Most American Christians, whatever their views on Big Healthcare and corporate ethics, were stunned and disturbed by news that a health insurance CEO was gunned down on a Manhattan street yesterday. Why would Christians not be indifferent to—let alone support—such a thing? Certainly, the Sixth Commandment comes to mind, as well as Jesus’ Great Commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves, which was foreshadowed in the prophet Jeremiah’s exhortation to seek the peace of the cities or places in which God’s people find themselves. Christians read their Bibles and (the Bible says) have the Law of God written on their hearts.
The Bible also speaks of justice, but that justice is not individual, extrajudicial vengeance. Rather, it is justice carried out by God-ordained civil government, which the Reformed standards generically call the magistrate. This is why the reaction of a thought leader and major funder of a Christian movement for civic renewal to the assassination-style killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is so notable…and disturbing. Read More»
“Bloodlust & the New Christian Right: A Deleted Post by the Movement’s Idea and Money Man Speaks Volumes” | December 5, 2024
RESOURCES
- Subscribe To The Heidelblog!
- Download the HeidelApp on Apple App Store or Google Play
- The Heidelblog Resource Page
- Heidelmedia Resources
- The Ecumenical Creeds
- The Reformed Confessions
- The Heidelberg Catechism
- Recovering the Reformed Confession (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2008)
- Why I Am A Christian
- What Must A Christian Believe?
- Heidelblog Contributors
- Resources On Christian Nationalism
- Resources On The Twofold Kingdom
- Support Heidelmedia: use the donate button or send a check to
Heidelberg Reformation Association
1637 E. Valley Parkway #391
Escondido CA 92027
USA
The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Brad Isbell
Brad Isbell is a ruling elder at Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Oak Ridge, TN, board member of More In The PCA, co-host of the Presbycast podcast, editorial member of Presbyterian Polity, and treasurer of the Heidelberg Reformation Association.
More by Brad Isbell ›
It’s not just Haywood. I witnessed some apologetics for the murderer on the r/Reformed subreddit the other day. For example, a Reformed Baptist who claimed the victim was responsible for as many deaths as Osama Bin Laden, an OPC member who basically used the “Murder is wrong, but…” argument, etc. Disgraceful…
“But it’s good and salutary if the very many guilty among our elites start to live in fear of expedited, unanswerable, and unexpected punishment for their sins.”
This deleted gem will be indelible in myriad minds: Hey, let anyone who is so moved to play a god of retribution upon making a judgment call on someone, and to Hades with the civil magistrate!
Come to think of it, the likes of Hamas operate on this mindset: All Israelis — and Jews everywhere — should live in fear of punishment for the sin of being Jewish. The overarching “justification” is that MANY elites are Jews, and those blasted Jews control *everything*, so get rid of ’em.
MARANATHA…!
Great comment, Laura! Fully agree✝️📖🇺🇸🙏