Immoral political ads are a sin - This shouldn't be unclear to you.

This week saw an example well beyond even the sadly normal low bar of political ads that ought to remind us that such speech is NOT exempt from the judgment of God respecting sin.

Ramaswamy takes responsibility for ad with Amy Acton’s mother and will spend millions to promote it

{Here is the opinion of the National Review, a conservative site, about the evidence that the ad contained known lies: Amy Acton’s Mom Claims Candidate Lied About Childhood in Attack Ad — Despite Extensive Record of Abuse Update: Since the article was published, the Ramaswamy campaign admitted to making the ad}

 That ad was in Ohio where the Republican candidate for governor Vivek Ramaswamy admitted to having created an ad featuring the estranged mother of his opponent.  That fact alone would constitute normal politics, estranged family members have been used before, but this one is both spectacularly gross and exceedingly vile: Why was Amy Acton (his opponent) estranged from her mother since the 1970's?  The answer is simple, her mother remained married to the man charged with repeatedly raping her as a minor child (he fled justice and was never tried) until the day he died.  The state of Ohio removed both Amy and her brother from their mother's care after her stepfather was arrested.  If we cannot, as people who claim to follow Jesus Christ, agree that child sexual abuse is out-of-bounds even in political contests, God help us.

This is perhaps the worst political attack ad in this cycle, if not several cycles, but it is far from an isolated example.  This year's contests have also been flooded with AI generated fake videos featuring opponents saying and doing things that they most certainly did not in reality.  These ads are lies, period.  AI generated lies still count as lies.  They will fool some people into thinking that they are true in spite of the uncanny video and audio, but effectiveness or lack thereof is not the point, is it?  The ads are lies.  Doesn't that matter to us as Christians?  Shouldn't we be LESS likely to vote for the candidate who would use such ads in order to try to gain power?  Shouldn't these ads have the opposite of their intended effect upon us, upon people who a trying to walk by the Fruit of the Spirit?

The harsh reality is that many self-professed followers of Jesus are willing to suspend the ethics they themselves seek to live by when it comes to politics.  I would not do such a thing, the thinking goes, but it is ok for the team I root for to do it because winning matters too much.  To put it bluntly, this is a lie from Satan.  There are no exceptions to the conduct that is required of those who would claim to be disciples of Jesus, no exceptions for the pursuit of money, no exceptions to satisfy lust, and no exceptions to gain power in this world.  

Our witness, our ability to share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is harmed each and every time we make a deal with the devil for the sake of this world.  Shame on us who go along with the flow, shame on us who make excuses, and even more shame on us who cheer this sin on because it benefits "us" and hurts "them".  Chose this day whom you will serve.

Galatians 5:19-25 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Sermon Video: Joseph: A tearful reunion with his brothers - Genesis 45:1-24

As Joseph's story reaches its climax, we have an emotion-filled Joseph startling (and scaring) his brothers by revealing his true identity to them.  The brothers expect vengeance for what they did to him twenty plus years ago, but instead Joseph offers them a warm embrace.  How? Why?

Joseph came to terms with his enslavement in imprisonment years ago after he realized that the hand of God had been guiding his steps from the day his brothers conspired against him until this very day.  His brothers made a selfish evil choice, but God worked to put Joseph in a place of great responsibility in spirt of it.  With hindsight Joseph could see God's providential care over his life, so he had let go of whatever anger toward his brothers he once knew.

“The Missing Piece in Your Faith Journey” by Damian Eisner, Torah Club Director at Malchut Conference 2026: A Rebuttal by Pastor Powell

In this extraordinary speech at the 2026 Malchut Conference, First Fruits of Zion's Torah Club Director, Damian Eisner, says the quiet part out loud: (1) FFOZ expects you to lose friends, family, and your church when you embrace the path they are selling.  It isn't a bug, it is by design, it isn't a warning sign at all, but a necessary sacrifice to be celebrated. (2) Neither Christianity, Judaism, nor Messianic Judaism has what is "missing," only FFOZ has the answers.  

This speech is deeply cultic, embracing the tactics they use to tell the "chosen few" that it is ok that their commitment to the organization has cost them so much, that nobody else has the answers, and that if you keep trusting the wise leaders of the group it'll all be ok in the end.

Sermon Video: Joseph's brothers pass the test - Genesis 43:15-44:34

 

The multi-part test of his brothers by Joseph reaches its climax as they are forced to choose between their own freedom and solidarity with Benjamin. We know that the younger versions of these formerly violent men would have failed the test, that's how Joseph ended-up in slavery. That the older versions of them, led by Judah, choose to stand together with Benjamin, and even volunteer to take his place, is a testament to the transformative power of God at work in their lives. They had not yet completed the process of repentance, but they were certainly men changed by God for the better.

We livestream executions now?? Lord, have mercy on us.

"The public will be able to watch the execution of a former US Army major by firing squad, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said.

A Defence Department official told the BBC the execution of Nidal Hasan, who fatally shot 13 unarmed US soldiers at the Fort Hood military base in 2009, would be livestreamed.

It is believed it would be the first public execution in the US in almost a century." - BBC news article, "Firing squad execution to be livestreamed, Pentagon says" 10/9/26

In 2025, only two nations carried out public executions: Iran and Afghanistan, now America is set to join that list at the express direction of the Defense Secretary, and very outspoken 'Christian' Nationalist, Pete Hegseth.

This will  not be the first time that I've warned about the 'Christian' Nationalism that Hegseth represents {See: Militant 'Christian' Nationalism in the halls of Congress: An affront to the true Gospel}, nor the first time that I've warned about the pastor whose militancy influenced Hegseth and who is heroic to many within that anti-Gospel movement, Doug Wilson {See: The deplorable shame of using Potiphar's Wife to discount sex abuse victims: A refutation of Pastor Doug Wilson or The folly of the "Sin of Empathy" - A self-inflicted wound to Christian Fundamentalism}.  In fact, I'm been working my way through a 62-part series detailing individual passages of scripture that each in their own way discredit and refute the very idea of 'Christian' Nationalism. {I've made it to 40, this one is the latest: Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #40 1 Corinthians 5:11-13}

Which brings us to yesterday's news that the Pentagon plans to livestream the execution by firing squad of an Islamic militant, and member of the U.S. military at the time, who murdered 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009.  If you oppose the death penalty on the grounds of religious principles, this execution will be doubly troubling, but for those who support the death penalty for heinous crimes, this still ought to be a Bridge Too Far.  

Why livestream the execution to the public?  What is the purpose in doing this, and what will the consequences be?

Beyond the cynical, and sadly often true, political answers to these questions, we also have the profound moral truth about America that this points toward: We are NOT a Christian nation.  On the one hand, we can't be because there is no such thing, a deeply profound book by Pastor Gregory Boyd lays out the case from the scriptures that there never has been, nor can ever be, a Christian Nation. {See: The Myth of a Christian Nation - by Gregory Boyd: a summary and response}.  The kingdom established by Jesus in this era has no borders, boundaries, cultural or ethnic barriers.  It supersedes them all, and has different goals, and different methods to achieve them.  No nation, no matter how moral, can be a Christian Nation.  Many have laid claim to the title, including the historical disaster that was the Papal States, but all have brought ill repute to the name of Jesus Christ by elevating realpolitik (to borrow Rochau's term) above the timeless character of Christ-likeness demanded by our discipleship.

We could start with the moral reasons why this public execution is indeed immoral, but in this Culture War-infused generation many will simply ignore them as they've already committed themselves to a "might makes right" and "win at all cost" lack of ethics.  When you decide that morality is a luxury you cannot afford, nor really need, because politics is a fight to the death against "evil" fellow Americans (many of whom are also self-professing Christians), an appeal to what is moral will ring hollow.

Given that political stance against morality, the wisdom from this article will stand as my moral argument against repaying evil with evil: We ignore "repay evil with blessing" at our peril: the Culture War, politics, and 9/11

In practical terms, then, the execution will both (1) make a martyr out of a murderer, the video will be endlessly played in the dark corners of the internet to recruit new would-be terrorists, and (2) serve as a corrupting influence within our own culture and politics in a nation that already deeply devalues human life and dignity whenever it is convenient for the Red side or the Blue side.

In the end, because of our toxic politics, those who warn against both the immorality of this decision, and those who warn against the harmful practical outcomes that will likely result, will not be heard by a large part of our nation because the idea of a public livestreamed execution is coming from "our team" and must therefore be supported lest "they" {That is, the political enemy, fellow Americans} should ever win, even a little.

Lord, have mercy on us.