The last two weeks seem like a blur with all that has happened in our nation.
On July 13, a 20-year-old Pennsylvanian attempted to assassinate former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump while he was speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania.
An assassination attempt on a president or candidate has not occurred since 1981 when at attempt was made on then president Ronald Reagan.
The bullet missed killing Trump by a millimeter, according to most estimates. Many people are saying that God miraculously spared his life. I believe He did. By all accounts of “experts,” Trump should be dead today.
I don’t agree with the contention that God spared Trump’s life to anoint him as the next president. That remains to be seen. I do believe that God spared his life to avoid our nation plunging into choas.
The reality is that if Trump had been killed there almost certainly would have been violence all across our nation.
I want to be clear. Had this happened to President Joe Biden, I would say the same thing.
Taking someone’s life because you don’t agree with their political agenda is evil, regardless of the person’s political persuasion.
Wilkey
In the aftermath of the assassination attempt people from both sides of the issue have spewed their poison across the Internet. Everyone has an opinion about how and why the attempt happened. The reality is we may never know why the shooter pulled the trigger.
With all the rhetoric, Christians may be missing the fact that the Republican Party has removed its stance on banning abortion and an anti-LGBT language from its party platform. Now, neither of the two primary political parties have a pro-life stance or affirm marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
What is a political party platform? According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it is “a declaration of principles and policies adopted by a political party or a candidate.”
Baptist Press reported July 17 the account of a July 15 interview with NBC News. Eric Trump, one of former President Donald Trump’s sons, was asked about omissions in this year’s Republican Party platform — namely, any mention of a federal abortion ban or defining marriage as between one man and one woman.
“I think he’s (Donald Trump) always been there on those issues to tell you the truth, and I think that’s reflective of who my father is and what he believes in. And I think that’s reflective of my wife Lara, who runs the RNC, and clearly what she believes in,” Eric Trump said. Lara Trump is co-chair of the Republican National Committee.
“This country has real holes in the roof, and you’ve got to fix those holes and stop worrying about the spot on the wall in the basement,” Eric Trump said. Instead, he added, the country should focus on issues such as immigration, fentanyl and the economy, according to Baptist Press.
This is the first time in generations neither plank can be found in the GOP platform, according to BP.
I agree that our country needs to focus on all of the issues mentioned above. Too many families today are having trouble buying food for their families and gas for their cars because of spiraling costs.
But it should not have to be either/or. We can take care of the problems facing our country without sacrificing our Christian worldview. Brent Leatherwood of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission said it well in the BP article referenced above.
“Regardless of the political parties’ unwillingness to stand firm for what is true, Christians must hold fast to God’s design for the sake of the gospel and the flourishing of our neighbors,” he said. “Speaking truth — as given to us in Scripture — into the public square is needed now as much as ever.”
I will never forget a quote from Verlon Moore, longtime pastor of Hilldale Baptist Church in Clarksville and president of the then Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention on the day 9/11 occurred.
He said, “It’s time to quit singing ‘God Bless America’ and begin living a life that He can bless.” That statement is as true today as it was on Sept. 11,2001. We cannot depend on any political party or person to save America. Only God can do it. Pray for our nation and leaders in the days ahead as never before. B&R
