What I have always said about political issues from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dundalk and will continue to say no matter what the government thinks about it
An essay in honor of John MacArthur, who went to his eternal home yesterday, and who did much to show me what a man of God is
There has been a good bit of chatter in the news about the Trump administration’s recent proclamation regarding the so-called “Johnson Amendment.” Here are my $0.02.
I have always said from the pulpit, and will always say, whatever I believe God’s Word says regarding any issue anywhere.
When a political controversy is also clearly moral in nature, I have said and will say what the Bible says. God loves babies and threatens dreadful judgments against those who hurt or kill them—or who countenance or celebrate such abomination. God makes boys as boys and girls as girls, and looks on the confusing of the sexes as insurrection against his creative intent. God made marriage as the lifelong union of a man and a woman, and staunchly condemns any dilution or diminution of the Bible’s teaching on marriage and family. It doesn’t matter one iota what any panel or council or Congress says about those issues. Their words carry no weight whatsoever. God has spoken. Those matters are settled. As a matter of fact, he will call all such rebellions against his Word into account on the Day of Judgment. Let judges and legislators and executives beware.
I also have often said and will say, when it might shed some light on the proper interpretation or application of a biblical passage, what I believe a faithful understanding of American or world history shows to be true. The testimony of history is often instructive, but never determinative. It is the Bible that speaks with authority.
When it comes to political parties in America, I tend to be more of a Republican than a Democrat for two reasons. First, and far simpler but far less important, our nation is a republic, not a democracy. That’s the way the founding fathers purposefully put things together. They profoundly distrusted the idea of pure democracy. They considered it the equivalent of mob rule. When we pledge our allegiance, we pledge it to the flag and to the republic for which it stands, not the democracy. Could it be any simpler? It matters, too, that on this point the parties roughly align with what their names communicate. (Truth in advertising? Who knew?) Second and far more important, the Democratic Party in America has committed itself unremittingly to anti-God, anti-biblical, anti-human policies—most notably the legitimation of the slaughter of unborn babies. Could it be any plainer? However, the Republican Party is not automatically right. Its positions are often wrong and anti-Christian. When they are, I speak out against them, too. That’s what preachers do.
What is also true is that some issues that traditionally are assumed to be more important to the Democrats than to the Republicans are clearly Christian issues. Most notably, both the Old Testament and the New have much to say about the oppression of the poor by the rich. Bible-believing Christians who lean Republican are far less likely to think that solutions to poverty are to be found in the federal government. But if you believe the Bible, caring for the poor is not an optional issue. So I will go on saying the things that I have always said about that concern—or any other.
Yes, I do appreciate that Trump made the point he made. Give the devil his due. As is true uncomfortably often, Trump was right. Yet the reality is that men of God were already saying whatever they believed God wanted them to say from his Word, irrespective of the IRS or the White House or anyone else. That’s what God sends us for.
© Christopher Gudmundsson, 2025