At the Washington Post's On Faith page, Baptist Joint Committee Director, Brent Walker, discusses today's climate of political rhetoric. For those who claim to follow Christ, he notes, our faith demands we "do away with overheated rhetoric."
The Hebrew and Christian Scriptures enjoin us to tell the truth, speak from the heart, avoid slander and keep our word. For the Psalmist it was a condition of entry to the Tent of Meeting in the temple. In his first letter, St. Peter says to be ready to make a strong defense of the hope that is within us, but to do it with "gentleness and respect." In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us to speak directly and truthfully (let your yes be yes and your no be no). We are instructed not to insult one another in anger and, perhaps most difficult of all, to love our enemies, real and perceived.
