Evangelical on Election: America Adopted Evil; It's OK to Grieve
Mat Staver, an evangelical who defends religious liberty, marriage and the sanctity of life in legal matters, is genuinely concerned about the soul of America following Tuesday's election – so much so that he believes it's appropriate to grieve.
"The event we have just witnessed was far more than a general election – it was a referendum on the soul of America," he wrote in a statement Thursday. "We grieve today like we have lost a friend or a close relative. Millions of Americans looked evil in the eye and adopted it."
After Americans voted to give President Barack Obama a second term - Obama won both the Electoral College and the popular vote - Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, concluded that the soul of America is sick.
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Four years ago, Americans did not know much about Obama when they elected him as the first black U.S. president in 2008.
This year, people "knew what they were voting for and they looked at evil and they adopted it," Staver said, referring to the Democratic Party platform which included support for abortion and, for the first time, same-sex marriage. The party also initially left "God" out of the platform.
"That's what Obama stands for," he said of the platform.
"People voted for that kind of ideology ... That doesn't bode well for America."
Under these circumstances, Staver said it is okay to grieve. And many are, he said. They're not just disappointed, but they're shedding tears, according to Staver.
"That's never happened before in any previous election."
He clarified, "This was not just a win or lose, this was not just a Republican vs. Democrat, this was not just a my candidate didn't win. This was a referendum on America and the question is whether or not America will continue to move forward as what it was designed to be – this shining city on a hill."
Several other Christian leaders have given similar reactions to election results – which included voters in four states voting in favor of same-sex marriage and the legalization of marijuana in two states.
Joseph Mattera, presiding bishop of Christ Covenant Coalition, lamented that Election Day showed America "attempting governance without God's moral law as its guide."
Evangelist Franklin Graham responded to election results by saying that America is on a "path of destruction."
"If we are allowed to go down this road in the path that this president wants us to go down, I think it will be to our peril and to the destruction of this nation," Graham said.
Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Jr., senior pastor of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Md., meanwhile, concluded that Americans have rejected God's truths.
Nevertheless, Christians must press forward, said Staver, as God calls them to be faithful no matter the consequences.
"[N]o matter what the populace does, we are not allowed to waiver and must remain steadfast," he asserted.
"We will no doubt see and feel the consequences of this election. More children will die. Marriage will come under greater attack. Immorality will be exalted. Sadly, the country could easily collapse under the weight of escalating economic debt. Islam will be emboldened. Our military will become weaker. Israel will not have as strong an ally as it needs at this critical time. The world will become a more dangerous place. These are all consequences that follow national actions like the ones we have just witnessed. But, when you are down, that is the time to fight all the harder!"
He continued, "God has called you and me for such a time as this. God is not surprised by these events. So, to reiterate, it is okay to grieve because what has happened is indeed sad. But, we cannot go on grieving. We must arise and remember Whom we serve. God will not be mocked and His justice will not sleep forever!"
