Christians & politics

Why can't pastors endorse candidates from the pulpit?

Chew upon that question for a bit. Please. In your own mind, formulate a biblical and/or constitutional reason that pastors cannot or should not discuss politics and government from the pulpit. Don't read on just yet.

What do you think? Ah, but more important, what do you know?

The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), the conservative version of the ACLU, has encouraged pastors to challenge a 1954 law which stated that non-profits could not endorse politically. It seems that congress, at the impetus of then Congressman Lyndon Baines Johnson, made a law abridging the free exercise of religion by determing what a pastor could and could not say. Church's had been non-profits long before this law; LBJ's twist simply curtailed what could and could not be said.

The Constitution was never intended to limit civil freedoms but to limit government excesses. Amendment one in the Bill of Rights specifically targeted Congress about making laws that restricted or limited religion. Period.

The ADF gave the push to pastors to preach away in the face of an unconstitutional law, and that they would cover any legal consequences.

Why can't pastors weigh candidates from the pulpit in the scales of biblical truth? They can. And biblically speaking, they must. Why haven't they? Fear that their tax-exempt status would be revoked. The IRS specifically forbids the attempt to "influence legislation" and to "intervene in political campaigns." The IRS pamphlet (and thus the law) specifically states:

...(P)ublic statements of position (verbal or written) made by or on behalf of the organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign activity. Violation of this prohibition may result in denial or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of certain excise tax.

The point behind church tax-exemption is two-fold. First, it's income is not for profit. It is to sustain the pastorate and to further the ministry. For the Christian, it is to glorify God. Because no one seeks wealth through the church (perfect world), the government has not taxed the church.

The second reason is more important. If the church is not beholden to the state in its taxation, the church remains free and unencumbered to speak freely and against the state if necessary. Our Founders saw what happened when the state intervened in the Church of England; it became a puppet and a mouthpiece for the government, neutered of all ability to speak against it. In recent past, the impotence of most churches during World War II evidences the dangers of churches beholden to the state.

In the last century, as the distortion of "separation between church and state" began to metastasize, the state began to muzzle the church. Ironically, it was in 1934 that Congress first stated that the church could not "influence legislation."

Because the church is the chief organization by which the state is held morally accountable, it's imperative in our nation and by its Constitution that churches be free to comment on all aspects of life.

It's not surprising that the secular would attempt to mute the church's microphone, but it's discouraging when it comes from within the church. Earlier this week, Cal Thomas wrote a piece titled "Pulpit Bullies" where he took pastors and the ADF to task for preaching the political. Sadly, he takes very important parts of the Bible out of context. Certainly, the Christian is to obey government...as long as government does not counter God's word. When that occurs (i.e. muzzling the pastor), the Christian must decide whether they will obey God or man (Acts 4:18-20, 5:29).

Alan Sears gives a much better look at the Christian and politics in his piece "When government gets a hold of our churches" Here's a taste.

"Shouldn’t a group devoted to the “separation of church and state” want the IRS kept out of places of worship? Shouldn’t a group dedicated to civil liberties want a stake in securing the freedom of religious leaders to speak freely? The fact that groups like AU (Americans United for the Separation of Church and State) and the ACLU won’t support this Pulpit Initiative says much more about their agenda than the intent of ADF."

Please don't believe that pastors must be silent about politics. It's not biblical and it's not constitutional. Encourage your pastor and your parishioners to speak!

**Note: My pastor's been covering the distinctives of our denomination. His last two Wednesday night messages (here and here) have covered this very issue. A nutritious listen!