Does the Moral Character of Public Officials Matter?

[Dr. Robert S. Morley]

“In 1998, the Southern Baptist Convention . . . passed, what they called, a Resolution On Moral Character Of Public Officials. If it had been followed, Trump would have been kept out of office in 2016 and evangelicals would have distanced themselves from him in 2020.”¹ The resolution outlines biblical standards of character that many expect Christians would insist of public leaders, yet, more than 80% of white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020.

The Southern Baptist Convention’s Resolution On Moral Character Of Public Officials reads as follows:

WHEREAS, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34 NAS); and

WHEREAS, Serious allegations continue to be made about moral and legal misconduct by certain public officials; and

WHEREAS, The Bible calls upon all citizens to submit themselves to their governing authorities as ministers of the Lord (Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 2:13); and

WHEREAS, Scripture further teaches, “Whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves” (Romans 13:2); and

WHEREAS, Governing authorities are not themselves exempt from the rule of law and must submit to the nation’s statutes, rather than mocking them (Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 2:14; Proverbs 19:28-29; 2 Samuel 12:7; Mark 6:17-18); and

WHEREAS, Some journalists report that many Americans are willing to excuse or overlook immoral or illegal conduct by unrepentant public officials so long as economic prosperity prevails; and

WHEREAS, Tolerance of serious wrong by leaders sears the conscience of the culture, spawns unrestrained immorality and lawlessness in the society, and surely results in God’s judgment (1 Kings 16:30; Isaiah 5:18-25); and

WHEREAS, Many public officials and candidates deserve our gratitude and support for their consistent moral character and their uncompromising commitment to biblical principles of right and wrong, resulting in blessing upon their people.

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That we, the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting June 9-11, 1998, in Salt Lake City, Utah, affirm that moral character matters to God and should matter to all citizens, especially God’s people, when choosing public leaders; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we implore our government leaders to live by the highest standards of morality both in their private actions and in their public duties, and thereby serve as models of moral excellence and character; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we urge all citizens, including those who serve in public office, to submit themselves respectfully to governing authorities and to the rule of law; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we urge Southern Baptists and other Christians to fulfill their spiritual duty to pray regularly for the leaders of our nation (1 Timothy 2:1-4); and

Be it finally RESOLVED, That we urge all Americans to embrace and act on the conviction that character does count in public office, and to elect those officials and candidates who, although imperfect, demonstrate consistent honesty, moral purity and the highest character.²

God's Word Above all Else

Having read through these principles, would you say they're biblical? If so, would you say evangelicals forsook them in 2016 and 2020? Is it ever worth it to forsake God's directives? Consider that Jesus said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4 KJV).

Was the lesser of two evils chosen, or did evangelicals get it wrong? I put it to you that rather than take the longer and harder road of generational discipleship that Jesus took, having rejected the kingdoms offered by Satan, evangelicals chose to disregard Trump's serious character issues and, in so doing, God's word to grasp power on offer to effect cultural change. What do you think?

Rob Morley

¹Morley, R. S. (2022). EVANGELICALS, TRUMP, AND THE BIBLE: The Bride and The Beast of The Apocalypse. Self-published.

²Southern Baptist Convention. (1998, June 1). Resolution On Moral Character Of Public Officials. SBC.

[TheGloryLand]

7 minutes ago, Dr. Robert S. Morley said:

“In 1998, the Southern Baptist Convention . . . passed, what they called, a Resolution On Moral Character Of Public Officials. If it had been followed, Trump would have been kept out of office in 2016 and evangelicals would have distanced themselves from him in 2020.”¹ The resolution outlines biblical standards of character that many expect Christians would insist of public leaders, yet, more than 80% of white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020.

The Southern Baptist Convention’s Resolution On Moral Character Of Public Officials reads as follows:

WHEREAS, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34 NAS); and

WHEREAS, Serious allegations continue to be made about moral and legal misconduct by certain public officials; and

WHEREAS, The Bible calls upon all citizens to submit themselves to their governing authorities as ministers of the Lord (Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 2:13); and

WHEREAS, Scripture further teaches, “Whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves” (Romans 13:2); and

WHEREAS, Governing authorities are not themselves exempt from the rule of law and must submit to the nation’s statutes, rather than mocking them (Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 2:14; Proverbs 19:28-29; 2 Samuel 12:7; Mark 6:17-18); and

WHEREAS, Some journalists report that many Americans are willing to excuse or overlook immoral or illegal conduct by unrepentant public officials so long as economic prosperity prevails; and

WHEREAS, Tolerance of serious wrong by leaders sears the conscience of the culture, spawns unrestrained immorality and lawlessness in the society, and surely results in God’s judgment (1 Kings 16:30; Isaiah 5:18-25); and

WHEREAS, Many public officials and candidates deserve our gratitude and support for their consistent moral character and their uncompromising commitment to biblical principles of right and wrong, resulting in blessing upon their people.

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That we, the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting June 9-11, 1998, in Salt Lake City, Utah, affirm that moral character matters to God and should matter to all citizens, especially God’s people, when choosing public leaders; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we implore our government leaders to live by the highest standards of morality both in their private actions and in their public duties, and thereby serve as models of moral excellence and character; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we urge all citizens, including those who serve in public office, to submit themselves respectfully to governing authorities and to the rule of law; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we urge Southern Baptists and other Christians to fulfill their spiritual duty to pray regularly for the leaders of our nation (1 Timothy 2:1-4); and

Be it finally RESOLVED, That we urge all Americans to embrace and act on the conviction that character does count in public office, and to elect those officials and candidates who, although imperfect, demonstrate consistent honesty, moral purity and the highest character.²

God's Word Above all Else

Having read through these principles, would you say they're biblical? If so, would you say evangelicals forsook them in 2016 and 2020? Is it ever worth it to forsake God's directives? Consider that Jesus said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4 KJV).

Was the lesser of two evils chosen, or did evangelicals get it wrong? I put it to you that rather than take the longer and harder road of generational discipleship that Jesus took, having rejected the kingdoms offered by Satan, evangelicals chose to disregard Trump's serious character issues and, in so doing, God's word to grasp power on offer to effect cultural change. What do you think?

Rob Morley

¹Morley, R. S. (2022). EVANGELICALS, TRUMP, AND THE BIBLE: The Bride and The Beast of The Apocalypse. Self-published.

²Southern Baptist Convention. (1998, June 1). Resolution On Moral Character Of Public Officials. SBC.

Throughout the whole Bible, religious man of God, we’re all sinners, and they did worse than Trump, the main thing here is to be aware not to fall into them, those mentioned above, and they to remain conservative, faithful to the end. You do agree me that we all fall short. That’s sin is in control of the flesh, even to the Saints.

[BrotherTony]

49 minutes ago, Dr. Robert S. Morley said:

“In 1998, the Southern Baptist Convention . . . passed, what they called, a Resolution On Moral Character Of Public Officials. If it had been followed, Trump would have been kept out of office in 2016 and evangelicals would have distanced themselves from him in 2020.”¹ The resolution outlines biblical standards of character that many expect Christians would insist of public leaders, yet, more than 80% of white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020.

The Southern Baptist Convention’s Resolution On Moral Character Of Public Officials reads as follows:

WHEREAS, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34 NAS); and

WHEREAS, Serious allegations continue to be made about moral and legal misconduct by certain public officials; and

WHEREAS, The Bible calls upon all citizens to submit themselves to their governing authorities as ministers of the Lord (Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 2:13); and

WHEREAS, Scripture further teaches, “Whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves” (Romans 13:2); and

WHEREAS, Governing authorities are not themselves exempt from the rule of law and must submit to the nation’s statutes, rather than mocking them (Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 2:14; Proverbs 19:28-29; 2 Samuel 12:7; Mark 6:17-18); and

WHEREAS, Some journalists report that many Americans are willing to excuse or overlook immoral or illegal conduct by unrepentant public officials so long as economic prosperity prevails; and

WHEREAS, Tolerance of serious wrong by leaders sears the conscience of the culture, spawns unrestrained immorality and lawlessness in the society, and surely results in God’s judgment (1 Kings 16:30; Isaiah 5:18-25); and

WHEREAS, Many public officials and candidates deserve our gratitude and support for their consistent moral character and their uncompromising commitment to biblical principles of right and wrong, resulting in blessing upon their people.

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That we, the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting June 9-11, 1998, in Salt Lake City, Utah, affirm that moral character matters to God and should matter to all citizens, especially God’s people, when choosing public leaders; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we implore our government leaders to live by the highest standards of morality both in their private actions and in their public duties, and thereby serve as models of moral excellence and character; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we urge all citizens, including those who serve in public office, to submit themselves respectfully to governing authorities and to the rule of law; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we urge Southern Baptists and other Christians to fulfill their spiritual duty to pray regularly for the leaders of our nation (1 Timothy 2:1-4); and

Be it finally RESOLVED, That we urge all Americans to embrace and act on the conviction that character does count in public office, and to elect those officials and candidates who, although imperfect, demonstrate consistent honesty, moral purity and the highest character.²

God's Word Above all Else

Having read through these principles, would you say they're biblical? If so, would you say evangelicals forsook them in 2016 and 2020? Is it ever worth it to forsake God's directives? Consider that Jesus said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4 KJV).

Was the lesser of two evils chosen, or did evangelicals get it wrong? I put it to you that rather than take the longer and harder road of generational discipleship that Jesus took, having rejected the kingdoms offered by Satan, evangelicals chose to disregard Trump's serious character issues and, in so doing, God's word to grasp power on offer to effect cultural change. What do you think?

Rob Morley

¹Morley, R. S. (2022). EVANGELICALS, TRUMP, AND THE BIBLE: The Bride and The Beast of The Apocalypse. Self-published.

²Southern Baptist Convention. (1998, June 1). Resolution On Moral Character Of Public Officials. SBC.

The Southern Baptist Convention can pass all the resolutions that they want. When it comes to politics, they cannot and SHOULD NOT try and dictate/legislate what people who attend SBC churches can and cannot do. For one, it's not their place. When two people are running for office, it's quite clear that the one who is closest to the conservative values of Christians is the one whom they should vote for.  If the individuals voted for Trump did they leave their conservative and Biblical principles? Certainly not. Having only choices, the lesser of the two evils would be the only appropriate choice, unless one believed they shouldn't vote for anyone. After seeing Roe v. Wade overturned, I don't believe conservatives/Christians voted for the wrong party. Granted, this shouldn't be the only measure of whom should be in office....character counts...but, who has perfect character? Let me add this...since these are all autonomous churches, they can agree or disagree with the resolutions and act accordingly. It's not binding for individuals at any rate. 

Edited April 23, 2023 by BrotherTony

[Dr. Robert S. Morley]

24 minutes ago, TheGloryLand said:

Throughout the whole Bible, religious man of God, we’re all sinners, and they did worse than Trump, the main thing here is to be aware not to fall into them, those mentioned above, and they to remain conservative, faithful to the end. You do agree me that we all fall short. That’s sin is in control of the flesh, even to the Saints.

Throughout the Bible, God distinguishes between those given over to Him, and those given over to sin. For example, the kings of Judah were all measured by King David, a man whose heart longed after God, and who humbled himself when he was found in sin. Furthermore, God taught us what character to choose when He chose Moses, Joshua, David, and Nehemiah among others. In choosing David, "God sought him a man after his own heart" (1 Sam. 13:4 KJV).

The standards you put forward would excuse many leaders God judged to have failed because of their character, like King Abijam, who "walked in all the sins of his father [Rehoboam], which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father" (1 Kings 15:3).

Others, like Josiah, God praises, saying, "he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left" (2 Kings 22:2).

Among the heathen, Pharaoh was judged, but Nebuchadnezzar was spared. Why? Because he humbled himself. Similarly, Belshazzar was judged and Darius was spared.

God has standards for leaders. Humility is one of them.

[Dr. Robert S. Morley]

51 minutes ago, BrotherTony said:

The Southern Baptist Convention can pass all the resolutions that they want. When it comes to politics, they cannot and SHOULD NOT try and dictate/legislate what people who attend SBC churches can and cannot do. For one, it's not their place. When two people are running for office, it's quite clear that the one who is closest to the conservative values of Christians is the one whom they should vote for.  If the individuals voted for Trump did they leave their conservative and Biblical principles? Certainly not. Having only choices, the lesser of the two evils would be the only appropriate choice, unless one believed they shouldn't vote for anyone. After seeing Roe v. Wade overturned, I don't believe conservatives/Christians voted for the wrong party. Granted, this shouldn't be the only measure of whom should be in office....character counts...but, who has perfect character? Let me add this...since these are all autonomous churches, they can agree or disagree with the resolutions and act accordingly. It's not binding for individuals at any rate. 

Regardless of your take on the SBC passing resolutions, the content of that resolution outlines biblical values for leadership in public office that most conservative Christians agree on. So it seems odd that you go on to emphatically say, "If the individuals voted for Trump did they leave their conservative and Biblical principles? Certainly not," because they did by ignoring those very conservative principles.

Lets us not forget that there is a journey to becoming the nominee and that no vote is an option too.

[Dr. Robert S. Morley]

Does character matter?

https://twitter.com/AnonOpsUnited2/status/1651218983389917189

I do not endorse all the activities of Anonymous.

Edited April 26, 2023 by Dr. Robert S. Morley
Added disclaimer

[BrotherTony]

1 hour ago, Dr. Robert S. Morley said:

Does character matter?

https://twitter.com/AnonOpsUnited2/status/1651218983389917189

I do not endorse all the activities of Anonymous.

Of course character matters....and so does a love for the Lord...yet, in the 1970s here in the United States, many Christians voted for a "Christian" to become the POTUS....Jimmy Carter...one of the worst presidents in the history of our country...a DEMOCRAT. This Democrat supported abortion, redistribution of wealth, and "asking Amy" (his daughter) about things...especially after admitting he had "lusted in his heart" over other women.  Then, of course, we have Mr. Biden, allegedly a "good Catholic" who has been barred from taking communion by his own bishop and supports abortion, transgenderism, mutilation of children through transgender and gender reassignment surgery no matter what age they are, homosexuality, etc. Most of his cabinet are nothing but moral degenerates. 

[TheGloryLand]

1 hour ago, BrotherTony said:

Of course character matters....and so does a love for the Lord...yet, in the 1970s here in the United States, many Christians voted for a "Christian" to become the POTUS....Jimmy Carter...one of the worst presidents in the history of our country...a DEMOCRAT. This Democrat supported abortion, redistribution of wealth, and "asking Amy" (his daughter) about things...especially after admitting he had "lusted in his heart" over other women.  Then, of course, we have Mr. Biden, allegedly a "good Catholic" who has been barred from taking communion by his own bishop and supports abortion, transgenderism, mutilation of children through transgender and gender reassignment surgery no matter what age they are, homosexuality, etc. Most of his cabinet are nothing but moral degenerates. 

Mr. Biden wants 4 more years.

[BrotherTony]

14 minutes ago, TheGloryLand said:

Mr. Biden wants 4 more years.

We're praying that he doesn't get them.

[TheGloryLand]

3 minutes ago, BrotherTony said:

We're praying that he doesn't get them.

He looks very weak, but he have what 50 years, working for the government.

[BrotherTony]

3 minutes ago, TheGloryLand said:

He looks very weak, but he have what 50 years, working for the government.

More or less... remember, he said he'd been in Congress 150 years! LOL

[Dr. Robert S. Morley]

1 hour ago, BrotherTony said:

Of course character matters....and so does a love for the Lord...yet, in the 1970s here in the United States, many Christians voted for a "Christian" to become the POTUS....Jimmy Carter...one of the worst presidents in the history of our country...a DEMOCRAT. This Democrat supported abortion, redistribution of wealth, and "asking Amy" (his daughter) about things...especially after admitting he had "lusted in his heart" over other women.  Then, of course, we have Mr. Biden, allegedly a "good Catholic" who has been barred from taking communion by his own bishop and supports abortion, transgenderism, mutilation of children through transgender and gender reassignment surgery no matter what age they are, homosexuality, etc. Most of his cabinet are nothing but moral degenerates. 

I'm glad you agree character matters. However, you go on to dismiss this point, saying, "yet . . . "

Throughout the Bible, God is seen acting differently toward those who unwittingly sin, stumble into sin, or repent, to those who are outright arrogant and rebellious. Americans were so fixated on getting the right policies that they gave the soul of the country to an outright antichrist.

Putin may offer all we'd want, too. Hitler made alliances, too. Jesus knew not to succumb to the offer of worldly power at the hands of the devil, yet we justify the end by the means and get into bed with his antichrists.

[BrotherTony]

3 minutes ago, Dr. Robert S. Morley said:

I'm glad you agree character matters. However, you go on to dismiss this point, saying, "yet . . . "

Throughout the Bible, God is seen acting differently toward those who unwittingly sin, stumble into sin, or repent, to those who are outright arrogant and rebellious. Americans were so fixated on getting the right policies that they gave the soul of the country to an outright antichrist.

Putin may offer all we'd want, too. Hitler made alliances, too. Jesus knew not to succumb to the offer of worldly power at the hands of the devil, yet we justify the end by the means and get into bed with his antichrists.

You certainly like to read into things what you wish was there. That's a shame. Personally, I compromise my principles for no one. Where do you find one"getting into bed with his antichrists?" I truly would like to know.

[Dr. Robert S. Morley]

1 hour ago, BrotherTony said:

We're praying that he doesn't get them.

Are you praying what God has instructed you to pray, too?

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty" (1 Tim. 2:1-2).

[BrotherTony]

3 minutes ago, Dr. Robert S. Morley said:

Are you praying what God has instructed you to pray, too?

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty" (1 Tim. 2:1-2).

Yes. I'm praying his days will be few and another will take his place. I'm also praying he'll come to know the Lord... it's clear he doesn't.