In case you've somehow missed it, S.C. Representative Joe Wilson, obviously a Republican, heckled President Barack Obama during his health care speech the other night, loudly shouting "You lie!" while the president spoke. He has since apologized, and Obama has accepted his apology. (Of course, all this makes Obama look better, so it was in his best interest to take the high road-just a little aside there.)
I believe Joe Wilson's conduct illustrated an ongoing issue for Conservatives, one that was present during Clinton's presidency but has been pushed to new heights during the current administration. I am referring to something I call the Respect Dilemma.
Very simply, what does it mean to express respect for someone who constantly acts in despicable ways? Where is the line, and how far is too far to go? Frankly, I fully agree with Joe Wilson. I believe President Barack Obama is a liar and a lot of other things that would sound equally pejorative on the floor of Congress. The question is, where is the overlap between telling it like it is and giving proper respect, and can one cancel out the other?
For Christians, I believe this is a valid question.
We serve a Lord who, though He was a common carpenter's son, called the religious and political leaders of His day "whitewashed tombs" and whose anointed cousin called them a "brood of vipers" to their faces (Matthew 3:7 and 23:27)
Sort of makes "You lie" sound pretty tame.
We also serve a Lord who inspired the Apostle Paul to write, in Romans 13:1: "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established."
Clearly, the biblical norm is submissive cooperation with leadership that God has put in place.
HOWEVER
Big however. As I was reading that passage to include it in this post, I noticed something very interesting in the final verse.
Romans 13:7 "Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." What, exactly, incurs that debt of respect, and can anything negate it?
So here are some questions, question to which I don't have concrete answers:
Do we owe Obama respect, or can a person's actions remove the debt of respect?
Was Joe Wilson's outburst even disrespectful in the biblical sense?
If it was, does Obama's his position warrant respect no matter what?
What do you think? I would really love to see some opinions.
Edit: My friend, who is an expert on House rules (a real one, as in, she works as legal counsel for the House of Representatives) said that the House chamber has a specific rule (since the founding fathers) against saying pejorative things about the president on the floor and that calling him a liar is strictly prohibited. On that ground, I definitely believe Wilson should have kept his mouth shut. I still want to hear other people's opinions on the overall issue.
