California pastor Jack Hibbs responds to Democrat criticism of his prayer to Congress.

Who knew prayer could be so offensive to so many?

As one of the guest chaplains, House Speaker Mike Johnson invited Hibbs, pastor of mega church Calvary Chapel in Chino Hills, California, to deliver the invocation on Jan. 30.

In his prayer, Hibbs requested "humility and repentance for national sins during a time of great need."

In a letter addressed to Speaker Johnson, 26 Democrats accused Hibbs of being an ill-qualified hate preacher who was pushing a Christian nationalist agenda, according to a Roll Call account in mid-February.

Planet Chronicle reached out to the Speaker's Office for comment.

In a recent episode of "Lighthouse Faith" podcast, Pastor Hibbs responded to the Democrats' accusations by stating, "I was honored to pray, and what many people don't realize is that two-thirds of my prayer was derived from ancient prayers from 1774."

The First Prayer of the Continental Congress, given by the Rev. Jacob Duche, rector of Christ Church of Philadelphia, on Sept. 7, 1774, was being referred to by Hibbs.

We implore you, O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who reigns over all the Kingdoms, Empires, and Governments from your throne and sees all the inhabitants of the earth, to show mercy on our American States. These states have sought refuge in you from the oppressive ruler and have placed their trust in your gracious protection. We ask that you continue to govern them with uncontrolled power supreme.

"This is just part of their way of labeling and is void of fact."

According to Rep. Huffman's website, Reps. Jared Huffman of California, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin were the top organizers and signers of the two-page letter.

The January 6th insurrection was aided by Pastor Hibbs, who is a radical Christian nationalist.

Hibbs stated to Planet Chronicle, "I am impressed because I was unaware of my power. This labeling is devoid of fact."

Radical Christian nationalists are being labeled and vilified by progressives, echoing the language used by Adolf Hitler and other ideologues such as communists, Marxists, and socialists.

Dr. Alex McFarland, a theologian, author, and speaker from North Carolina, stated that the term "Christian nationalism" was primarily coined by the left to instill fear in liberals and almost equate it with terrorism.

If being a Christian nationalist makes me proud, then I am one, as stated by McFarland: 'I love God. I love my country.'

Hibbs concurred, stating, "A Christian nationalist is a follower of Christianity who resides in a country. As per Jeremiah 29:7, one should prioritize the well-being of the city where they reside for the benefit of all."

The letter doesn't even mention the actual prayer that Pastor Hibbs shared on Jan. 30.

The letter to Speaker Johnson was not only about what Hibbs prayed before Congress.

The letter criticizes Hibbs' preaching and stands, stating that he has a history of spreading hateful rhetoric towards non-Christians, immigrants, and members of the LGBTQ community. The writer believes that Hibbs should not have been allowed to deliver the House's opening prayer on January 30, 2024.

Hibbs is also under fire from the atheist group Freedom From Religion.

The Internal Revenue Service is being called upon to revoke the tax-exempt status of Hibbs' church due to his endorsement of Republican Senate candidate Steve Garvey from the pulpit.

Morality, deciding what is good or bad, is implicitly founded in religious values, not science.

Hibbs has since apologized for violating laws barring churches from supporting political candidates.

Hibbs' prayer could be another instance of a clash of beliefs in political circles. Roll Call reported that Huffman identifies as a "nonreligious humanist."

He, along with Raskin, founded the Congressional Freethought Caucus.

The stated mission is to promote public policy based on reason, science, and moral values, which could be the conflict in a nutshell.

Theologians generally concur that individuals cannot be entirely non-religious, and that taking a neutral stance on religion is impossible; we are all invested in the potential spiritual narrative of creation.

Religious values, rather than science, implicitly determine morality by defining what is good or bad.

In a debate with atheist Richard Dawkins, Dr. John Lennox, a mathematician and Christian apologist from Oxford University, stated that while science can predict the consequences of adding arsenic to Aunt Tilley's tea, it cannot determine whether or not it is morally right to do so.

In a sermon on exclusivity, Dr. Timothy Keller stated that "religion, broadly speaking, is a collection of responses to the fundamental inquiries of existence."

He pondered, "What is the purpose of our existence? What are the ethical guidelines for humans to follow? What is the root cause of humanity's problems, and how can we resolve them? How do we determine what is right and wrong? What should we prioritize our time and energy towards?"

He added, "Operating in life requires answers to questions, which are implicitly religious."

It appears that politics today is more of a spiritual battleground than a platform for public servants to diplomatically determine what's best for the country.

The ongoing conflict between Hibbs and a group of Democrats is merely one aspect of an escalating war of ideals.