americans, over the exploitation and mistreatment of slaves, and over the oppression of women. The beauty of this nation is that it was founded by people seeking freedom from religious tyranny and who espoused a novel aspiration that all men are created equal and endowed by the Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them being life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That is the beauty of this nation that made us a city set on a hill in the realm of mankind. Our freedom and our diversity with an eye towards equity and equal opportunity is our strength and appeal.
You and your Party do not get to prescribe happiness for others. Your job is to make laws that provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty for ourselves and our posterity. Your job is to follow the Constitution and to ensure equal rights under the laws. Let God be the judge of individual choices as He has already told us that He is the final judge of men’s hearts and actions.
Sincerely,
Dr. Juanita Hall
Follower of Christ, Voting Citizen of the U.S.