BERNIE SANDERS, RUSSELL VOUGHT, AND STANDING UP FOR THE TRUTH

Politics has divided the Church. Some complain, “I don’t understand how you can call yourself a ‘Christian’ and vote for Trump.” Others will say the same thing about Christians voting for Hillary. Meanwhile, others understandably complain that Bernie Sanders wants to entirely disqualify Christians from politics.

On June 8, the Family Research Council reported:

·       Last night, U.S. senators witnessed one of the most stunning outbursts of religious bigotry and hostility in recent memory. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) responded in anger after Russell Vought, President Trump's nominee to be Deputy Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, answered a question about his belief that salvation is found alone through Jesus Christ. Sanders declared that Mr. Vought is "really not someone who this country is supposed to be about." Senator Sanders made this blatantly unconstitutional endorsement of a religious litmus test following this exchange:

·       Sanders: Let me get to this issue that has bothered me and bothered many other people. And that is in the piece that I referred to that you wrote for the publication called Resurgent. You wrote, "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." Do you believe that that statement is Islamophobic?

Is this Islamophobic? Certainly not! This is just standard Bible, which claims that Jesus is the only way to salvation:

·       Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

However, Sanders seeks to disqualify Christians from office based upon this foundational Biblical belief.

Most would backtrack in the face of Sanders’ attack. However, Vought did not:

·       Absolutely not, senator. I'm a Christian, and I believe in a Christian set of principles based on my faith. That post, as I stated in the questionnaire to this committee, was to defend my alma mater, Wheaton College, a Christian school that has a statement of faith that includes the centrality of Jesus Christ for salvation...

Although I wouldn’t have included the bit about “Wheaton College,” Vought stood by his guiding principles, something that few will do today. I think that this should be worthy of respect among all of us Christians.