I have enjoyed this political season, not the least reason for which is the lack of any intense political thrust coming from the church I currently attend. While the election may come up in a casual pulpit remark, the general thrust is that we do not “do politics” from the pulpit. I gather that this is pastor-driven but accepted and even welcomed by church leadership. Personally, I don’t think the pastor could add anything to what I already know about local or national politics. There is not any group or even individual that I know of who complains that the church is inadequately political engaged.
There is a marked contrast in this posture, apolitical, and that of other Southern Baptist churches in my area. When I retired and had a chance to visit a number of churches, I found that around certain national holidays and election days, the pastor’s hair was set on fire and he was likely to offer a vein-popping, apoplectic semi-biblical sermon on the latest national outrage and on the country being fast-tracked towards Gehenna. Such were a waste of a good Sunday mornings that might have been spent on the Gospel and the worship of our Great God and Savior.
I suppose this puts me at odds with my religo-political colleagues (sometimes better described as the politico-religious brethren) who think the church, your local church, is at the same time (a) the cause of America’s descent into moral miasma, and also (b) the key to America getting back on track. Hubris is not unknown among us brethren.
Here are a few observations about the church and politics.
- Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. That goes far beyond the outrage du jour and even some of the appalling moral issues of our day. It has been held out for about 40 years now that the key to America’s survival and prosperity is in electing the next Republican president and his Supreme Court appointments. We have elected Republican presidents about half the time, and the times we did not Southern Baptist presidents were elected (three times) and one who declared himself to be a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. A man from Mars might wonder exactly what these screaming SBC preachers are expecting to get out of the next election.
- We have often been embarrassed in our political thrusts. Here in Georgia, our lobbyist compared legislators that were on the “wrong” side of a certain issue to Nazis. Our state leader explained this away as just being a historical reference. It didn’t much matter to church folks who mostly didn’t pay attention anyway but it did matter to our relationship with state representatives. We’ve now been asked to come out in the hundreds and repair the damage.
- By taking the typical partisan, that would be Republican in this state, stance we quickly alienate non-whites that we are trying to reach. If an African-American Christian has an interest in an SBC church that does the usual voter guide, pulpit push for the GOP candidate, they will likely not be comfortable. Most African-American Christian voters favored Clinton, 88%. Two-thirds of Latino voters voted for Clinton. Public contempt for Clinton, including forays into misogyny, cheap-shot ridicule and disdain is often heard from the pulpit. One pastor, the next Donald Trump in his own mind, was big on Twitter with his latest political nuggets, not a few were highly offensive to Latinos and minorities (few in number) and women (many in number) in his church. It is better to be non-partisan in church services. Some issues are worthy of mention, as is the general Christian duty to participate. A considerable proportion of SBC church plants are non-Anglo. Chances are their congregants do not see political questions as do the aging and diminishing numbers of white SBC members.
- Haven’t we learned that there is not a clear “Christian” position on most political issues? Under this may be put: most foreign policy questions, healthcare matters, most economic questions, immigration. Christians and Christian churches are on both sides (or on many of the various facets) of these questions.
- It isn’t clear to many what we are aiming for. The church should be heard on the great moral issues of the day but in the context that we are a minority voice and that there is not a political solution to many of these. Abortion is legal. It will be legal in most states even if nine Scalias rose from the dead and were put on the bench and overturned Roe v. Wade. The state is perfectly free to call marriage anything they wish. No church or minister need agree nor need they participate in civil marriage ceremonies. None have ever been coerced into performing a marriage against their will.
- We’ve now essentially abandoned any character qualifications for the presidency, so what is it exactly that we are standing for? We have the perplexing history of opposing every Southern Baptist presidential candidate and supporting the non-Christian candidate who is running against the declared Christian who is running. In Trump’s case, I make no judgment about his spiritual condition. Our members may be a bit flummoxed about all this if they hear their hair-on-fire preacher make regular excursions into partisan politics.
But let’s agree: What a great country! We can have surprises without civil wars and institutional meltdowns. Maybe we should listen to some expats here who look at our Republicans and Democrats and say, “You guys are in an alternate universe here. Your two party system is not much more than Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Come over to the U.K. (or France, Italy, Germany) if you want to see real contrast in political parties.”
My churches generally went with the voter guides, those tendentious pro-Republican handouts that always popped up around election times. I’d pass of those in favor of prayer for the president and all elected officials along with a focus on changing hearts, then minds.
I could argue against myself on most of these six points and am curious about how my colleagues, particularly the younger ones, see the church and politics these days.
“””It will be legal in most states even if nine Scalias rose from the dead and were put on the bench and overturned Roe v. Wade.””” Killing a baby while she is being born WAS illegal before Roe v. Wade (only 5 justices) made it legal.
States were NOT free to allow marriage between two men, or two women, or a man and two women, or a man or woman and his dog, before our day.
I’m not sure that I share the same view of the insignificant of the Supreme Court in these regards that you share.
As you said, “I could argue against myself on most of these six points.” These are not “easy” issues to navigate. On that I agree completely. I don’t think they are issues for which the Bible does not give ample and clear direction on how to move forward.
The fact that “88 percent of Blacks,” or any other majority feel uncomfortable with preaching that is morally based commentary on the politics of our day, should not determine whether a message is or is not preached.
If making people feel comfortable is the goal of any church, then I don’t think the words of the Bible are going to be a help in many cases.
I do appreciate your offering this perspective to get a conversation started. These six points are a good foundation. Thank you.
Abortion was legal on some basis in a number of states pre-Roe. I’d welcome you or anyone outlining the biblical position on any of the list I offered.
William:
A solid post.
I agree with much of what you have written.
I cannot tell you how my pastor voted. He has not said. I will never ask him.
The people in our church don’t know.
I am forthcoming with my opinions, but at church and on FB, those communities, for me, are more broad. If I utter and opinion, it is rare.
Because of our pastor’s, and our church’s commitment, we have a variety of people in our church of different stripes. I see their FB posts, and some of them are jumping off of buildings over this election, and others are elated.
It is very hard to address issues and not step on toes politically sometimes.
For example, we are a prolife church, but we don’t have political prolife events at the church. So there is an issue where it’s tough.
The one issue I would take with your article is the belief that Christians have no moral standard for elected office. I believe that Christians do have a standard. It is just a very complex calculation when voting.
I teach our men’s bible study, and I love to talk (and argue) politics and we used to do it regularly at men’s study. I had to shut it off. One, it generates a lot of anger that came within a hair’s breadth to becoming racist. President Obama generated hatred like no one I’ve ever seen. It also generated Islamophobia. I have to regularly remind our people that things like capitalism, and gun control are political issues but are not Christian issues. There are Christian pacifists and Christian socialists. I told them just last week that if we had a visitor who was not as politically conservative as they were, they would likely feel very unwelcome. Since I shut down the political talk, study goes much smoother, although conversation is still peppered with Obama and Clinton cracks.
Bill Mac:
That is great.
I am very much in favor of economic freedom, as opposed to planned economies, and I believe that to be consistent with Christian values. But I don’t claim any scriptural warrant for my position, and I certainly don’t try to drag Jesus into it.
I will push back against those who try to use the Sermon on the Mount and other statements from Jesus as supporting socialism or planned economies.
In my opinion, Jesus did not come to provide us details about an economic system. I believe that Christians and all people should use wisdom in this area in determining which economic policies are most just and productive.
Agreed
“You say that you think slavery is wrong, but you denounce all attempts to restrain it. Is there anything else that you think wrong, that you are not willing to deal with as a wrong? Why are you so careful, so tender of this one wrong and no other? You will not let us do a single thing as if it was wrong; there is no place where you will allow it to be even called wrong! We must not call it wrong in the Free States, because it is not there, and we must not call it wrong in the Slave States because it is there; we must not call it wrong in politics because that is bringing morality into politics, and we must not call it wrong in the pulpit because that is bringing politics into religion; we must not bring it into the Tract Society or the other societies, because those are such unsuitable places, and there is no single place, according to you, where this wrong thing can properly be called wrong!” – Abraham Lincoln, 1860
Were churches wrong to address slavery?
Lincoln also said, regarding slavery ‘rights’, “You do not have the right to do wrong.”
I mentioned immigration policy, health care policy, most foreign policy and economic policy questions. Not slavery. I’m open to your making a case for the revealed biblical position on these.
Thank you William for a good summary and analysis of our recent activities in the political arena. I find myself agreeing with much of what you have written, but would like to broaden our thinking concerning the bigger picture. As stated often on this web site, our first allegiance is to God’s kingdom, the Lord Jesus Christ and the advancement of the gospel. We are citizens of two cities with our heavenly citizenship taking ultimate priority.
However, I do not think we should be apolitical as Christians, and I don’t think that is what you said. We must be careful about bringing the political conflicts and disagreements into our sermons and fellowships as churches. At the beginning of the election process in 2016, I did make some comments and references to our nation and the election issues; but it was very limited. I did say that Donald wouldn’t be an effective president because it would take him too long to fix his hair each day. But I now retract that statement.
Here is an adjustment that I think we need to make as Christians. We must always live to represent Christ as His word instructs. But we live in a very different nation that most of the people of world history has ever seen. As you noted, it is a great country in many ways. But I think Christians in the USA seem to wait until hot issues appear or when election time comes, and then try to change our society. We are citizens of the United States and our Constitution lays the ultimate power for our nation not with the Supreme Court, the Congress or the Administrative Branch, but with to “we the people.”
I think we find it easier to pontificate our doctrines to the world during election time, then forget about it the rest of the year until the next hot election appears. It is easier to blame our elected leaders and government officials for all our ills rather than being involved in the process at every level throughout the year. As light, believers are to proclaim the gospel to a lost and dark world. But as salt, we are to
influence the world, not just in the election season, but through our vocations, service, works and political involvement. In other words, I think we are rather lazy when it comes to the real political process which continues every day, week and month of the year. I think we should work together more cooperatively to generate change in our society with real solutions to poverty, education, economics and moral issues such as crime. Instead of being apolitical in our daily lives, I think we, as the people of God, should be more involved at the local, state and national level. Granted, it is not easy; but I believe it is part of our responsibility to influence our communities and nation as salt as well as light. And just a footnote, I am not a liberal nor do I think we can legislate revival or bring the millennium through politics or government programs.
Furthermore, I don’t think pastors will be the key to making the impact that we can have. I think our godly church members and lay-people are better at this than we are. I know this sounds like pie in the sky; but I think we are a slothful bunch of Christians in America who would rather complain and argue with each other than actually get something done. I am certainly not the model for Christian influence, But I pray that we can have a bigger influence on our society through prayer, godly living, hard work and effective political participation. “We the people” have the greatest responsibility in the USA. I am afraid we don’t really want that responsibility. To whom much is given, much is required.