Hijacked: Holding the Shepherds Accountable. A followup
on moral values.
Prior to the election, Dr. Jerry Falwell wrote in a newsletter and on his Web site:
"I believe it is the responsibility of every political conservative, every evangelical
Christian, every pro-life Catholic, and every traditional Jew, every Reagan Democrat, and everyone in between to get serious
about re-electing President Bush."
Reverend Falwell, national chairman of the Faith and Values Coalition and Moral Majority
founder, also labeled the National Organization for Women (NOW) the "National Order of Witches," and called Americans
United for Separation of Church and State "an anti-Christ" group.
And at one point on Meet the Press, Dr. Falwell asked James Wallis of Sojourners how, as an ordained
minister he could vote for Mr. Kerry, who supports abortion rights.
"I wouldn't vote for my mother if she were pro-choice," Dr. Falwell
said.
Mr. Wallis replied:
"Yeah. You endorsing George Bush. That's fine. But you also called - you ordained him. You said all Christians
could only vote for him. That's ridiculous. There are Christians who voted for deep reasons of faith for both candidates."
The president of Bob Jones University, a fundamentalist school in South Carolina, has written President Bush
to say his re-election shows God has given the nation a reprieve from the agenda of paganism.
"In your re-election, God has graciously granted America--though she doesn't deserve it--a reprieve from the
agenda of paganism,"he said.
"You owe the liberals nothing."he said.,"They despise you because they despise your Christ."
On FOX News Channel, Reverend Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition of America, claimed that President
George W. Bush won the 2004 presidential election because God preferred Bush over Senator John Kerry.
On the November 4 edition of FOX News Channel's Hannity & Colmes, when co-host Alan Colmes asked Robertson
if Bush was"God's choice for president,"Robertson declared that Bush, "has the favor of heaven"and that,"God
has honored him."
When Colmes asked if that meant that former President Bill Clinton was also chosen by God, Robertson replied:"I
think He [God] wanted to bring America to its knees so we'd start praying harder."
Dr. James Dobson ofFocus on the Family proselytized hard for Bush this last year, organizing huge stadium
rallies and using his radio program to warn his 7 million American listeners that not to vote would be a sin.
For all Christians who voted in the recent presidential election, we owe it to our God to insure that not
only our Christian-in-the-White-House, but our most prominent Christian leaders remain accountable for the consequences of
everything said and done to influence the election's outcome.
Part and parcel of the constant sermonizing coming from our pulpits is the notion of moral values. Not only
prominent preacher/political activists like Dr. Falwell, Robertson, James Kennedy, James Dobson and Bob Jones III have opened
the door to their accountability for what happens from here on, but in every congregation in every city and hamlet where it
was implied that voting against George Bush was voting against God's will that same door of accountability ought to be thrown
wide open.
Now is the time for all that evangelical celebrity status to justify, defend and reconcile the statements,
declarations and borne witness as to what they insisted was wanted by God. It is not sufficient to hide behind the tiny billboard
of gay-marriage, abortion and school prayers while ignoring the weightier matters of the Gospel taught by Christ.
We need to insist that Jerry, Pat, James, Bob and all those who proclaim righteousness put the actions of
their God-chosen president in a proper framework of real Christian morality.
In every congregation in America whether its majority supported Kerry or Bush, these same questions need to
be asked of all ministers, priests and preachers. With the state of affairs in this country and around the world, these questions
are vitally pertinent and to not ask them is to look away and pretend that real moral values do not matter.
Ask all of your shepherds these same questions and by all means do not tolerate evasion.
Dr. Falwell, is it Christian to help the rich get richer at the expense of the poorer? Does the Bible teach
that the poor deserve their lot? Do you preach that as doctrine?"
Reverend Robertson, is it Christian to believe that when taxes must be paid to government that anyone member
of society - especially the merchants - ought to be exempt?
Brother Bob, Is there any such thing at any time as killing for Christ?
Dr. Dobson, Can you flat out declare that in God's mind a gay person or couple who adopt a child and raise
that child with love and honor will not go to heaven while a TV evangelist caught in adultery will be forgiven and go to the
front of the line through the Pearly Gates?
Dr. Falwell, Jesus said to beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them and that
hypocrites make a public clamor of their own righteousness. Are you the final authority in America on witches and the anti-Christ?
Dear Reverend Robertson,
"Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood
and prayed thus with himself, `God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like
this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would
not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, `God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man
went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles
himself will be exalted."
Since you have stated more than once that your endorsement of Mr. Bush is God's endorsement of Mr. Bush I
demand of you a full exposition on why God approves or accepts collateral damage. Why are the lives of Iraqi civilians of
less value in the eys of God than other sheep of the flock?
Brother Bob, When Jesus said "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut the
kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to go in.” wasn't
He saying that you have no human right to exclude anyone from heaven and condemn them to hell? Are you the final arbiter of
what it means to honor and not despise Christ? Why?
Dr. Dobson, Jesus said ,b> "Judge not, that you be not judged.” and ,"Woman,
where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again."
By what Christian moral value do you presume to judge and condemn?
To all four of you:
You and all those evangelicals who take their cues from you owe it to your countrymen to extend your "Christian"
patriotism to your own and their own families by immediately commencing a recruitment preaching to your young sons and daughters.
Sign yourselves up today or explain me why God doesn't want you to participate in war despite your support
for a self-proclaimed war president.
Sign your kids up today or explain why God doesn't want your own children to participate in war despite your
support for a self-proclaimed war president.
You and your children have a moral obligation to do more than make a cowardly vote for war policies and hide
behind your pulpits and in your churches. You must put your moral boots on the ground, your moral money where your moral mouths
are, your faith in the End Times where your Left Behind point of view leads.
If the End Times are near, harm's way won't matter because you'll all be taken in the twinkling of an eye
whether or not you succeed in cleaning up the global mess of suffering and violence you've helped create