Blasphemy - The Rev. Philip DeVaul

See, to take God’s name in vain is the act of attributing to God that which does not belong to God. You may remember, for instance, the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on our country on September 11, 2001, when Christian leaders Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell publicly mused that these attacks were God’s judgment against our nation for becoming what they called too secular. They said God had lifted the veil of protection from over America so that we might be attacked because we as a country had allowed for abortion, feminism, and acceptance of same-sex relationships. That, my friend, is an example of taking the Lord’s name in vain.   

But we don’t have to go all the way back to 2001. We can stay right here and now. We can watch video of our own Secretary of Defense citing Scripture at a press briefing on the unnecessary, indefensible war on Iran in which our country is currently the aggressor, and is killing thousands of Iranian civilians we claim to be liberating. “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle,” he said, quoting the 144^th Psalm as he justified what he calls a Holy War.  

This is blasphemy. This is taking the Lord’s name in vain.