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I thought they already did that. Expect a generic prayer which will never include the name of Jesus Christ.
They do. Years ago the SCOTUS ruled it was constitutional because the prayer is just "ceremonial deism" (essentially meaningless tradition)
They currently have generic prayers. Ideally McCarthy will have Christian prayers. We will see.
I guess that’s important to you.
Every prayer that doesn’t focus on Jesus Christ is hypocritical and is “going through the motions”.
I agree.
Bottom line, it’s less about showing honor to our Lord and asking His blessing/guidance and more about stroking evangelicals for support.
Is it?
I can't remember if you are a KJV-preferred person or not, so I'll use the KJV to avoid complaints. If you are going to quote Jesus, please do it accurately:
You can only think that if you are unfamiliar with the New Testament. You are simply advocating a civil religion, not the gospel of Jesus.
And Christian nationalists are worse than pagans, since they claim to know the truth and are spreading falsehoods. They will be judged much more severely.
Sure, but Kevin McCarthy (or anyone else) should pray on his own or with like-minded believers, not make a show/demonstration/confrontation of prayer. That demeans prayer, harms the witness of Jesus, and makes it more difficult for those of us who evangelize to communicate with the lost who believe (for good reason) that Christianity it about manipulating others.
As usual, you are distorting what it being said and beating up on your straw man very impressively.
You are accusing me of doing that you have just done.
Of course nations does mean the nation state, which has existed for millenia. The Bible is inerrant and if God's Word says nation it means nation. You may recall Noah preaching to Assyria and the nation of Assyria repented. The goal of the Great Commission is to make disciples of entire nations. To disciple the people therein and to produce a Christian state made up of Christians.
Theocracy is a government administered by Pastors and Elders. Big difference between that and Christians leading a nation.
Correct, we are not asking the U.S government to support Christ. We are proclaiming, ordering, and telling the U.S Government that Christ is King, He is on the Throne and they must submit to Christ.
Not sure what this has to do with anything. Nobody is telling anybody to pickup a sword and start killing pagans.
1. Were the Puritans Anti-Christ?
Thought it always had.
I guess it goes to the person making the prayer.
Since God didn't write the Bible in English (including King James English), we need to look to the Greek word behind "nation." It means people group (ἔθνη is the actual word), not a political entity. So God's word is true and your misunderstanding of it is false.
Not if you are using the power or influence of the government to do it. On a practical level, it doesn't work. On the level of the New Testament teaching, it is heresy.
There is no such thing as a "Christian state" in a biblical sense. There are plenty of nations that have attempted those very things and it has always harmed the church and the witness of Jesus.
Pastors and Elders are not Christians? More seriously, there is nothing wrong and many things right with Christians serving in leadership in a nation. But serving in that fashion doesn't give them the authority from God to use the power of the government to presume to advance the Kingdom of God.
That can certainly happen without opening each Congressional session with prayers.
It is a basic principle of government that there are consequences for not obeying the laws established by the lawmakers. These consequences eventually involve the use of force, even up to the death of the one who violates the laws. That is what has been called "the power of the sword" for hundreds of years. I am simply referring to that basic reality. Of course, if you don't understand that reference, that would explain why you don't understand why this is a big deal.
Not yet. However, human history has a lot of examples of that sort of thing.
Their state churches they established were. The Massachusetts Bay Colony persecuted Baptists - imprisoning, beating, and exiling them for worshiping in a different way. That's basic Baptist history. They also persecuted Quakers and other religious groups that did not align completely with the Congregational Church.
I agree.
There is no denying that the Bible had a great influence on English Common Law, since the church and state were merged. Of course, the Church of English had all sorts of issues and non-biblical practices, and they didn't mind executing Christians who deviated from them. And, you must remember, the Church of English broke from the Roman Catholic Church because Henry VIII wanted a divorce.
I need to bring your attention to an important distinction - the gospel of Jesus is not a set of values. It is something far greater, broader, and deeper.
Jesus and the New Testament writers disagree with you. And Jesus is the Final Judge. Christian nationalists claim they can see and they are more blind than pagans.
I'm not sure who you identify as "defeatists Christians." Perhaps those who have followed Christ's command to "crucify themselves" and to "take up their crosses" in discipleship to the One Who has already defeated the evil one? Disciples of Jesus are not ruled by fear nor a need to control other people. They don't seen God as an idol that has to be put back in His "rightful" place in government, or need the nation to see our religious exercises. They are called to love people, announce the present reality of the Kingdom of God, and to prophetically confront government figures (even Trump) and those who presume to be religious leaders who attempt to lead people astray.
Why are you so afraid of "satanic secularism" if you are aligned with Christ? There's nothing to fear. Tell the truth and let the power of God work through your Christian influence, not human power.
You better reread your New Testament, since that's not going to happen. It will be worse for you after this exchange, since I have given you more information and you are responsible for how you handle it.
Sure, I agree. But he is not "just like all other Christians" when he is part of the government and feels the need to use his position to undermine the gospel witness with his actions -- actions that Jesus rejected.
What a surprise. Lost people are acting like they are lost. What is truly surprising is that self-professed Christian are rejecting the teachings of Christ and increasing the chaos.
I agree. Of course, you are the only one who has used the phrase "private morality." If you are using that as a counter to using the House Chamber as a pulpit to violate the spirit and teaching of Christ, then you are not talking about morality at all.
Maybe not for you. But Jesus had quite a bit of success engaging with people, as did Paul, the rest of the apostles, and the early church. I also do quite well with evangelism, although it has gotten much harder in the last seven years.
No sugarcoating here, but I also don't make them try to choke down a hateful spirit, hypocrisy, and the arrogance of contemporary right-wing politics.
I wish you would actually engage with the scripture instead of just telling me how great you think it is. I have quoted the teachings of Jesus to you and you have ignored them. Stop "thumpin" your Bible and put down your gun, open the pages of the New Testament and led the Spirit teach you.[/quote]
