NEW!! (Updated) Religious Exemption Letter Templates

DATE

Address

Re: Religious Exemption for Vaccination of [NAME OF MEMBER]

To Whom it May Concern,

I am a pastor at [NAME OF CHURCH], a [CITY & STATE] based ministry.  I know [NAME OF MEMBER] personally and can in confidence attest to his regular and active participation in our ministry.  [NAME OF MEMBER] is not only a member but also active in within our ministries. (describe member involvement in church) 

[NAME OF MEMBER] faith establishes that abortion is the murder of human beings and murder is a sin.  [HIS/HER] faith establishes a firmly held religious conviction specifically against any vaccinations derived from the research used to create Wistar Institute’s RA/27/3 or Wistar’s WI-38 and all other vaccinations derived from the research and/or use of aborted human tissue. 

Additionally, our faith establishes a firmly held religious belief against all vaccinations that stems from the fact that the Bible teaches that all people are made in the image of God and refusal to receive a vaccination is supported by this scripture: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are…What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19 (KJV).   Our faith maintains firmly held religious believe that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is a God-given responsibility and requirement for us to protect the physical integrity of our body against unclean food and injections. 

Because of [NAME OF MEMBER]’s firmly held religious conviction against taking vaccinations, [HE/SHE] is exempt from taking any vaccination as it violates his right to freedom of conscience as guaranteed by the US Constitution, [YOUR STATE] Constitution, and federal law.         

With the following information in mind, [NAME OF MEMBER] would like to inform you that [HE/SHE] is exercising [HIS/HER] legal right to legally assert [HIS/HER] firmly held conviction of conscience against receiving any vaccinations.  If you have any questions or wish to have further conversation on this matter, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Pastor [NAME OF PASTOR]

[NAME OF MINISTRY]

[ADDRESS OF MINISTRY]

cc: [NAME OF MEMBER]

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May 17, 2021

Recipient Address

Re: Religious Exemption for Vaccination of [NAME OF MEMBER]

To Whom it May Concern,

I am a Pastor at Revival Ministries International, a Tampa, Florida based ministry.  I am writing on behalf of  who attends this church, either online, in person, or both.

We agree with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, that when a person has a firmly held religious belief that vaccination conflicts with their religious beliefs or practices that person should be exempt from any and all mandates to take that vaccination.

As the Senior Pastor of our church, I can attest that the teaching of our church and the attendance of [NAME OF MEMBER] confirms our sincerely held religious belief is one that abortion is the murder of human beings and murder is a sin.  [NAME OF MEMBER]’s attendance at our church establishes a firmly held religious conviction specifically against any vaccinations derived from the research used to create Wistar Institute’s RA/27/3 or Wistar’s WI-38 and all other vaccinations derived from the research and/or use of aborted human tissue.

Furthermore, the teaching of our faith establishes a firmly held religious belief against all vaccinations that stems from the fact that the Bible teaches that all people are made in the image of God and refusal to receive a vaccination is supported by this scripture: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are…What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19.   Our faith maintains firmly held religious believe that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is a God-given responsibility and requirement for us to protect the physical integrity of our body against unclean food and injections.

An additional firmly held religious belief of our faith is that if a vaccination has become mandatory to be able to continue their God-given livelihood, that includes the ability to buy, sell and provide for their family, it is established in scripture. By a specific Biblical prophecy, that this mandate is contrary to our faith.  Though there are many scriptures that support this firmly held religious belief, I submit to you the following as proof of such conviction:

1.     Revelation 13:16-17 that gives insight into an antichrist agenda in the last days that is warned about in the CHRISTIAN FAITH.

“He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” 

2.     1 John 2:18 says, “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.” 

We believe that before the return of Jesus Christ, the antichrist agenda will be to force certain things upon people by restricting the ability to buy or sell unless they cooperate and comply. We do not believe the vaccination mandate is the mark of the beast, however we do believe that the vaccination mandate is a precursor to the mark of the beast that is to come because it restricts a person’s ability to buy or sell.

Once again, the vaccination mandate amongst other things that are being made mandatory in relation to Covid-19 are restricting a person’s ability to buy or sell. We believe the scriptures justify Christians to not participate in these mandates that condition a society to be content to not be able to buy or sell unless they comply.

The Bible is the source of our faith and our teachings.  Through attendance [MEMBER’S NAME] submits to this source as the basis for [HER/HIS] firmly held religious beliefs.  Because these are our firmly held religious beliefs, our right to refuse these mandates are affirmed as a matter of our freedom to exercise our religious beliefs by and through the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution and the Constitution of [STATE].

Additional scriptural justification for the right to refuse a mandate of vaccinations are as follows:

3.     1 John 3:21: “Beloved if our heart does not CONDEMN us, we have CONFIDENCE toward God.”

4.     Hebrews 10:22: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil CONSCIENCE  and our bodies washed with pure water.”

5.     1 Timothy 1:19: “having faith and a good CONSCIENCE, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck.”

6.     Acts 5:29: “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: WE OUGHT TO OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MAN.”

7.     Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in His OWN IMAGE; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”                       

8.     1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Or do you not know that YOUR BODY is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have FROM GOD, and YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN?  For you were bought at a price; therefore GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY AND YOUR SPIRIT, WHICH ARE GODS?”

9.     Romans 12:1-2: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, but the mercies of God, that you present your BODIES a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

10.  Psalm 100:3: “Know that the Lord, He is God; IT IS HE WHO HAS MADE US, and not we ourselves; WE ARE HIS PEOPLE and the sheep of His pasture.”

11.  Psalm 103:2-4: “Bless the Lord, Oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who HEALS ALL YOUR  DISEASES.”

12.  Proverbs 4:22: “My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, and HEALTH TO THEIR FLESH.”

13.  Isaiah 53:5: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED.”

14.  1 Peter 2:24: “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we having died to sins, might live for righteousness BY HIS STRIPES YOU WERE HEALED.”

15.  Psalm 91:6: “Surely He shall DELIVER you from the snare of the Fowler And from the perilous PESTILENCE.”          

16.  Psalm 91:10: “No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any PLAGUE come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.” 

17.  James 5:14-15: “Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them PRAY OVER HIM, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of FAITH WILL SAVE THE SICK, and the Lord will raise him up.”

(**NOTE- emphasis has been added to the scriptures)

In conclusion, our faith teaches and [NAME OF MEMBER]’s attendance confirms, any mandate that restricts a person’s ability to walkout the biblical teaching that they are created in the image of God and their body is not their own is conflict of our faith.  Our faith teaches and [NAME OF MEMBER]’s attendance confirms, any mandate that restricts a person’s ability to completely trust and depend upon Jesus Christ for healing and divine health, conflicts with our faith.

Because of [NAME OF MEMBER]’s firmly held religious belief, [HE/SHE] is exempt from taking any vaccination, as it violates [HIS/HER] right to freedom of conscience as guaranteed by the US Constitution, the [STATE] Constitution, and verified by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

With the following information in mind, [NAME OF MEMBER] is informing you that [HE/SHE] is exercising [HIS/HER] right to legally assert [HIS/HER] firmly held belief of conscience against receiving any vaccinations.  If you have any questions or wish to have further conversation on this matter, please feel free to contact me.

Thank You For Honoring Religious Freedom,

Pastor Name

Church Name

Contact Info

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These templates were created by Rodney Howard Browne’s ministry and legal team in Tampa, Florida.

Comment below with the date you submitted your religious exemption letter so we can be praying for favor to be upon you. Also, let us know the outcome. Believing for God’s will be done and for you to step into glorious favor in this season.

Blessings,

Darren

Harvard University’s new chief chaplain is … an atheist

Greg Epstein was recently unanimously elected by his fellow university “chaplains” to be the chief chaplain at Harvard University.

The only problem is, Greg Epstein doesn’t believe in the existence of God.

This all makes PERFECT sense right?!!

Let’s rewind.

Harvard University was founded in 1636, making it the oldest institution in higher learning in the United States. The school was started by John Harvard, a Congregational minister, who gave half his estate and books to the school. It was pastor John Harvard’s dream to educate clergymen unto the glory of God for the excellence and expansion of the Christian faith.

Now, the new lead pastor of the school does not believe in the expansion of the Christian faith nor the promotion of any religion whatsoever. Greg Epstein’s religion is non-religion. His practical savior is self, and he believes that the absence of a higher power points to the significance of humanity being its own practical and functional savior.

Ridiculous or wildly unreasonable is the definition of absurdity.

Enter the age of pseudo modernism, the erratic cultural response to logic.

This is like making an Amish dude the CEO of Google or a Desert-Dwelling Lizard the captain of the swim team.

Here are some questions for you:

Can a nation be saved in a day?

Your answer: ___________________________.

How long will it take for Jesus to save the institution of higher learning in America?

Your answer: ___________________________.

Do you believe it is redeemable?

Your answer: ___________________________.

Is there a remnant at Harvard University?

Please comment below.

One vaccine that cures every illness that requires under-the-skin sensor

Pentagon researchers developed a microchip that can be inserted under the skin to detect COVID-19 infection before a person begins showing symptoms.

“It’s a sensor,” said Dr. Matt Hepburn, an infectious disease physician, and retired Army colonel. “That tiny green thing in there, you put it underneath your skin, and what that tells you is that there are chemical reactions going on inside the body, and that signal means you are going to have symptoms tomorrow.”

The technology was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a top-secret unit launched during the Cold War era that studies emerging technologies and how they can be applied for use in the military.

Hepburn said that the microchip has only been used inside the Defense Department and can detect a COVID-19 infection before an individual has the potential to spread the disease to other service members.

“We challenge the research community to come up with solutions that may sound like science fiction,” Hepburn said.

Hepburn likened the microchip to a “check engine” light on a car, alerting the user of a positive COVID-19 infection and directing him or her to take a test to confirm the result.

“We can have that information in three to five minutes,” Hepburn said. “As you truncate that time, as you diagnose and treat, what you do is you stop the infection in its tracks.”

DARPA scientists believe the technology will be critical to stopping outbreaks among service members, who often are forced to be in tight quarters together for long periods of time.

Another DARPA scientist, Dr. James Crowe, said the unit eventually hopes to wade into vaccine development, saying it could “start from a blood sample from a survivor … and be giving you an injection of the cure within the 60 days.”

“For us, at DARPA, if the experts are laughing at you and saying it’s impossible, you’re in the right space,” Hepburn said.

- Pentagon scientists develop microchip that detects COVID before symptoms when placed under skin

Michael Lee 4/13/2021

The dangers of spike proteins

Spike protein is very dangerous, it's cytotoxic. Clip from DarkHorse podcast.

Full livestream now CENSORED on YouTube.

Odysee for backup: https://odysee.com/@BretWeinstein:f/how-to-save-the-world,-in-three-easy:0?r=FuWwFotRbicqY9GHyWBqDdTNNHpaTgC9

Dr. Robert Malone is the inventor of mRNA Vaccine technology. Mr. Steve Kirsch is a serial entrepreneur who has been researching adverse reactions to COVID vaccines. Bret talks to Robert and Steve about the pandemic, treatment and the COVID vaccines.

Steve's paper on COVID vaccine reactions: https://trialsitenews.com/should-you-get-vaccinated/

How to write a COVID-19 religious exemption letter to your employer

Should you receive the COVID-19 vaccine?

I have no idea. 

I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV.

I have no idea what your family’s health history is, nor do I know if you are healthy. 

A doctor is far more qualified to look at your age, heart, lungs, and waste line to determine your odds of surviving a virus with a 99.5% mortality rate. 

I have no business telling you that you should not get the vaccine because I am just a pastor.

Should the governor force you to receive the COVID-19 vaccine?

Maybe.

Here’s my first question.

Is he or she a doctor?

No?

They are just a far-left politician that deeply cares about your health?

Well then, I guess you might as well believe Joe Biden when he said, “You can trust the government. Don’t worry about anything and get the vaccine.”

Maybe Jennifer Lopez should PRESSURE you to get the vaccine?

Jennifer Lopez performs at "Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World" on Sunday, May 2, 2021, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

She’s been on several amazing movies, unforgettable TV shows and recorded numerous spunky radio hits; surely she is qualified to use her influence to pressure young people to get the vaccine, right?

 No, I am afraid that celebrities have no business using their influence to pressure youth into getting the COVID-19 experimental vaccine.

If you are trying to decide on whether or not to get the vaccine for yourself, the only people you should listen to is your doctor, your spouse, and Jesus, and I trust that none of the above mentioned will be immature enough to manipulate you into doing something that you are not comfortable with.

Before you receive an experimental vaccine, I would recommend three things:

1.)  Consult with your doctor.

Your doctor knows your personal health history as well as the history of your family. Your HR department does not.  Please consult with your doctor to see if it makes sense for you to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.

2.)  Chat it through with your spouse and come to a place of agreement.

Unity in your marriage is paramount.  Chat through your concerns with your spouse and consider praying together.  If you are in agreement, I believe the Lord will honor your unity either way.

3.)  Pray and obey.

At the end of the day, pray and obey.  Without faith, it is impossible to please God.  Many people have faith that they will get the vaccine and be okay; others do not possess such faith. Make sure that God gives you a grace for whatever decision you make.

If you decide to move forward and submit a religious exception letter to your employer, it would seem as though there are a few very important things you should keep in mind:

1.)  Keep it personal.

In Washington State, “legal” documents, forms from the State’s website (that do not apply to the workplace), or letter’s from your pastor will not serve to be very effective.

Your religious exemption must be personal.  It must be from you. You must understand it, own it, and be willing to stand behind it.

2.)  Keep it doctrinal.

Your feelings and philosophies do not matter.  What you read on a health blog does not matter.  The only thing that matters is what the Bible says, and you must convince your employer that your religious doctrine forbids you from receiving the vaccine.

3.)  Get it in writing.

Do not vet your letter by first having a brief conversation with your HR supervisor.  Send your religious exemption request by email and make sure that all communication is done over email.  If your employer has a conversation with you in person, be sure to thank them for the conversation but let them know that you will need to have everything they communicated to you sent to you in writing.

If you don’t have it in writing. It doesn’t exist.  This documentation could be helpful in the future.

Now, at last, here is a template to get you started.

I am praying that this is effective for you.  Please respond in the comments with how it goes for you as well as any suggestions you may have to help others in this process.

Stay healthy and may you walk in supernatural wisdom and favor through this tricky process.

Let’s go! 

Dear _________________, 

I was recently made aware that ______________________ would be requiring employees to receive the COVID-19 mRNA modification or else would be faced with termination. 

On August 9th, 2021, Governor Inslee stated that individuals with legitimate medical reasons or sincerely held religious grounds would be exempt from the vaccine mandate as has been in the precedent for other vaccines. 

My religious objection is twofold: 

1.) Fetal cells from abortions were used to develop the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  

a.)    https://www.health.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/COVID%20Vaccine%20Page/COVID-19_Vaccine_Fetal_Cell_Handout.pdf 

2.) The ingredients of these vaccines have not yet been disclosed. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. Pressure from the government or my workplace is not enough for me to inject something into my body that could be harmful to my health and life. 

Statute Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 28A.210.080, 90 gives residents of Washington State the legal right to refuse vaccinations if that vaccination violates the doctrine of their religion which the RNA and mRNA clearly do as seen above. 

I respectfully submit to you and hope and pray that I can continue to serve at company/school without fear of termination.  

After prayer, and thorough dialogue with my spouse and doctor, I sign this document with an understanding of the risk of the vaccine and the COVID-19 virus. 

I eagerly look forward to your response. 

Sincerely, 

Your Name 

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Update 8/23/21

Some people are choosing to include the use of nano lipid particles as a reason #3, as seen below.

To whom it may concern, 

I was recently made aware that employees are now required to receive the COVID-19 mRNA modification injections or face termination. 

On August 9th, 2021, Governor Inslee stated that individuals with legitimate medical reasons or sincerely held religious grounds would be exempt from the vaccine mandate. Statute Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 28A.210.080, 90 gives residents of Washington State the legal right to refuse vaccinations if that vaccination violates the doctrine of their religion which the RNA and mRNA vaccines clearly do.  

My religious objections: 

1)     The ingredients of these “vaccines” have not yet been fully disclosed. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Pressure from the government or my workplace is not enough for me to inject these still experimental “vaccines” into my body that could prove to be harmful to my health and life. 

2)     Fetal cells from abortions were used to develop the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccine: https://www.health.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/COVID%20Vaccine%20Page/COVID-19_Vaccine_Fetal_Cell_Handout.pdf 

3)     RNA and mRNA use nano lipid particles with bio sensor technology that can sync with Microsoft patent 060606 which is a violation of Revelations 13.

Both my religious doctrine, not to mention, my religious conscience prohibits me from partaking of these injections. As I respectfully submit this to you, I request that you respect my right as an individual to maintain my dignity without compromising my religious doctrines and conscience, by allowing me to continue to work here at ____________ without fear of termination.

After prayer and thorough dialogue with my spouse and my doctor, I sign this document understanding the risk of the vaccine and the COVID-19 virus. 

Thank you. 

Your Name 

WHY I VOTED FOR TRUMP AND CULP

The following is a response that I gave to the Seattle Times reporter recently when interviewed for the front page story on leaders in our region and what they are seeing and feeling in this current election.

So, I am a Christian, and I pastor a church.

This means that I am pro-God, pro-religious-gatherings, pro-Israel, and pro-life. These are values of mine. So when it comes to Trump's platform, he doesn't come across to be against God, against religious gatherings, against Israel, and against the unborn. He just doesn't come across to be that way.

The fact that churches were shut down this year should have been a choice that we were allowed to make, and it wasn't. Despite horrific pandemics in history, this was unprecedented. Local governors got to act like adults, and pastors were treated like children. 

We were not allowed to decide for ourselves.

Do you blame Inslee?

The Church never really prospers when everything is going well. It is during times of great adversity, calamity, and hopelessness that the Church prospers. The Church is the Church for this very reason.

Just look at the role of Providence Hospital in Seattle and our State statue (Mother Joseph of the Sisters of Providence). In a time of great hardship and primitive conditions, the first hospital in Seattle was birthed by the Church!

Our (Seattle Revival Center) hands were tied because of the State Government. They were telling us exactly what we could do or not do. They were like, "Hey, you can do Zoom meetings." My response is like, "Alright, that's very liberating of you."

I get particular freedoms in the hospital because I am clergy. I get specials freedoms that sometimes even the family doesn't get. Hospitals recognize the power of prayer and spiritual counsel. I was just in a hospital room last week that was considered to be dangerous. The man had a contagious infection. 

I had to gown up. It was dangerous, but the hospital recognized the importance of the visit, I was treated like an adult, and I assessed the risk for myself. I went in. He needed me. He was in (what doctors were telling him were) his final days of fighting cancer. I went in and prayed with him.

This is when religion is needed. 

Faith is most important when (in the natural) you have no hope. When people are wrestling with depression, when lives are at stake, the Church is needed. We saw record suicide numbers in our state, and Governor Inslee said, "You are not allowed to go to church."

We saw record suicide numbers in our state, and Governor Inslee said, "You are not allowed to go to church."

This should have been our choice as pastors and leaders. This was the first time in the State of Washington it was illegal to go to church, and I think that was a tragedy.

Governor Inslee made some massive calls. He said Churches need to shut down just for a short time. That we just need to, "flatten the curve." 

He said that if we all work together, we will flatten the curve if we all shut down and then we can reopen.  

We thought, sure, we can shut down for two weeks. We said, "We can cooperate. We don't want to be reckless, unwise, and unlawful." So we submitted to our governing authorities. 

President Trump got on TV and said that churches were essential, but Governor Inslee disagreed. We flattened the curve right away, but then Inslee changed his mind and informed us that we could not reopen until no one was dying. He moved the goal post. I was like, "No church until people stop dying?"

Inslee said (with his actions) that the Church was not essential, but that (packed out) marijuana stores and (jammed packed) Costcos are.

Inslee said (with his actions) that the Church was not essential, but that (packed out) marijuana stores and (jammed packed) Costcos are.

Then, after twelve weeks, Inslee said that we could now host outdoor meetings up to fifty people. So we started hosting multiple meetings, back to back, in a tent, for another four weeks. 

While we were in that tent, many Sundays were windy, cold, and pouring rain. We were standing outside, freezing. Families outside, shivering and singing to Jesus with masks on. All because of what Inslee calls "science" and "the facts."

We have a building that can seat a thousand people. We could have practiced social distancing, but instead, we have people getting colds, manifesting the same symptoms as covid (runny nose and cough) all in the pursuit of health. We were outside in the cold, underneath a tent, worshiping, when we could have been inside our building. 

There was no choice in this. One man said, "This is what's good for you. You will do it this way, or you are breaking the law."

So, we played by the rules, but there was an absurdity it in. There was this feeling that we were being controlled, and we fought to maintain the right attitude despite the government overreach. 

The public safety measures did not make us feel any safer.

There was all this health concern from Governor Inslee, but no health advice. No vitamin regiments. No tips. Just control. 

I am voting for Trump and Culp because I truly believe that they assume that responsible adults can make wise choices for themselves.

HASN'T TRUMP DIVIDED OUR COUNTRY?

The following is a response that I gave to the Seattle Times reporter recently when interviewed for the front page story on leaders in our region and what they are seeing and feeling in this current election.

HOW ARE YOU OKAY WITH VOTING FOR TRUMP WHEN HE HAS DIVIDED OUR COUNTRY?

We are not victims of division.

Division is a choice.

If we are going to allow our hearts to be divided, and if we are going to make our neighbor our enemy, that is our choice.

We do not get to be victims of Trump.

We do not get to say, “I am a victim of Trump, therefore I am entitled to be bitter and vindictive.”

We do not get to take all of our problems and blame them on Trump. That is not what responsible people do.

This is actually one of my roles in being a pastor. I come alongside of people who are in dire situations. Like, I do funerals. I am with families who are completely heart broken. I am with people who have been victims of radical injustice, and in that place, it is my role to walk with people through their pain and tragedy, and to walk with people in such a way, where I can say, “Look, you are a victim of this tragedy, but please do not take on a victim mentality, because if you do, it will anchor you to the past, and you will never be able to engage your future.”

“…please do not take on a victim mentality, because if you do, it will anchor you to the past, and you will never be able to engage your future.”

I am concerned about the roar that I hear in our country right now. You have a lot of people that are taking on a victim mentality, and I am not just talking about Democrats, I am also talking about Republicans.

Politics has become a religion. It’s the new religion. A huge cult. On both sides.  You go far enough to the left, or far enough to the right and you will feel the same spirit, the same frequency that is in both camps. It’s the same temperature, the same hostility, and the same irrationality.

When people are attached to that frequency it affects their creativity, it affects their relationships, it affects their marriages, and they are no longer capable of creating great things on the Earth.

To the point that we allow ourselves to get triggered by all these narratives, to that degree, we feel that we are no longer responsible to shape the culture, to do good, to be creative, and engaging. Because now we can’t, our hands are tied, we are victims. For how can we do anything good when Trump is in office? How can there be any sense of justice or reconciliation when HE is in there?!

And so, I believe it is a radically dangerous world view, when you feel like your influence is limited because of whoever is leading the country.

WHY I HATE POLITICS

The following is a response that I gave to the Seattle Times reporter recently when interviewed for front-page story on leaders in our region and what they are seeing and feeling in this current election.

Front page of The Seattle Times, November 1, 2020

For me, when I vote, it is not going to be about Trump versus Biden.

For me, there are some things that are really important, and there are some things that I am watching closely.

For example, I am watching what the “new normal” is for Seattle. I am looking at how my wife and I do not feel safe to go for a date night downtown. I am looking at what seems to be a severe lack of vision and direction and unity within our State. I am looking at all these negative factors and the fact that our elected officials (who happen to be Democrats) are not taking responsibility.

I am looking at all these negatives that exist because of liberal ideals within our region, and they are resulting in negative consequences. Then I marvel at how the people that live here are seeing everything that is taking place and they blame it all on President Trump. For example, all the fires we just had here in Washington, Oregon, and California. Somehow, that is President Trump’s fault. The riots, those are Trump's fault as well, right? CHOP, that was also Trump's fault too apparently.

I am concerned for our city and our State because I love Seattle, and I love the people who are here that make our city great.

Seattle is such an amazing, innovative, and creative city. There is no other city like Seattle. Sometimes I wonder what would be possible in our city actually valued our businesses? What would happen if Jeff Bezos was not treated as though he was the Antichrist and if Boeing was not seen as this large evil corporate machine.

What would happen if we could celebrate innovation instead of demonizing it?

I would love to see some sort of courageous leadership where it is not about politics, but it is about true government.

I love government. I have even been involved in our local government, but, I hate politics.

I hate the political performance that takes place on both sides of the aisle.

Performance does not do good.

Performance does not bring about positive changes in the culture.

Performance does not create contrast.

Performance is just about approval and getting votes, and then once the election is over, everybody gripes and complains.

What if there were some courageous leaders who could paint a compelling vision for our city and State, but with the right motivation?

Amazing things could be accomplished, but not for the glory of a political party, but rather a motivation birthed out of sincere love and appreciation for our city and for our State.

That is not what I see.

I see all this stuff on the news and social media and it is not about government; it is political performance, and as a millennial, it makes me so disillusioned with the whole political scene, system, and process.

As a pastor, I am saying, “Go and vote. Vote your conviction and your values. If you vote democrat, I will still honor you, and when I vote Republican, I ask that you do the same.”

When we are all face to face, we are friends and family, but sometimes when we get on to social media, we become enemies and monsters.

This is why I hate politics. It is drama and hype that everybody gets to entangle in, where our only responsibility is to vote. When voting is our only responsibility, then we get to continue to surrender our leadership and influence, and if the election does not go our way, we all get to be victims of the election.

I will not be a victim of any election!

Regardless of what happens in this election, I chose to be a governing one who will leverage my partnerships, influence, and revelation to transform our city and nation with love as the primary motivator.