Gov. Stitt quoted Scripture in a recent speech, but religious leaders are taking issue. Here's why.

Gov. Kevin Stitt's religious rhetoric has drawn criticism once again, this time from a group of mostly Christian ministers.

In an op-ed/open letter, the group of religious leaders said they take issue with the governor's recent State of the State address, which was heavily laden with Christian Scripture and commentary. The clergy said among other things, they think Stitt quoted Scripture out of context when he delivered his address on Monday at the Oklahoma Capitol.

"He began by referring to 1 Corinthians 12:14, which reads, 'Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.' What Paul goes on to say is that these 'parts of the body' cannot function without one another, and that the parts should have 'mutual concern for each other,'" the letter stated.

"Does that inform how you set about working with the sovereign tribal nations here in the state?" the letter continued. "How does it shape the way you are thinking about immigration? How could this passage impact you when you sign legislation that further marginalizes trans kids who are also part of this body?"

More than 20 ministers from several denominations signed letter in response to Gov. Kevin Stitt

The Rev. Chris Moore, lead pastor of Fellowship Congregational Church in Tulsa, said he and other spiritual leaders felt it was important to respond to Stitt's remarks. He said what struck them the most was primarily Stitt's use of Scripture.

"Conversations were happening on the topic amongst all of us," Moore said.

Stitt did not respond to requests for comment about the clergy's letter.

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More than 20 ministers had signed the letter by Friday morning, representing different Christian denominations including United Church of Christ; Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); United Methodist; and National Baptist Convention USA, the nation's largest Black Baptist denomination. A Tulsa rabbi is also among the signatories.

Moore said the biggest issue he had with Stitt's remarks was his "editing" or paraphrasing of a Bible verse from the Book of Joshua. Stitt said: "As I conclude, I want to declare: As for me and my state, we will serve the Lord."

Moore said Stitt took Joshua's meaning out of context.

"If you read that passage in context, he's (Joshua) with a group of people and he's saying, 'This is what I'm gonna do. You all need to choose what you're gonna do,'" Moore said.

"That's my OKIE paraphrase of Joshua, but it is the exact opposite of what the leader of the state was saying, as if he was speaking for everybody in the state."

The Rev. Don Heath, co-pastor of Disciples Christian Church (formerly Edmond Trinity Christian Church, Disciples of Christ) in Edmond, said he signed the letter because he took issue with many of Stitt's connections to Christianity in the State of the State address.

"It turns people away from church because they associate the church with these right-wing visions ― when the loudest speakers in the public square is the politicians," Heath said.

Gov. Kevin Stitt has drawn criticism from religious leaders before

Stitt was lambasted in 2022 after he was heard on a video claiming "every square inch" of Oklahoma for Jesus. Leaders with the Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma and the Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City spoke out against the governor's statement at the time. They were joined in opposing his remarks by national groups like the American Jewish Committee, a national Jewish advocacy group, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

The local and national groups essentially said the governor's statement seemed to imply that the Christian faith was superior to non-Christian faiths and his words excluded non-Christians and people of no faith who live in Oklahoma.

Stitt met with Jewish leaders from Oklahoma City and Tulsa in February 2023 after they asked to discuss his remarks with him. In recent months, some Jewish faith community leaders have said they were grateful to Stitt for his public stand in solidarity with Israel, in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on the Middle Eastern nation and the resulting Israel-Hamas war.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma religious leaders criticize Gov. Stitt's use of Scripture