After four years of presiding in the North Dakota Senate, I am very familiar with the manner in which the senators respect the protocol and dignity of their deliberative body.

Back in those days, we had members who were very dogmatic in their own ways – liberals, moderates and conservatives – just as we do today. But they didn’t let their ideology crush a chaplain. And even when they disagreed, they held their peace and respected each other.

However, for the first time in my memory we had a couple of senators who broke the demeanor of the body by turning their backs on the guest chaplain praying over the body.

Senators Michael Wobbema (Valley City) and Janne Myrdal (Edinburg) both dissed Rev. Dr. Leanne Simmons, a Presbyterian pastor, as she acknowledged the diversity and the need to honor all humans.

Apparently, both senators thought that Reverend Simmons was attempting to influence the body when transgender bills were on the calendar.

Prayful Lobbying?

Myrdal excused herself by claiming that “people lobbying from the prayer pulpit is something we don’t believe in.”

Pastor Simmons may have thought the senators needed to be reminded about the equality of all people and the Creator. As for lobbying from the desk, Ms. Myrdal has not been in the Senate long enough to pick up on other prayerful lobbying by other chaplains.

If the decorum of the Senate is too much, perhaps the two senators ought to consider retiring.

So far, we have discussed only the misbehavior of legislators in a secular setting. But this issue is more than secular. It really originates in the theology of the Christian believers.

Religious Issue

So the real question here is about the appearance of a religious issue in a secular body. We have to assume that the two senators were protesting against Christian behavior as taught in scripture.

Putting their religious beliefs to the test of the New Testament, they were found wanting. In fact, their behavior embarrassed the Republican Majority, the Senate and the State of North Dakota. And it shamed the Gospel.

If they are professing Christians, they should wonder whether or not Jesus would have turned his back to insult the proceedings. That’s a fair question for issues that are taken from scripture and put on the eighth order.

Demeaning People

Professing Christians have had a heyday demeaning people who have the burden of an abnormal sexual orientation. Even though the Bible suggests that the practice of abnormal sexual behavior is a matter of choice, that is not true.

Who would choose to be lesbian or homosexual? The relationships are difficult; for many the pain is great. Thoughts of suicide come up.

There is the case of Paul Barnes, pastor of a 2,000-member church in Denver who confessed to being a homosexual and reported how he was attracted to males since he was five years old. He cried and prayed that God will lift this inclination. Instead he was discovered and maligned.

A Christian Dilemma

So we have a dilemma as Christians. Do we take the Bible literally or do we concede that sexual orientation is innate?

Sexual orientation is a lifestyle issue. For Christians, all lifestyle issues are between God and the believer. But some of us are so zealous that we want to break into this God-believer relationship when it really isn’t any of our business.

It appears that the two senators not only violated the decorum of the Senate but they also meddled in relationships outside of their jurisdiction.

Lloyd Omdahl is a former lieutenant governor of North Dakota and former political science professor at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.