At a morning sermon Sunday in Northern Virginia, Republican lieutenant governor candidate E.W. Jackson, a Chesapeake pastor, said people who don’t follow Jesus Christ “are engaged in some sort of false religion.”
Jackson offered that view while describing a list of the “controversial” things he believes, and that must be said, as a Christian.
“Any time you say, ‘There is no other means of salvation but through Jesus Christ, and if you don’t know him and you don’t follow him and you don’t go through him, you are engaged in some sort of false religion,’ that’s controversial. But it’s the truth,” Jackson said, according to a recording of the sermon by a Democratic tracker. “Jesus said, ‘I am the way the truth and the life. No man comes unto the Father but by me.’”
It is not the first time Jackson has weighed in with controversial comments on questions of faith and social issues. He has also said that gay people’s “minds are perverted. They are frankly very sick people psychologically and mentally and emotionally.”
The Web site of the Restoration Fellowship Church in Strasburg, where Jackson spoke Sunday, includes a recording of Jackson’s sermon. But a short section that included the “false religion” comment was missing from that part of the recording.
The church’s pastor, Jay Ahlemann, said he agrees with Jackson’s interpretation of scripture. He also said a member of his church staff told him nothing had been deleted from the recording.
People may believe what they want to believe, even snake handlers or those who practice Santeria. However, how smart is it to make that kind of proclamation when you are running for lt. governor?
Religion is based on faith. No one really knows who is right and who is wrong. It’s a belief system strongly rooted in what we believe, not what we know. Obviously, most people practicing a faith believe that theirs is the one true faith. Otherwise, why do it?
E. W. Jackson insulted everyone who isn’t a fundamentalist Christian. There are lots of Virginians who fit that description. Why on earth would anyone vote for someone who thinks they practice a ‘false religion?’ Jackson needs to realize that if elected, he would represent all Virginians, not just those who share his opinionated religious beliefs. If he can’t represent all Virginians, non- fundamentalist Christians, non-Christians, gays, and whoever else he feels is unfit, then he should simply drop out of the race now.
It also sounds like someone in the church where he preached last Sunday had a problem with the truth since a recording was made by a Democratic tracker. The lie, of course, isn’t the fault of E. W. Jackson. Someone obviously knew that was just not a smart thing to say and destroyed the evidence.
For what it’s worth, the literal syntax of the quote is that Jackson was saying that people who believe that there is only one way to salvation are engaged in a false religion. Perhaps that’s not what he meant, or perhaps the quote is garbled. But that’s what the plain English means. The later context sort of implies that he was setting that premise up as a fulcrum for his remarks and that he was coming around to what is standard Christian doctrine in many Christian denominations and sects – that acceptance of Jesus as God’s salvation from sin for humanity is “The Way.” I must admit I’m a little surprised that WaPO would treat this as news. The man is a Christian minister.
Of course, that’s the problem politically. When we nominate clergymen (and women) of any religion, we have to have some sort of coherent way to explain how their religious beliefs will or will not affect their ability to govern a religiously polyglot nation or state. In most cases, particularly with Christianity, the “in, but not of, the world” ethos dictates that clergymen have bigger fish to fry than secular governance. Neither the Reverend Jackson nor the Republican Party of Virginia seem to be of that view, however.
Donald McEachin who is also a minister was appalled at what Jackson said:
It was hardly surprising. It probably just wasn’t the smartest thing to preach about when you are running for office in a pluralistic society. Jackson doesn’t have the smartest handlers in the world. The math of the extremists is on a collision course with reality.
If you insult people they aren’t going to vote for you. I expect that about 20% of the voting population really likes what Jackson represents. Another 20 percent, (being generous here) is going to vote for him because they would vote for Hitler before they would vote for a Democrat. After that…where are the votes?
Here a summation of the Jackson/Northam debate.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/ew-jackson-ralph-northam-square-off-in-virginia-lieutenant-governor-debate/2013/09/24/4aa4206c-2390-11e3-ad0d-b7c8d2a594b9_story_1.html
I sort of agree with Jackson about mental institutions. If there are none, then where is Hinkley, the guy who shot President Reagan?
Where do we put people who are a danger to themselves and others? I think the answer is to improve the institutional care, not do away with them.
I haven’t yet heard of the better mouse trap.
If Jackson says this kind of thing when he’s preaching, it’s about as newsworthy as would be a dentist/candidate filling a tooth. Of course, he was preaching on the road, and all these appearances get blurry given that he is also running for office.
Scout has it right. Preachers say all kinds of things at the pulpit that would be offensive to nonbelievers. The central tenants of most religions are blasphemy to other religions. Christians believe Jesus is the some of God. That is blasphemy to Muslims and probably to some more orthodox Jewish groups. Polytheism is blasphemy to Christianity, etc…
As long as the preacher can still treat people fairly when he’s is out of church, I have no problem with what he says in church.
I don’t care what he says in church. My only comment was about how stupid it was to be preaching some sort of exclusivity while running for office.
He is one step towards making Republicans more irrelevant in the future.
The question becomes, will he cut it off? Will he treat everyone equally? Past comments indicate he probably won’t.
Maya Angelo: when people show you who they are, believe them.
Well, who would have known that Judaism was a false religion. That he is even running a close second to a moderate credible politician like Northam is astounding and frightening all at the same time.
Elena, the statements he made became even more ridiculous when thinking about the fact that Jesus practiced Judaism and not Christianity. The entire foundation of Christianity rests solidly on Judaism. Maybe he needs to explain further. I hope he didn’t mean that Judaism is a false religion.
Religious belief is by its nature insane. When the GOP decided to start exploiting these people’s beliefs for fun and profit, right around 1980, that was a deal with the “devil’ so to speak, and has contributed a great deal of irrationality and confusion into politics.
Rick, I don’t believe that religious belief is insane. It has been around as long as man has been on this earth because man has always sought to figure out what happens to him when he dies and what is controlling the world around him. I don’t think that is insane.
I am not sure if the GOP exploited the Religious Right or vice versa. Perhaps it was mutual exploitation. I would say the tea party has done the same thing except in many cases it is the same group of people, sort of rebranded with a different theme song. I believe that the tea party has bitten the GOP squarely on the ass also.
I agree with you about the time and the irrationality and confusion that was infused into politics, for sure.
And may God strike me dead if I’m not telling the truth.
Snicker. KAAA-BOOOOOM!
Who is that man over there dodging lightning bolts?
“It has been around as long as man has been on this earth because man has always sought to figure out what happens to him when he dies and what is controlling the world around him.”
You’re describing science. Religion is where man decides to MAKE UP STORIES about the nature of these things, and believe them rather than to continue to look at what’s real.
We have no idea “why” we are here, nor why anything is here. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar. And if they tell you that they talked to God, they’re a liar.
Yeah I know the arguments that religion does some positive things for people or for society. But there’s my 2 cents. I think that religion is increasingly quaint. I long for the day when you don’t have to give lip service to it to run for high office.
I would prefer that religion be kept out of politics. I don’t see why we even have to know what religion a candidate is.
As for science, yes and no. I don’t know of a single science that addresses what happens to the essence of man when he dies. Yes, the body decomposes but that isn’t the issue.
What I actually described is why man has a religion. I don’t think wanting to know the answer to these things is particularly strange.
Man just wants an explanation for the world around him. Going to the Pearly Gates is a nicer concept than being what happened to early man when he died…I erased here. I actually grossed myself out.
“I don’t know of a single science that addresses what happens to the essence of man when he dies. Yes, the body decomposes but that isn’t the issue. ”
The brain and body decompose and that’s it. That’s what we are.
How unromantic. W are star
children
@Moon-howler
One can dream, but can you imagine an atheist ever becoming
president, or even be elected to Congress? It’s an American thing.
A president who doesn’t go to church!!! Oh, my god!
Ike almost made it. He wasn’t a church-goer until he was elected president.
Maybe men are like cats. When they’re buried in the yard and follow the carbon cycle, you may be lucky and be rewarded with morel mushrooms.
These are much more desirable: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Psilocybe_semilanceata_6514.jpg
@Cato the Elder
Sounds as though you could get high or die with those. I’ll stick with the certainty of morels even when they sprout from the cats’ graves or the drain field. The oogie factor doesn’t bother me.
ewwwwwwwwwwww!
Pet Cemetery
Looks like medication to me
Looks like medieval death to me.
Republican Party activists wanted Jackson as their candidate, they are good at making their party irrelevant.