Resolution 81:02 – Intolerance of Christians

Whereas, recently, an individual nominated for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, by the president was taken to task during his confirmation hearings, by two US Senators, one of them a former presidential candidate; and

Whereas, this nominee was declared to be unfit by one of the Senators, because, as a professing Christian, who believes the only way of salvation is through the Lord Jesus Christ, he does not represent someone “who is what this country is supposed to be about;” and

Whereas, the second senator added the statement,  “I’m a Christian, but part of being a Christian, in my view, is recognizing that there are lots of ways that people can pursue their God . . . No one is questioning your faith . . . It’s your comments that suggest a violation of the public trust in what will be a very important position;” and

Whereas, this senator, professing to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, rejected the work of Christ and the message of His Gospel, saying that a follower of God and His Word, was violating the “public trust,” and thereby, unfit for the office he had been nominated for; and

Whereas, the said nominee’s original statement was heavily edited by the senators so they could quote him as writing, “Muslims do not simply have a deficient theology. They do not know God because they have rejected Jesus Christ his Son, and they stand condemned;” and

Whereas, the entire quote says, “This is the fundamental problem. Muslims do not simply have a deficient theology. They do not know God because they have rejected Jesus Christ his Son, and they stand condemned. In John 8:19, “Jesus answered, ‘You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” In Luke 10:16, Jesus says, “The one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” And in John 3:18, Jesus says, “Whoever believes in [the Son] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God;” and

Whereas, it is obvious that while excoriating the nominee, they decided not to condemn Jesus Christ, who was quoted by the nominee; and

Whereas, neither of the U.S. Senators was willing to dare and publicly avow that Jesus Christ was an unfit candidate for any public office in the United States—or openly condemn Him as being bigoted and Islamophobic;

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the 81st General Synod of the Bible Presbyterian Church, meeting in Edmonton, Alberta, August 3-7, 2017, declares it is time that elected officials stop violating Article VI of the U. S. Constitution (Article Six, Paragraph [3] of the United States Constitution:  [3] The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States. [Emphasis added.]) by creating their own personal religious tests by which they prejudiciously judge candidates and nominees qualified for office.