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Pastors, Politics, and the Unnecessary Divide

Pastors, Politics, and the Unnecessary Divide


This article was originally published on The Stream - Politics. You can read the original article HERE

With only four Sundays remaining until Election Day, how many pastors will be addressing the pivotal campaigns from the pulpit?

If a recent survey is any indication, fewer than ever before.

Lifeway Research reports that nearly a quarter of all pastors refuse to say who they plan to vote for – a significant increase from 2020, when just 4% declined to respond to the question. This year, among pastors likely to vote, 23% claimed they were undecided.

Understandably, pastors are reluctant to wade into what has become a highly contentious and downright toxic season. Many report that even innocuous comments are misconstrued.

But is that a valid reason to retreat into silence?

Not Really

“It is a misconception that pastors cannot address political issues — even ‘hot button’ issues like abortion, same-sex marriage, and gun control — from the pulpit,” writes Jorge Gomez for First Liberty, a Christian nonprofit legal group that specializes in defending religious freedom.

“Any person or entity that attempts to silence a pastor for addressing these issues is violating that pastor’s constitutional rights under the First Amendment. Pastors have every right under the First Amendment to talk about any of those issues, and there’s never been any case in American history that said pastors can’t do that.”

The stark difference between “partisan politics” and “policy issues” is what trips most pastors up, a nuance that many of those shepherding flocks may either be unaware of or unwilling to draw.

But just consider some of the all-important issues on the ballot this November:

Life and death. Sexual confusion. Parental authority. Religious freedom.

These concerns may manifest in candidates’ positions or ballot initiatives. Not only will Americans be choosing the next president, but also the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the United States Senate, as well as numerous state positions.

Try This Instead

To be sure, pastors have long been reluctant to wade into the cultural morass from the pulpit, but this trend is growing at a time when voters are hungry for guidance and direction.

Socially conservative evangelicals don’t expect their pastors to endorse particular candidates — but they do want them to help guide the congregation in making informed choices.

So, don’t mention names — but talk about the pressing issues and questions in the headlines and the consequential subjects trending in social media.

If what Ronald Reagan said is true — that “within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face” — why shouldn’t pastors be talking about real-world problems?

“All through the week I am on the lookout for material that I can use on the Sabbath,” Charles Spurgeon told his students in Britain. “Always keep your eyes and ears open, and you will hear and see angels. The world is full of sermons — catch them on the wing.”

Critical Issues

The Bible has a lot to say about abortion, and so should pastors. We read in Jeremiah, “Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations’” (Jeremiah 1:4-5). It was Isaiah who wrote, “The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name” (Isaiah 49:1).

The Bible has a lot to say about human sexuality, and so should pastors. Scripture is clear that sexual activity outside of marriage is a sin (Hebrews 13:4), and that homosexuality is also outside of God’s design (Romans 1:26-27).

The Bible has a lot to say about the fact that parents have authority over their children, and pastors should talk about that, too. Whether noted in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12), or Paul’s reiteration of it while writing to the Ephesians, children are to “honor [their] father and mother” (Ephesians 6:2-3).

The Bible may not specifically address religious freedom, but Jesus models it by not demanding that everyone worship Him. True faith also is never coerced.

Despite all these issues — abortion, human sexuality, parental authority, and religious freedom — all being biblical issues, pastors may nevertheless shy away from addressing them in the modern context out of fear of tipping their hand or hat to a particular party or candidate.

That’s a mistake.

American Christians are pleading and praying to be led, educated, inspired, and instructed. There is no better person to guide and direct them than a pastor who possesses the truth of the Word of God.

Paul J. Batura is the vice president of communications at Focus on the Family.

This article was originally published by The Stream - Politics. We only curate news from sources that align with the core values of our intended conservative audience. If you like the news you read here we encourage you to utilize the original sources for even more great news and opinions you can trust!

Read Original Article HERE



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