5 Bible Verses That Prove Republican Leaders Are Hypocrites

Donald Trump speaks during a church service at Great Faith Ministries, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Politicians love using the Bible to their assumed advantage and to cozy up to their religiously inclined bases. It is a not-so-subtle maneuver typically employed by the GOP, who has a responsibility to pander to their dominant Evangelical and Catholic bases. Even President Trump has tried to use this tactic.

While on the campaign trail, President Trump was asked what his favorite book of the Bible is, he responded, “Proverbs, the chapter ‘never bend to envy.’” Spoiler alert: While Proverbs exists, there is no such thing as “bend to envy” anywhere in the Bible in any translation. Consider it a “covfefe” of Biblical proportions… then again, we know Trump’s Biblical authority, much like his jargon, is imaginary at best. The rest of the GOP does this with some tact, but less sincerity.

What is meant to come across as a sincere profession of either faith or evidence of spiritual intelligence, often comes across as disingenuous, self-righteous, and holier than thou. On the rare occasion that the elected official is sincere, their earnestness tends to get lost in the confusion of who is pandering to their base and who is not — or, most commonly, the hypocrisy of their party alignment in direct conflict with their own religious convictions. For decades, GOP leaders have pushed policies that run contrary to their alleged religious beliefs while at the same time preaching religious platitudes.

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So, without further ado, here are 5 Bible verses that put the hypocrisy of Republican lawmakers on full display:

“Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”— Luke 10:9

Caring for our fellow man, ensuring/insuring that they have access to affordable, quality care should not be a privilege granted to the chosen few. With the Senate’s healthcare vote approaching, a reminder of our responsibility to care for those who are sick and needy is more vital than ever. With massive cuts to Medicaid and millions set to lose their insurance, the GOP missed this verse when crafting their healthcare bill.

Our political leaders serve as the gatekeepers to our national wellness. I can’t imagine that a God who spends so much of His intended scripture on enumerating the reasons why we should be caring for one another would be psyched about a bunch of guys sitting behind closed doors intentionally shutting people out of health coverage.

While supernatural healings are far from the most popular form of healthcare, with the way things are beginning to look, I sincerely hope GOP Representatives don’t intend for prayer to be our primary source of care.

“If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother.” — Deuteronomy 15:7

The GOP loves to play the compassionate neighbor, and though there are many Conservative funded charities that truly do incredible work for the poor, the GOP is still overwhelmingly responsible for cuts to social programs.

Attributing their cuts to system abuses and taking a stance against a dependent welfare state does not excuse the legitimate needs for these programs in a society. We are not a poor country and we are certainly a country known for our benevolence. Mercy and compassion are not arbitrary bargaining chips to be traded across party lines: They are mandates set before the men who claim to uphold the law of the land and the law of God.

The GOP has proven their commitment to slashing entitlement programs over their commitment to enabling mobility for our poorest citizens.

“Where there is no vision the people perish, but happy is he who keeps the law.” — Proverbs 29:18

While politicians like to believe that this verse speaks to the perils of not having a plan for the country, the verse is actually a reminder to remain focused on God and His word. The “vision” spoken of refers to revelation and revival of the people, not led by politicians and leaders, but rather by a heart attitude which expresses obedience to the law of God rather than of man.

If this verse is indeed referring to keeping the law of God, the GOP has done a poor job of that. Despite their willingness to cite the Bible for their pro-life or “traditional marriage” beliefs, cherry-picking biblical teachings to fit their agenda and ignoring others is the modus operandi of the GOP.

But there is no joy in cherry-picking: just ask Richard Nixon.

The Beatitudes — Matthew 5–7

Otherwise known as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes serves as the outline for Christian living: coming against immorality in all its forms, encouraging sincere love for one another, and warning against false modesty and insincerity.

One of Jesus’ strongest arguments for Godly living comes in the case for the follies of a divided heart: “No one can serve two masters…You cannot serve God and mammon [material wealth, false ideology].” What a mandate for our elected officials! How swiftly do they repeatedly drop the ball on this one!

The Beatitudes also challenges believers to set strong and positive examples of Christian life for those who do not believe. By being a light to the world, the precedent has been established that Christians — especially our elected officials — should be setting the tone and tenor for how a so-called Christian nation should conduct themselves towards others and their own citizens.

With that being the case, how do they justify endorsing a man who believes it to be acceptable to grab women by the genitals without permission?

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. — Matthew 6:24

Just as you cannot serve both your constituents and the special interest groups lining your pockets, so you cannot also both serve God and money. Between big pharma, the NRA, big oil, and any other major industry that comes with an army of lobbyists, there is plenty of competition for the loyalty of GOP officials. A loyalty they make plainly known by their devotion to tax cuts for the rich at the expense of the poor.

As we all should know by now, a house divided against itself cannot stand. A congressman or senator divided between the interests of their constituents and the interests of their designated lobbyist is an individual not operating under their intended job title.

Given that laws are not in place to completely protect against special interest groups from infiltrating our legislators, the integrity of our democracy is at stake.

If there was ever a time and place for a loyalty oath, perhaps this would be it.