I was hoping for better than this as my first political statement of the year:
“Wait-a-minute! What did the Pope just say about the Gospel?”
Today, according to all reports, the Roman Catholic pope, Francis, weighed in on presidential candidate, Donald Trump.
This may go down as one of the worst theological statements of the current election season from a ‘religious’ leader. Not only is it a poor theological statement, it’s bad logic in general.
Granted, I can only go off of the translated manuscripts. (Full Manuscript HERE)
Pope Francis: Thank God he said I was a politician because Aristotle defined the human person as ‘animal politicus.’ At least I am a human person. As to whether I am a pawn, well, maybe, I don’t know. I’ll leave that up to your judgment and that of the people. And then, a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel. As far as what you said about whether I would advise to vote or not to vote, I am not going to get involved in that. I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that. We must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit of the doubt.
I have never read anything in the Bible that puts ‘bridge building’ or ‘wall building’ as being the litmus test for being a Christian.
That’s bad theology, and needs to be called out as bad theology.
His logic, if fleshed out, puts all wall builders in danger of Hell fire.
I will give the pope the benefit of the doubt on this though. I’m sure he wasn’t talking about me and the wall I built to divide my living room to create a guest room in my house; was he? No, probably not.
Two tragedies:
- This kind of talk confuses the Gospel.
- This kind of talk seems to only help Donald Trump.
For clarity: this is no statement by me to defend or declare Donald Trump a Christian or not. He appears to be a shrewd businessman/politician. Which has nothing to do with being a Christian. I’m still weighing his demeanor/speech/conduct/overall character against the plumb-line of Scripture.
My hope is to get to cast a vote for Ted Cruz in the upcoming presidential election. I’m a long time registered independent and so I don’t get any say in who any party puts up for election, but I always – always – vote on election day.
At the end of the discussion, Only God can bridge the gap between His glory and your sin. And For greater clarity, Pope Francis, this is the Gospel: Romans 5:1-21
1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
12Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
15But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
18So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.