Many have heard by now that Dr. Ben Carson spoke alongside Obama at a prayer breakfast the other day. Dr. Carson is being criticized by many liberals for having disrespected Obama by using this prayer time to speak of what they call politics in front of Obama.
First, let us understand that this was more than just a prayer meeting that was accompanied by breakfast. There were speakers there also. At this kind of event, it is understood that more than just pray will take place. There will also be faith sharing and life stories being told to help inspire and uplift those present. This all done in the presence of God with one another is a proper prayer breakfast.
When talking about faith, it is difficult to not talk about the trials and struggles of the current day. It is also difficult to not speak of morality. In fact, faith with out morality is not faith at all. Morality is faith, it is how we live our faith. If we believe certain things about who God is, what He did for us and what He expects from us, then it stands to reason that we would have to live a certain way in response to this God if we desire to please Him.
This morality encompasses the entirety of our lives. It includes: Love, family, relationships, sex, work, business, recreation, education, and POLITICS. Politics cannot be excluded from the topic of morality. In other words, politics, from a Christian perspective, cannot be a simple decision made looking only at the personal, human, worldly, and reelection consequences of the decision. It must rather be a question about what is right, just, good, true and beautiful. It must be a decision made from principal.
We can say that all politics are moral questions and so appropriate for prayer, religious meetings, and the pulpit. To see this we ask a series of questions:
- Is abortion a moral question or a political question?
- Is homosexuality a moral question or a political question?
- Is taxation a moral question or a political question?
- Is how money is to be spent a moral question or a political question?
- Is showing an illegal immigrant more welcome than one who tries to immigrate according to the rule of law a moral question or a political question?
We can ask many more, but these are the hot topics of the day. The reality is that these are first of all moral questions. Nothing is ever political first and then somehow becomes a moral question. All of mans activities are moral issues and some choose too make them into political issues. They are made into political agenda driven rhetoric by politicians who use them to lie, distort and manipulate so as to achieve their political ambitions.
It is always the churches ministry (job if you will) and that of people of good will to speak of morality, no matter the place or time or who may be present or offended. But at a prayer meeting or prayer service of any kind, it is mandatory that we do so. It is a time to speak of faith and morals. It is a time to speak of our common plight, our common fears, our common experience of life around us so that we can together take these before God and let Him heal us, heal our hearts, calm our fears and direct our minds to truth and justice for His greater glory and for the good of al mankind. It is here in prayer, that God can give us the grace of wisdom and knowledge and understanding and give us the council we need to be prudent and courageous in our actions.
Bob Beckel is a liberal who often (mis)speaks on the Fox News Chanel. He tried to use Sacred Scripture today (2-12-2013) and what a joke it was. When speaking of Dr. Carson at the prayer meeting, he said, “He quoted the Bible – sometimes not well – He should have remembered that in Romans, the great Apostle Paul said that we have too respect authority because the authority is given to us by GOD.” He stressed the word “God.” He further said how disrespectful the doctor was as “he spewed that right wing stuff in front of the president of the United States.”
Mr. Beckel, you are right as is St. Paul that all Authority comes from God. Jesus made this clear when he said to Pilate, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above…” (Jn 19:11)
Mr. Beckel, with all due respect (which is not much) it is a sacrilege and an offence against God and Christians everywhere of all generations to pick and choose which verses of Sacred Scripture you will quote to meet your political agenda.
Mr. Beckel, you would do well if YOU remembered the words not of St. Paul, but of the GREAT MASTER Himself, Jesus who is God, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity and Savior of all the repentant. Jesus spoke often of those in Authority. He called them a brood of vipers and hypocrites, He called Herod a fox,… Some fun quotes about those in authority are Mt 23:4, “They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger,” and Lk 11:42, “You tithe mint, rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God.”
Jesus understood the abuses of those in authority and how they burden people for their own selfish and arrogant gain. Jesus sought to bring justice to the world, why would we not speak of justice with Him and each other in a holy, sacred and prayerful event? For this reason, it is most appropriate, as we seek justice in our lives, that we would speak of morality at a prayer meeting no matter who is present. After all, Jesus said again, “Where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst.” Unfortunately, at the same time, Satan always seems to be able to stick his head in and speak his garbage also. Mr. Beckel, incase you missed the point, Satan here, means Obama was present at the prayer breakfast.
As to disrespect, we look to the 4th Commandment that children should honor their Father and Mother. Yes in deed, this is true. It is by extension from this commandment that we teach that we must honor, respect, obey and show deference to all legitimate authority. But this commandment is not a one-way commandment. It is a two-way commandment. The other half of the teaching is this. That if you want respect, then you have to show respect. The 4th Commandment then does not just say that children should honor their parents, but that parents must also honor their children. We can take this further and say that because parents have the greater dignity, that they also have the greater responsibility. They must show respect first if they desire it in their children. This then is true for all authority, that they must show their constituents respect first if they want respect.
Many Americans do not feel respected by Obama or the other politicians in Washington DC. Truth be told, we feel outright disrespected by them as they force so many immoral policies on us and then demand that we follow them in defiance of our faith. We are not talking about weather we are going to drive on the right or left side of the street. Who cares? Pick a side and let’s do it. There is no morality to that question. That we all drive on the same side of the street, that is a moral question, but what side is not.
We are talking about moral issues here.
- Is any of my tax money going to pay for abortion or contraception?
- Is any of my tax money going to pay for business, research, group, individual, idea, teaching… that I do not agree with?
- Are we over spending?
- Is this socialism or a form of it? (Socialism is defined by my faith as an intrinsic evil.)
- Does this empower man or enslave him?
- Does this infringe upon an “unalienable right endowed by their Creator”?
- Does this violate the Constitution?
- Is this justice?
- Is this truth?
At all levels, Obama tramples on my Faith guaranteed me by the Constitution and shows me not only great disrespect but also commits a crime against the United States, me, humanity and God Himself.
I believe that Dr. Carson showed incredible self-restraint and showed a great amount of undeserved respect toward Obama. This respect, I believe, was shown more to the office than it was to the man. And for this, Dr. Carson has earned my respect.