12 November 2024

Heresy in Oklahoma

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/09/oklahoma-amends-request-for-bibles-that-initially-appeared-to-match-only-version-backed-by-trump-00182997

The original request made by Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters was for Bibles that included the Pledge of Allegiance, Constitution, and Declaration of Independence. The scandal in the media played up the fact that this seemed to be an order for Trump Bibles.

Why aren't more Church leaders denouncing the Trump Bible as heresy? By putting these documents and statements in the same binding the publishers (and users) are effectively saying these American documents and oaths are authoritative and inspired and if not equal to Scripture, and are granted some kind of deutero-canonical status.
This is heresy. How would Americans react to a Magna Carta Bible or the Declaration of the Rights of Man (originally by Jefferson and Lafayette) being placed within the same binding as Scripture? Why not the Golden Bull of 1356 or perhaps the 1609 Letter of Majesty? Are these documents any less historical or important for sections of the Church?

I think most American Christians would say these documents don't apply to us and don't belong within the binding of Scripture. But in their utter myopia they cannot see the same is true of the American Founding documents and the idolatrous pledge.

Pastors should tell Christians to destroy these Bibles should they come across them. Walters should be denounced as a heretic.

Political pressure led him to modify his initial request but in the end this is no better.

The end result of his policy is that all teachers must use the Bible in the classroom. And how will they do that? How will unbelievers teach the Bible? How will unbelievers hear it? Has he never read Psalm 50:

16 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? 17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, and casteth my words behind thee. 18 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. 19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. 20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son. 21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

The unbelievers cannot teach the Word, and the lost will not hear it. This policy turns the gospel on its head - hear the Word or else. Or else what? Lose your job, face fine, fail to graduate. There is no grace or mercy in this message but a threat and that inseparable from the political mission Walters promotes. It's a terrible misuse of Scripture and his attempts to wield power show that he has no faith at all, certainly not in the power of the Holy Spirit. His religion is alien to the New Testament - a syncretism of Enlightenment ideology and Judaized theology alongside potent doses of worldliness and lust for power. And to no one's surprise, this is coupled with strong tendencies of corruption.

Where is the Church? Why isn't this heretic being called out and denounced? He's a perverter of Scripture and needs to be called to repentance and clearly urged to resign from his current position. He would serve the Kingdom better running a cash register at a convenience store or engaged in some other form of menial but honest work.

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