Christians need not apply

Does former presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders believe Christians should be disqualified from holding public office? It sure sounds like it. During a Senate Budget Committee hearing last week, he attacked Russell Vought, President Donald Trump's selection for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, suggesting that he is unfit for the position because, as a Christian, he has stated that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ. Sanders spoke as if faith in Christ alone is some foreign concept and not a tenet of the Christian faith. Is it my imagination or does the Bible not teach that there is "no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved"? No, it's not my imagination; the Bible does say that. And Christians would not be Christians if they did not believe the Bible.

Apparently, Christianity 101 is anathema to the senator, who attempted to bully Vought into renouncing his faith.

Vought responded, "As a Christian, I believe that all individuals are made in the image of God and are worthy of dignity and respect regardless of their religious beliefs. I believe that as a Christian that's how I should treat all individuals." That, however, was not good enough for Sanders, who said Vought's declaration of faith "is indefensible," adding that "it is hateful, it is Islamophobic, and it is an insult to over a billion Muslims throughout the world." Who knew that Christians had to clear their beliefs with Muslims or anyone else, for that matter?

Sanders suggested that Christianity was un-American and that Vought, as a Christian, should not hold office when he stated, "I would simply say, Mr. Chairman, that this nominee is really not someone who this country is supposed to be about. I will vote 'no.'"

Sounds like Sanders is in favor of a litmus test for nominees. Mind you, if someone would say Muslims were unfit because of their faith, he and many other self-professed progressives would be screaming, "racist," "xenophobe" and, again, "Islamophobe."

So shall we ascribe "Christianophobe" to him? How dare he castigate this man for any belief he holds that affects only him, much less his deeply held religious beliefs?

Interestingly, as people on the right express growing concerns about an even faster-growing movement to relegate Christians to second-class citizens and to strip us of our God-given, First Amendment right to worship according to our faith, people on the left claim we are overreacting. When Trump, as a candidate first and now as president, speaks about doing his part to protect Christians' rights, Democrats pooh-pooh. If they're still pooh-poohing now, they're simply exercising conscious cluelessness.

Perhaps the saddest, sickest part of the attitude revealed by Sanders' raking Vought over the coals is that he actually believes he's right. He deems himself morally superior to the "biased" Christian who actually believes the Christianity he professes. It is his duty, therefore, to take the stand that he has taken and vote not just "no," but "hell no" on Vought's appointment. Yeah, we've got radical Islamic terrorism running rampant, assaults on law enforcement ramping up and racial tensions rising, yet the senator from Vermont is concerned that a Christian might hold the top position at the Office of Management and Budget. This is where we are in America.

The Family Research Council has created a petition for Sanders to "apologize for his religious bigotry and hostility," but we'll have to wait to see if he will recognize his prejudice and repent. As we wait, we will pray for exactly that. We will pray for Sanders in general, actually -- because, after all, that's what Christians do.

Adrienne Ross is an author, editor, columnist, speaker, and former teacher and coach. She is also a Southeast Missourian editorial board member and owner of Adrienne Ross Communications. Contact her at aross@semissourian.com.