After two months of prayer and deliberation, I have decided I will not pray for a “President” Biden, especially in the context of public worship. Yes, I can pray for those in authority. I can pray for enemies as in the Litany. But I will not be praying for “the President of the United States” as such after January 20th for four years.
Among the consequences of stealing an election through fraud and other illegality should be that the thief should be regarded as illegitimate by significant numbers and in significant contexts. That goes double if the thief was aware of the election fraud. And what appears to be the biggest Freudian Slip in history indicates that Biden knew. Biden knew, in his own words, about "most extensive & inclusive voter fraud organization in the history of American politics."
So I cannot conscientiously in private or public worship lend legitimacy to a “President” Biden by praying for him as President. I can certainly pray for those in authority, e. g. for “all Christian Rulers and Magistrates.” I, of course, can pray for our country. But I will not join the pretence that Biden will be a legitimate President of the United States by praying for him as such.
Yes, a case can be made for praying for him as POTUS anyway, and I have no problem with those who do (although I will not join them). An obvious argument is that St. Paul urged praying for the Emperor even when he was a rather nasty man. The difference here is that the highest secular authority in the United States is not a man, as in the Roman Empire of Paul’s time, but the Constitution. And the Constitution was run over roughshod to steal the election. Bypassing state legislatures to tear up election laws to steal the election is a prominent example of that.
The Founding Fathers wisely set up this country to be under the Rule of Law, not the rule of emperors or kings or tyrants. And as long as the Constitution remains, even if only theoretically, there is no obligation under God to treat an illegitimate President as legitimate. (Whether it is wise to do as a practical matter is another question.)
So although I respect those who respectfully disagree, I have made my decision.
Now for those wondering about the rubrics, if I read them accurately, there is no requirement in my jurisdiction to use any prayer that specifically mentions the President of the United States. There is one exception that I am aware of: the Litany includes a prayer for God “so to rule the heart of thy servant, the President of the United States, that he may above all things seek thine honour and glory.”
So if I make a “mistake” while praying the Litany, let the reader understand.
And after the events of yesterday, I will add that refusing to recognize the legitimacy of a “President” Biden should be non-violent. The violence perpetrated by some of the protesters yesterday was not only wrong, it was stupid. With Trump’s speech and with numerous objectors to the Electoral College in Congress, yesterday was well on the way to spotlighting the election fraudsters as the bad guys. But because of the violent foolishness, the day ended up making Trump and his supporters look like the bad guys and completely distracted from the villainy of the stolen election. Thus it was not only wrong and harmful, it was stupid and self-defeating as political violence generally is.
And numerous and manifold non-violent ways to oppose the coming fraudulent Biden regime remain. My refusal to recognize him as President in public and private worship is only one modest example.
