Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) apologized Tuesday after condemning basic Christian theology as “bigoted.”
Ohio Republican Elizabeth Marbach, who previously worked for the Ohio Republican Party and Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, tweeted on Tuesday that there is “no hope for any of us outside of having faith in Jesus Christ alone.”
The rather innocuous statement, a central tenet of Christian theology, prompted a strong response from Miller, who is Jewish. The Republican lawmaker demanded that Marbach delete her social media post because, in his eyes, she had gone “too far” in her bigotry.
“This is one of the most bigoted tweets I have ever seen. Delete it, Lizzie,” Miller responded. “Religious freedom in the United States applies to every religion. You have gone too far.”
In a follow-up, Miller added, “God says that Jewish people are the chosen ones, but yet you say we have no hope. Thanks for your pearl of wisdom today.”
The complicated theological and historical relationship between Jews and Christians aside, conservative commentator Matt Walsh quickly pointed out the problem with Miller’s decision to attack Marbach: Ohio is overwhelmingly Republican and full of residents who self-identify as Christians. Thus attacking Christianity is not wise.
“As a GOP congressman from Ohio why in the world would you think it a good idea to condemn someone as bigoted for professing their Christian faith and demand that they delete it?” he said in response to Miller.
After all, Marbach was not suggesting that the U.S. government adopt Christianity as the official state religion and persecute followers of other religions. She was simply using social media in the same manner that everyone uses it: to share her perspective about a topic that is important to her.
Miller’s post, which received nearly 8 million views on X (formally Twitter), generated a wave of backlash to which the Republican lawmaker responded with an apology.
“I posted something earlier that conveyed a message I did not intend. I will not try to hide my mistake or run from it,” he said late on Tuesday. “I sincerely apologize to Lizzie and to everyone who read my post.”
Marbach, who did not back down, graciously accepted the apology.
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