Christians May Have to Follow MLK's Example, Go to Jail, to Protect Religious Freedom, Rep. Frank Wolf Says

WASHINGTON — Christians in the United States may have follow the example of Martin Luther King Jr. and go to jail to defend their religious freedom, Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Virginia, claimed.

"I think evangelicals and people of faith are really going to have to adopt what Martin Luther King did and maybe go to jail and do some things like that," Wolf said Sept. 10 at the American Enterprise Institute's Evangelical Leadership Summit.

Wolf was on a panel with former Congressman and Ambassador Tony Hall. Hall, a Democrat, and Wolf, a Republican, talked about how their friendship and Christian faith helped them overcome their political differences and work together on a number of issues in Congress.

During the Q&A, Wolf was asked to clarify what issue he believes Christians may have to go to jail over and he answered, "religious freedom." He encouraged Christians to read Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas and King's "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" to better understand the sacrifices that Christians must sometimes make in order to bring awareness to an issue.

"There may be a requirement to pay a price," he said.

Hall noted that what enabled them to work together was the trust that developed after spending time together.

"Because we built [our relationship] on the spirit of Jesus, when you pray together, it's awful hard to get mad at one another," he said. "When you pray with one another, how do you go to the floor of the House and start yelling at one another? You can't do it."

When asked how their faith relates to their politics, Wolf began to choke up as he thought about what he would say next.

"At the end of my life, I will have to stand before God and explain, what did I do? What didn't I do? Why do I do it?" he said.

You can watch the whole conversation below: