Churches: Watch Your Politics
There is a need for Christians to be politically active, and by active, I mean actually looking into politicians yourself, not following some cart, handout, or other guides on Christian voting. I read more liberal blogs than conservative because I know my Christian viewpoint, and it learns for towards the conservative side, but reading more from liberals helps balance it out. I see their view, and they do a good job of pointing out contradictions on politicians who claim to be Christians. I make my own opinion based on what I’ve read about candidates from their own sites, and political blogs. That being said, it’s obvious that I am a politically active Christian. Churches, however, need to act very wisely on anything they do. Standing up for issues of importance such as abortion, is a great thing to do. Promoting a candidate, or possibly standing up for a candidate, is crossing the line.
Why? Because. It’s something the church needs to stay away from so that churches aren’t used for a political platform. Individuals in the church will all have separate political views and vote for different candidates. A church deciding to support a candidate is also implying that the members of the church. Let’s take a mega-church in an example. I’ll pick Lifechurch, okay? So, let’s say that next Sunday the pastor of Lifechurch, Craig Groeschel, stands before everyone and announces that Lifechurch supports Joe Biden. Biden will have one of the largest churches in America saying they support him. This will change the way people view the church and it’s members. The members have a horrible position in where they have to openly agree or quietly disagree with this decision.
Outsiders may shun the church because of the political association with the candidate, and if the candidate does something that contradicts Lifechurch’s beliefs, then the church will be criticized for their decision to support him. This would also raise questions as to the motive of the church. Do they believe that this person would be the right president or is it someone’s own agenda?
Lastly, the IRS will take away the church’s non-profit status. IRS regulations on churches promoting candidates will prevent them from being a non-profit organization. One church is being investigated right now for it.
So, My advice to churches would be to point out the issues of Christian concern, but then empower the church members with fair and balanced (not Fox News fair and balanced, real fair and balanced) resources to make a political decision of their own.
0 comments| Posted: Jun 7, 02:54 PM in blog, by Jeremy Emberling