Penna Dexter

Two United States senators have articulated a standard, which would disqualify any real Christian from office. The occasion was last week’s Senate confirmation hearings for Russell Vought, President Trump’s nominee for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. Senator Bernie Sanders read from a blog post Russ Vought wrote, in January 2016, at the conservative website, Resurgent. The piece was a defense of Christianity and also of a religious school’s right to set standards for its employees. At that time, Mr. Vought’s alma mater, Wheaton College, had just fired political science professor Larycia Hawkins. During advent, Professor Hawkins wore a hijab to support Muslims. She wrote on Facebook, “I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian are people of the book.” And, she wrote: “we worship the same God.” Russ Vought’s article at Resurgent pushed back against critics of the school, explaining the exclusivity of Christianity, a doctrine Christians of every age have held to. Mr. Vought wrote: “Muslims do not simply have a deficient theology. They do not know God because they have rejected Jesus Christ His Son, and they stand condemned.” Senator Sanders asked him “Isn’t this Islamophobic?” Mr. Vought’s clear response explaining his Christian faith was frequently interrupted by the senator. The position being filled is second in command at the OMB. One would expect senators to focus on a nominee’s financial skills, not his religion. But Senator Sanders said he’ll vote ‘no’ on Mr. Vought because “this nominee is not really someone who is what this country is supposed to be about.” Senator Chris van Hollen, from Maryland chimed in telling Mr. Vought that his comments “suggest a violation of the public trust.” According to Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, no religious test shall be required of those seeking public office. But, according to these two senators, believing that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation, and saying so, should disqualify a person from serving in public office. They are wrong.