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Manhattan Diary by Cahir O'Doherty

Kansas Speaker Mike O'Neal's prayer for President Obama's Death

Posted on Monday, January 30, 2012 at 08:58 AM

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Mike O'Neal

Kansas Republican House Speaker Mike O’Neal stepped onto the national stage last week when he was forced to apologize to First Lady Michelle Obama after an email he forwarded to fellow lawmakers calling her 'Mrs. YoMama' made national news.

O'Neal's offense giving impulses were not over, however. Another email he forwarded to his fellow House Republicans asked them to to pray Psalm 109, which contains these verses:

'Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.'

At this moment I hope that a contingent of the United States Secret Service are making their way to Kansas, obviously. But look at the rest of this psalm if you will:

'When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labor.
Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children.'

O'Neal is calling for prayers for the death of the President, the First Lady and even the President's children. He concluded the message to his fellow Republicans with a personal endorsement: 'At last — I can honestly voice a Biblical prayer for our president! Look it up — it is word for word! Let us all bow our heads and pray. Brothers and Sisters, can I get an AMEN? AMEN!!!!!!'

This is what passes for Christianity these days in many right wing circles. It's 2012 and GOP House Speakers are openly praying for the deaths of the first family. O'Neal felt suitably emboldened to forward this message to his fellow House Republicans. Psalm 109 is about wishing for someone's death.

O'Neal was quick to offer a mealy mouthed defense. 'I understand the debate over the verse interpretation about which I have explained and for which I have repeatedly apologized, to the extent anyone misconstrued my intent or was otherwise offended. I respect both the president and the office,' O'Neal told The Wichita Eagle.

But is there much difference between calling for someone's death or asking others to pray for it by proxy? They say the first sign that you've created God in your own image is if you notice He hates all the same people you do.

Given that he holds these lamentable views and then shares them with others, perhaps representing the state's politics isn't the ideal forum for his talents.
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69 Comments

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McNamara31 | Jan 17, 2013, 08:27 AM EST

Many of the posts below belong and are in response to another article.........

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dafirestar | May 27, 2012, 05:51 PM EDT

Mike O'neal makes me embarrassed to be human. Any man that can say what he said about the President of the USA has no respect for the country and should be banished if his constituents re elect him for office it shows the intellect of the citizens in his district and reflects poorly on all Americans. Without seeing the obvious, were condemned to leadership like Mr. O'neal provides.

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SeamusMartin | Feb 05, 2012, 11:49 AM EST

Jesus only wanted a new covenant. Most theologians feel the closet to what Jesus would have wanted is Messianic Judaism. Regarding O'Neal -- He' s obviously a nut, but one must wonder what's in the water and/or air in Kansas because those folks put him in power. That state also is home to a group of conservative Christians(?) who travel around the country to funerals of military persons that were gay and chant terrible diatribes about the deceased because of their being gay. I think the so-call Xians are a great reason for needing abortion.

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LacarourSeanB | Feb 03, 2012, 09:53 PM EST

Mike O'Neal's comments are categorically deplorable, repugnant and reprehensible. Fully so. Has he the sense to be ashamed?

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LacarourSeanB | Feb 02, 2012, 09:32 PM EST

seanomelb, I am inclined to agree with you Sean. Religion, in all its flavours, can play absolute havoc on a man's faith.

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seanomelb | Feb 02, 2012, 06:19 PM EST

Bibles (new and old testament) should be consigned to the same shelf as the various books on mythology where they belong.

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Heather911 | Feb 02, 2012, 05:28 PM EST

eiriamach No, actually you are still off. Either you have completely misunderstood my post. Did I say Moses taught the difficulties of life? No, that is your own theory. Check yourself on that one. The OT was written based on the Books of the Laws and the downfall of men before Christ's coming. Many did not know the gospel and so they begun to believe in pagan Gods. If you have read any of the first five books of the Bible, you will know this. However, Christians today will sit a listen to some man tell them their theory of the Bible instead of actually reading and studying it themselves. No, I do not need to consult a rabbi. I do not believe in telling a man my sins because he can't forgive me, only God can. I do not believe in consulting a rabbi. If God intends for me to know something, I will know through prayer, meditation, and reading. After all, the downfall of men is enough to prove that you can't trust them.

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McNamara31 | Feb 02, 2012, 05:10 PM EST

For decades Catholics were part of an immigrant church or an uneducated class of good people who had their entire faith taught and interpreted for them by the clergy. Many of us in an attempt to better understand doctrine and the historical origins of our church after Christ and during the many changes and schism that occurred subsequently have found (as eiriamach has mentioned) that both doctrine and interpretation where performed with both a male bias and bias of the times. When one studies how the canons of the Bible were chosen and how the Roman influence with its love of architecture and pomp and ceremony affected and changed our very basic faith and then how our church went from one who had a totally married clergy to one that is now celibate it does change the way we view the evolution of Catholicism over time.

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eiriamach | Feb 02, 2012, 03:21 PM EST

TomSwinford, Thank you for 'getting it.' I too was told by nuns not to read the bible, only the 'bible stories' in our school readers about Abraham's family and Christ's miracles. I think the bible is 'inspired' only in the sense that any great myths of origin and works of wisdom are inspired. The OT contains within it warnings never simply to apply its own proverbs or moral rules from the past without understanding the present situation. It's a polysemous text that offers a multitude of themes and meanings that speak across centuries and cultures, so it's sheer folly to think there is one eternal meaning known only to church authorities. @Jetsnoone, Christ left his story to disciples to tell; he set up no Church authority to do your thinking for you. Being female, I have a problem with the pope claiming for himself and bishops (all male) exclusive authority in interpreting scripture. The USCCB's treatment of Sr. Elizabeth Johnson for having the audacity to explain some of the female-related metaphors in the bible is their latest warning to women not to read scripture. That's incredible anti- Christian arrogance! Doubtless, I'll make as many mistakes as any other reader, but unlike the Catholics on IC who claim their authority to interpret is given by Christ exclusively to men like them, I can recognize and correct my mistakes! That's a wonderful, saving freedom, and I commend it to you and Heather and AmericanGirl.

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jetsnoone | Feb 02, 2012, 10:26 AM EST

Jesus did not come to sit around and read the scriptures all day. He died for our sins and left us His Chruch to guide us.

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jetsnoone | Feb 02, 2012, 10:13 AM EST

eiriamach, I am no bible scholar - growing up in Catholic Ireland there were, incredibly, very few bibles around and we were most definitely not encouraged to read this 'holiest of holy books.' It was the task of the priests to interpret and explain the often unfathomable logic therein. I am quite certain of this much, it was not written by the Hand of God, nor was it devinely inspired, at least not inspired by a God of love and forgiveness. It was written, I believe, by many men, burdened by the the prejudices, hatreds, fears and ignorance of their time - yes, it also contains universdal truths and wisdom as one would expect but hardly the work of God, in my opinion. I respect your knowledge of the bible and your clear ability to sort dear Heather out.

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eiriamach | Feb 02, 2012, 05:03 AM EST

Ah, Heather, I think I understand now--if you don't like a moral rule in the OT, if Christians can't use it to tell us how to live our lives, it's really "pagan," not part of the ancient Hebraic covenant with Yahweh, and Christians should disregard it. The Third Book of Moses, Leviticus, sets out moral rules and rituals of worship for the children of Israel. You tell us Christians should obey the 10 commandments in Exodus 20, but reject whatever in Leviticus comes from paganism. Well, I notice that Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 prohibit men lying with men in the context of priests worshiping the god Molech, priests who practiced ritual male-male prostitution in worship of their pagan idol. When you repeat the condemnations in Lev. 20 as a 21st century Christian, I understand now that you're condemning temple prostitution as a form of worship, not mutual male-male relationships, and that Leviticus says nothing about lesbian sex because the priests of Molech, like Catholic priests today, were all male. Yes, priests should not have sex with prostitutes in church, I agree! Forget Strong's Concordance, Heather911; you need to talk with a rabbi. He or she could teach you about the ancient people from whom Christ was descended, their relationships with God, and the sense of history we inherit from them. BTW, do you think Moses realized his purpose was "to tell you of the difficulties of life without Christ and without the grace of God"?

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Heather911 | Feb 01, 2012, 07:01 PM EST

eiriamach , if I may say this, you seem to be abit mixed up on Leviticus. There is a difference in the Laws and commandments that were written, and then the pagan practices that were conducted. What you speak of, in reference to selling your daughters, that was actually pagan practice. The OT is so confusing and hard to many to understand. I would recommend a Strongs Concordance for actual Hebrew translations. Again, not attacking you on your post, just clarifying that the OT is written with laws, and the ways of the pagan practices. Sometimes people have forgotten that the OT was to tell you of the difficulties of life without Christ and without the grace of God.

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Heather911 | Feb 01, 2012, 06:56 PM EST

Finally, Everyone needs to read the Bible again, and this time, study and pray, because you ALL are wrong! Your views, morals and ethics are wrong. Yes, Christ did say he came to fulfill the laws and not change the laws. That is very much correct. We should still obey the ten commandments right? Think about that! Those commandments were written in the OT, so if you say you do not obey the laws of the OT, that means you do not obey the Commandments????? Think abit on that. Only God can forgive us for our sins. With that being said, Leave it to God when it comes to someone's sin, salvation. Do not judge.

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Heather911 | Feb 01, 2012, 06:51 PM EST

Another thing, You all misunderstand people because you do not put yourself in their shoes. Try that once in awhile. Hollabackgirl, I am not attacking you for this but I do want to use your response as an example of misunderstanding. You stated that Americangirl was a part of the party that promotes the denying of rights to gays, again, her reasons seem to be legit. She voted based on her moms illness and she would be wrong if she didn't. Do not hold that against her for wanting to see her Mother healthy again. Americangirl, do not insult others with names. God called many people fools in the day, be wise with your words.

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