U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Georgia, stood up to oppose the two impeachment articles against President Trump he ended his remarks comparing the impeachment inquiry to Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate.
He said Jesus received a fairer trial. Say what?
“Before you take this historic vote today, one week before Christmas, I want you to keep this in mind. When Jesus was falsely accused of treason, Pontius Pilate gave Jesus the opportunity to face his accusers. During that sham trial, Pontius Pilate afforded more rights to Jesus than the Democrats have afforded this president,” Loudermilk claimed.
Stop. Just stop. Stop misusing and abusing scripture to make a political point. Loudermilk isn’t alone.
U.S. Rep. Fred Keller, R-Pa., quoted Luke 22:34 when Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
These are the words Jesus prayed to God the Father as he hung on the cross and interceded for the Roman soldiers who were crucifying him and the Jewish authorities whose accusation made it possible.
Unlike Jesus Christ, President Trump is not perfect, sinless, and selfless. Jesus didn’t deserve the cross, but he went to it willingly.
Look, I don’t agree with the impeachment articles. I think they made a weak case, but that doesn’t mean I think President Trump is completely innocent in all of this. His phone call with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky was far from “perfect,” and even if it was what President Trump is experiencing is NOTHING like what Jesus experienced.
The left does this type of thing as well. How many Democrats have compared Jesus, Mary, and Joseph fleeing to Jesus with refugees? There is a church in Southern California depicted them as refugees in cages for their nativity scene. (I could talk about how nativity scenes are a violation of the 2nd Commandment, but that’s a whole different article.)
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., took heat for making this comparison on Twitter last Christmas.
There are a lot of ways historically that this comparison from the left falls flat.
This is not to say that scripture, including the Gospels, never speaks to political issues, because it does as it speaks to moral issues that can become political. Comparing the life of Christ to the president’s impeachment inquiry, refugees, or whatever to make a partisan political point is blasphemous.