‘Be with grace’ amid the attacks on our president

Is it appropriate for Christians to call the president of the United States a racist? A fascist? A liar? What if there’s evidence to support such allegations? What if there isn’t? Is presidential name-calling ever justifiable? Is it ever necessary?

And then here are 23 other questions for politically conservative Bible-believing evangelical Christians — from a fellow politically conservative Bible-believing evangelical Christian.

Why are we often referring to our nation’s highest elected leader as “Obama,” rather than “President Obama,” these days? Did we like it when liberals, speaking about the last president, ignored his title? Doesn’t the golden rule apply to us in such matters?

How compliant are our comments about liberal political leaders with God’s directive to us in Colossians 4:6a? “Let your speech always be with grace …”

How much time have we spent criticizing the president this past week? How much time have we spent praying for him — by name? 1 Timothy 2:2-3 says: “Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.”

Why are radio talk show hosts who routinely deride the president as a person increasingly popular among evangelicals these days?

Someone says: “Well, a lot of that is just theatrics. It’s just for fun. It keeps the show interesting. You have to look past the bombast to get the main message.”

But that raises another question: “Why are we forming our opinions and getting our main message from those who have to use inflammatory rhetoric in order to keep their audience?”

Someone else will say: “You clearly don’t understand. We’re living in unprecedented times. Our nation is in big trouble. We need to speak out and sound off as never before.”

Unprecedented times? Really? What about A.D. 63? That’s when Nero was the emperor-king of Rome. The Nero who executed his own mother. The Nero who threw Christians to the dogs and lit up the night with their burning bodies. So what did the Apostle Peter say to believers in that situation? He said: “Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king” (1 Peter 2:17).

Of course Peter also practiced civil disobedience on occasion. He once wrote, “We must obey God rather than men.” But he said that only when he was forced to forsake Christ’s commission to preach the Gospel. The operative principle here is “Lex Rex”: God’s law is king. But only God’s law. Not prevailing conservative ideals.

Perhaps you will point to the brave German pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who defiantly opposed the Nazi government of his day. Bonhoeffer called Chancellor Hitler a “mis-leader” and “anti-Christ,” and assisted in an effort to assassinate him. In 1941, he even prayed for the defeat of his country.

But Bonhoeffer’s opposition only assumed such radical forms as he began to document with certainty the terrible atrocities of the Nazis. This wasn’t just a case of worrisome conjecture over troublesome trends. He had hard military intelligence from his contacts within the Abwehr about what already was happening.

Great concern over the course that America is on today seems legitimate. But is there any proof of Nazi-like atrocities occurring in our land? Is there any firm basis for concluding that what is happening under the current administration is irrevocably other than the age-old ebb and flow of liberal-conservative influence? Another presidential election is coming in just three years.

As a rule, the Bible urges believers to submit to governing authorities (Romans 13:1-7). Followers of Jesus are to let their “gentleness be evident to all” (Philippians 4:5). God’s Word says that what comes from our mouth should “build up” and “give grace” (Ephesians 4:29), not slice and slander.

“But Jesus once called Herod a fox!”

Yes? And your point? God created Herod. Are you God? God alone knows the nature of man. He alone is entitled to make judgments that are often inappropriate for us to make.

In the current environment of fear, can we trust the Sovereign One who rules the rulers? In an environment of coarse, mean-spirited derogation, can we practice moderation and graciousness? Can we fight for right policy without demeaning policymakers? Can we be totally fired for truth and yet stay cool? Can we not be so nasty? What does it mean to honor the king?

The Rev. Daryl E. Witmer is founder and director of the AIIA Institute, a national apologetics ministry, and associate pastor of the Monson Community Church. He may be reached at the Web site AIIAInstitute.org or by e-mail at AIIAInstitute@aol.com. Voices is a weekly commentary by Maine people who explore issues affecting spirituality and religious life.