“God Must Ask Permission”

Years ago, famed “faith healer” and charismatic preacher Miles Monroe, had a conversation with another so-called “faith healer,” Benny Hinn, where he told Hinn that God must ask permission to do anything on earth. According to Monroe, this permission had to be asked of men because, paraphrasing him “God is in charge in heaven but He has given men the rule and power over the earth.” This conversation reminds us that the health and wealth and supposed miraculous healing movement has some extremely strange ideas. Who could possibly believe that God must ask His creation for permission to do anything. In fact, folks who hold such a position should be reminded of Psalm 115 where the psalmist says that “God is in the heavens. He does whatever He wills.”

I was reminded of that exchange in the wake of James Talarico’s victory in the Democratic senate primary in Texas. Talarico was running against the nut job that is Jasmine Crockett. Crokett has to be the most unserious congresswoman that has ever succeeded in gaining a congressional seat, at least in the last 10 years, and there are many! One wonders how such an individual can possibly win an election. Yet here we are at a place where people even in the red state of Texas will elect someone who is so unqualified for the position for which she was elected. And yet, I submit that Talarico is even worse than Crockett.

Although Talarico may not be as wild eyed as Crockett when it comes to intellectual acumen, an in fact he is clean cut and very “nice,” he is even more dangerous because he likes to portray himself as a Christian believer who upholds what the Bible “truly means.” Take for example this statement: “Trans-children are God’s children. They are made in God’s own image. There is nothing wrong with them, nothing at all…Bullying children is immoral, it’s a sin, a special kind of sin.” Of course, any true Christian would agree with the last part of that statement, but the problem is that Talarico said that in the context of supposedly bullying “trans-children.” And what is bullying “trans-children”? Telling them that they are not “trans” and that attempting to become one is sinful.

It seems impossible that such an individual would dare to call himself a Christian. In another conversation, Talarico said that Texas needs “abortion care” whatever that means. We have an individual who not only thinks that transsexuality is just fine (a wonderful thing, in fact), but abortion is also something that the church should wholeheartedly support. One more just so you can see that amazing chutzpah that this individual has. In a conversation with Joe Rogan, he attempted to buttress his support for abortion by saying that the annunciation proves his point. How? He said that when Gabriel came to Mary, he “asked” her if she was willing to give birth to Christ. Mary said yes, and the rest is history. Only someone who is either demon possessed or under their influence can say such nonsense.

The lesson in all of this is that there will never be a dearth of people attempting to coopt the church and believers within it for nefarious purposes. Any Christian who would consider voting for such an individual must have his head examined. I’m sure many of you reading this post will say that we shouldn’t mix politics and religion. Guess what? Talarico himself is doing so. Not only that, but if Christianity is going to permeate all of life, then politics will also be part of that life. Or are we going to say that politics somehow will stand all by its lonesome while the rest of life is subject to our faith and to Christ? Such an idea is obviously erroneous and wrongheaded. When you go to the voting booth this coming November, think about whether you want an obvious heretic who basks in the light of his heretical beliefs sitting in the senate representing you.