August 29, 2007
An Open Letter to Wiley Drake
Your plea for others to join you in cursing two people in the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State organization included this:
Let us join Paul and declare anathema upon anyone “who loves not the Lord Jesus.” I Cor 16:22
Paul also says Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone. The two individuals you have cursed are not subject to the discipline of your church. The Corinthian citation is misapplied; it does not concern how we are to relate to those outside the church.
Drake says—
Jesus in Matthew 23: 13, 15, 16, 23, 24, 27, and 29 gave us our New Testament marching orders as well.
Jesus also says Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If you think you’re the victim in this, Pastor Drake, you should still model what Jesus commanded even if you are in fact wrong that someone has cursed or abused you (which you are).
Drake says—
John Calvin gave the church its marching orders from Scripture. The righteous have dominion, but only through imprecatory prayer against the ungodly.
Yet Jesus says: Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
Pastor Drake, I would like to make three radical suggestions. (1) Admit that your endorsement of Huckabee was a violation of federal law. Ask for mercy from the state authorities over you (but don’t expect it) and promise not to do it again. (2) Go in person to the two people you are cursing, tell them that you acted in a way exactly the opposite of a true disciple of Christ, and ask for their forgiveness. (3) Tell your congregation and radio audience that what you did was illegal, morally wrong and you made it exponentially worse by the cursing. These three actions would be a good start.
Jesus was pronouncing woes upon pharisees. This isn’t at all relevant to the two people from Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. Nor is your earlier invocation of Matthew 18.












