He’s a Congressman from my area and claims to be a Methodist preacher. But when called upon to open the 117th Congress in prayer, he raised eyebrows with these closing words:
“We ask it in the name of the monotheistic god, Brahma, and god known by many names by many different faiths. Amen and a-woman.”
Most of those who reacted to his prayer made comments about the addition of “a-woman” after amen. The Congressman later claimed it was a “lighthearted” way of acknowledging the diversity within the room. Forget the fact that “amen” is Latin for “so be it” and has nothing to do with gender at all.
Yet what most people didn’t note was this Christian preacher uttering a prayer in the name of Brahma. He seems to believe that Brahma is simply another name for the Judeo-Christian God, Yahweh. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Instead, Brahma is the “creator god” of Hinduism. According to the Ancient History Encyclopedia, “In the beginning, Brahma sprang from the cosmic golden egg and he then created good and evil, and light and dark from his own person… Brahma had several wives, the most important being his daughter Sarasvati who, after the Creation, bore Brahma the four Vedas (holy books of Hinduism).
I could go on, but you get the idea. Hatched from a cosmic golden egg, creating evil from his own being, married to his own daughter… Does this sound ANYTHING like the God of Scripture? No it does not.
I understand diversity within the public square, and it would be one thing if a Hindu Sadhus had uttered such words. But a self-proclaiming preacher of the gospel? There’s a reason Paul commanded Titus to be a model in all things – especially as he taught with integrity and purity (Titus 2:7-8). In that moment, the man who should have represented God first, attempted to appease men. He failed at both. What about you? Are you sending a clear message about Christ to the world? –Dave
(To receive these free daily devotions via email, subscribe at: https://theteachableheart.com/classrooms-%26-devotions. For more information about the ministry, or to order the devotional books, visit: https://theteachableheart.com/books.)