Oklahoma Lawmaker Claims God Made Her A “Cultural Warrior”

Sally Kern, an Oklahoma state Representative, has made some controversial comments regarding gays in the last year. She has also been stopped at least twice for forgetting she had a pistol in her purse and trying to carry it into the state capitol. It appears Kern is not through with controversy. 

Speaking before a crowd in Norman, Oklahoma, Kern announced “My Lord made it very clear to me that I’m a cultural warrior for Judeo-Christian values.” That statement is not highly controversial in itself, but it is a code for some beliefs Kern holds that are controversial. Newsok.com reported Kern believes some beliefs are more important than others. 

“I am not saying everyone has to be Christian; this is not a homogenous nation,” Kern said. “What you have to be is someone who believes in a Judeo-Christian ethic, in other words, in knowing there’s a right and wrong.

“Not all lifestyles are equal; not all religions are equal,” she said. “Was I saying all people are not equal? Heavens no; we were all created equal.” 

Of course, Kern opposes homosexuality and gay marriage. It is the claim that “Not all lifestyles are equal; not all religions are equal” that betrays Kern is not as tolerant as she pretends. 

Then Kern takes it a step further and said that our Founding Fathers, like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson wanted our country to operate on biblical principles. I do not know what Sally Kern sees through her eyes, but when I see the Judeo-Christian world, I see a cornucopia of beliefs. Jews, evangelical Christians, Episcopalians and Catholics do not see the world the same among themselves. That is just four diverse viewpoints from the biblical principles Kern says this country was founded on. There are a lot more out there to consider.

Kern has a right to her beliefs, but she is wrong to assume that those who disagree with her cannot be moral and ethical as well. Instead of pretending to know what George Washington wanted, she should take stock of some of his tolerant and open-minded comments on religion. Washington felt the only requirement for people in a nation was that they be good citizens. Faith did not matter. Even in his own personal life, he did not let personal beliefs get in the way of whatever task lay ahead. Seeking workers for a project at Mt. Vernon in 1775, Washington told his agent, “If they be good workmen, they may be from Asia, Africa, or Europe; they may be Mohammedans, Jews, or Christians of any sect, or they may be Atheists.” 

George Washington knew something about warriors. He never called himself a cultural warrior. On the contrary, culture was a thing of civilization and dignity, not a claim that one person’s way of life is better than another’s.