Mike O’Neal sends out an email calling Psalm 109.8 a perfect prayer for Barack Obama.

Psalm 109.8 states:

“May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership.”

Let’s cast aside the fact that this is straight from a bumper sticker, like 99% of America’s political views.

This email caused a bit of outrage on the internet, calling for Mike O’Neal’s resignation, stating he’s calling for the death of The President of the United States.

He is, or he isn’t. It depends on how you look at it.

If you want to go by strict Christian guidelines, the entire Psalm, and not just one line of it, would be the actual prayer.

Psalm 109 reads: 

¹ My God, whom I praise, 
   do not remain silent, 
² for people who are wicked and deceitful 
   have opened their mouths against me; 
   they have spoken against me with lying tongues. 
³ With words of hatred they surround me; 
   they attack me without cause. 
⁴ In return for my friendship they accuse me, 
   but I am a man of prayer. 
⁵ They repay me evil for good, 
   and hatred for my friendship.

⁶ Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; 
   let an accuser stand at his right hand. 
⁷ When he is tried, let him be found guilty, 
   and may his prayers condemn him. 
⁸ May his days be few; 
   may another take his place of leadership. 
⁹ May his children be fatherless 
   and his wife a widow. 
¹⁰ May his children be wandering beggars; 
   may they be driven from their ruined homes. 
¹¹ May a creditor seize all he has; 
   may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. 
¹² May no one extend kindness to him 
   or take pity on his fatherless children. 
¹³ May his descendants be cut off, 
   their names blotted out from the next generation. 
¹⁴ May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD; 
   may the sin of his mother never be blotted out. 
¹⁵ May their sins always remain before the LORD, 
   that he may blot out their name from the earth.

¹⁶ For he never thought of doing a kindness, 
   but hounded to death the poor 
   and the needy and the brokenhearted. 
¹⁷ He loved to pronounce a curse— 
   may it come back on him. 
He found no pleasure in blessing— 
   may it be far from him. 
¹⁸ He wore cursing as his garment; 
   it entered into his body like water, 
   into his bones like oil. 
¹⁹ May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, 
   like a belt tied forever around him. 
²⁰ May this be the LORD’s payment to my accusers, 
   to those who speak evil of me.

²¹ But you, Sovereign LORD, 
   help me for your name’s sake; 
   out of the goodness of your love, deliver me. 
²² For I am poor and needy, 
   and my heart is wounded within me. 
²³ I fade away like an evening shadow; 
   I am shaken off like a locust. 
²⁴ My knees give way from fasting; 
   my body is thin and gaunt. 
²⁵ I am an object of scorn to my accusers; 
   when they see me, they shake their heads.

²⁶ Help me, LORD my God; 
   save me according to your unfailing love. 
²⁷ Let them know that it is your hand, 
   that you, LORD, have done it. 
²⁸ While they curse, may you bless; 
   may those who attack me be put to shame, 
   but may your servant rejoice. 
²⁹ May my accusers be clothed with disgrace 
   and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.

³⁰ With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; 
   in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him. 
³¹ For he stands at the right hand of the needy, 
   to save their lives from those who would condemn them.

When you read the entire Psalm as a “Prayer for Barack Obama”, especially verses 9-10, it is clearly calling for the death of the President of the United States, and wishing bad things upon his family. Freedom of Speech doesn’t make that ok. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is not absolute. Among it’s limitations include Obscenity and Incitement to Commit a Crime. Calling for the death of the United States Commander in Chief leans more toward treason charges than protection of a human right.

And wishing ill on a politician (and his/her family) because that politician doesn’t share your political views is disgusting. It makes you a disgusting excuse for a human being.

Moving on.

It is more likely that Mike O’Neal is not calling for Barack Obama’s death. He is likely doing what the majority of religious followers do and picking and choosing which parts of his religious documentation of preference he is going to follow. Psalm 109.8 is not a prayer, but that’s not important right now.

Is Mike O’Neal guilty of Treason? Probably not. He’s just an idiot blindly living in his blissful bumper sticker world. Should he resign from office? He is classless, disrespectful, inappropriate, and full of hate. But who in Politics isn’t?

This is why I hate bumper stickers.