Enough of this, please

A man in Texas decided to use scripture to make a political statement. He put up a billboard with the following message: "Pray for Obama: Psalms 109:8." The scripture in question is drawn from a psalm in which David prays for the death and destruction of people that have slandered, exploited, and financially ruined him. The verse sounds somewhat more benign in isolation, "May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership."

The man claims he did not intend to call for the the utter destruction of enemies and their offspring.

Milton Neitsch Jr., who has lived in Victoria since 1961, says he didn't intend for people to pick up on the hateful wishes of death and pain surrounding the tiny verse.

This man seems to have little regard for the word of God. He cites a verse and says he did not mean for people to interpret it in context. If that is true, he is using scripture carelessly and deceptively. Or perhaps he did want people to pray for the demise of the president, but was shocked when people were offended by it. Either way, it does not bring honor to God nor honor Christ's instructions to pray in love for even those that persecute you (Matthew 5:43-48).

A local pastor started a petition to have Neitsch remove the billboard. In the process, she showed how Christ intended for us to resolve differences.

Reverend Amy Danchik started a petition demanding Neitsch take down the sign. They've since met and Neitsch and agreed to replace the billboard.

"He shared with me a little about some of the threats that have come at his family, which is incredibly inappropriate, and in no way helpful and in no way how we're called to react when we disagree with somebody," said Danchik. "So I hope that those stop. I hope that people will react with the graciousness that he has reacted with and leave his family alone."

Notice the outcome of this man's use of scripture. People were so angered that they were, in effect, praying Psalm 109 for this man and his family. One hateful action, whether intended or not, provoke more hateful acts. This is why Christ taught forgiveness instead of retribution, love instead of hatred, and reconciliation instead of conflict.

Imprecatory prayers satisfy the idea that revenge for unjust treatment at the hands of another is left to God. In Psalm 109, David is not asking for the strength, courage, opportunity, and skill to massacre those that have wronged him, but rather calling for God to avenge him. It is an impulse we have all probably felt at one point or another in our lives. Sometimes we are treated unfairly and unjustly. You can either follow the example of David in praying for retribution or of Jesus in praying for forgiveness. Jesus even prayed for forgiveness for those that falsely accused him of wrongdoing, tortured and murdered him.

All too often, imprecatory prayers come from mouths of religious leaders rather than private citizens. Make no mistake, it is a failure to serve Christ if done in His name.

And just in case you have any doubt that public imprecatory prayers are destructive, consider this. The Department of Defense commissioned a study of the rhetoric used by political and religious leaders to predict violence.

"When leaders express a combination of anger, contempt and disgust in their speeches, it seems to be instrumental in inciting a group to act violently," said David Matsumoto, professor of psychology at San Francisco State University.

Even a casual reading of Psalm 109 reveals a wealth of anger, contempt, and disgust. The only thing missing is that David did not name his enemies. Apart from that, the content does not differ appreciably from the speeches of religious terrorist leaders like Osama bin Laden. As Christians, we are called to emulate Jesus rather than David.

When righteous indignation become imprecatory prayers with a person or group labeled as evil, spilled blood is often the outcome (emphasis added).

Anger, contempt and disgust may be particularly important drivers of violent behavior because they are often expressed in response to moral violations, says Matsumoto, and when an individual feels these emotions about a person or group, they often feel that their opponent is unchangeable and inherently bad. 

When Christian leaders engage in imprecatory prayers, they violate the teachings of Christ. Look closely at their statements and motivations. Do they want more power? Are they promoting a political ideation or demanding control over culture and behavioral norms? They are serving themselves, not God. Ignore them and follow Christ.