Pastors who endorse Political candidates?

[Lamb]

Have you been to a church where the pastor endorses political candidates? How did they go about doing it?

 

[tango]

Have you been to a church where the pastor endorses political candidates? How did they go about doing it?

Not a pastor, but a guest speaker, some years ago. The one and only time I ever walked out of church in disgust during a sermon (not my current church, I should add).

The speaker seemed to have nothing to say except for endless digs at the newly elected president. Politically I agreed with the speaker - I wanted the other candidate to win - but I don't believe political partisanship belongs in the pulpit.

 

[Albion]

Have you been to a church where the pastor endorses political candidates? How did they go about doing it?

I cannot remember that happening in any church while I was there, and it's widely understood that sermonizing about partisan politics is unwise. However, the general political leanings of the pastor are a different matter, as is any controversy that has arisen over a government policy that goes against Christian moral principles.

 

[tango]

I cannot remember that happening in any church while I was there, and it's widely understood that sermonizing about partisan politics is unwise. However, the general political leanings of the pastor are a different matter, as is any controversy that has arisen over a government policy that goes against Christian moral principles.

Interestingly, after eight years of attending my church I have no idea which way my pastor votes. I've never really discussed political matters with him. I couldn't even tell you whether he votes at all.

People who know me know my political leanings, they aren't a secret. If I'm in the pulpit I may talk about a specific social issue that political parties have different stances on, but from the pulpit I never promote one party or one candidate above another.

 

[Josiah]

I welcome pastors speaking to ISSUES, one's that the Bible clearly addresses. Now, it may be that those are issues currently in debate in government ... and that MAY be yet another reason to address it. But I'm not in favor of supporting individual politicians.

Christianity (and religions in general) have a LONG history of dancing with government - sometimes being joined at the hip. And this rarely goes well for religion. Politicians simply are better with power issues and using people for their own purposes. The alliance often helps politicians but rarely helps faith and religion.

And beware - politicians care about POWER. And as a result, often aren't consistent or trustworthy in matters of faith and morality. I'm a Republican and VERY pro-life (that's the single greatest issue for me in the voting booth). But I know.... Ronald Reagan and the first George Bush were very pro-choice until they ran for national office and then did a 180 in order to get the party's nomination. Clinton and Gore did the opposite - both very pro-life until they ran for national office and then did a 180 to become pro-choice. Sadly this sort of thing is not unusual. Even in colonial times - some of our early presidents were not men of faith, didn't go to church - yet they'd quote from the Bible and pray a lot in order to get Christians to THINK they were one of us. Christians should be... well... not gullible, not used. When we dance together, Christians tend to be the partner that gets stepped on.

Just saying...


- Josiah

 

[Faith]

Have you been to a church where the pastor endorses political candidates? How did they go about doing it?

Sort of. When I was Catholic a priest gave a homily prior to a Presidential election and implied to us that if we didn’t vote for a (the) pro life candidate we’d go to hell.

 

[Josiah]

Sort of. When I was Catholic a priest gave a homily prior to a Presidential election and implied to us that if we didn’t vote for a (the) pro life candidate we’d go to hell.

Well.... I don't know about the "hell" part (LOL) but I think it's okay for a pastor to teach that we should vote our morality and values. We should not leave our Christianity at home when we go to the polls.

I do not vote to any candidate who is pro-choice (at least that is in a position to promote that infanticide). If I had lived 250 years ago, I also would not have voted for anyone who was pro-slavery. Sometimes, a candidates values and morality disqualifies them.

Not voting for someone because of their stand on moral issues seems better than a lot of the reasons I hear ("He's got orange skin" "He's not a Black woman" "My union told me not to" Etc.)




.

 

[tango]

Well.... I don't know about the "hell" part (LOL) but I think it's okay for a pastor to teach that we should vote our morality and values. We should not leave our Christianity at home when we go to the polls.

I do not vote to any candidate who is pro-choice (at least that is in a position to promote that infanticide). If I had lived 250 years ago, I also would not have voted for anyone who was pro-slavery. Sometimes, a candidates values and morality disqualifies them.

Not voting for someone because of their stand on moral issues seems better than a lot of the reasons I hear ("He's got orange skin" "He's not a Black woman" "My union told me not to" Etc.)

There's no reason to leave our values at home (and equally no reason for anyone else, regardless of their faith, to leave their values behind).

The problem is when someone else tries to tell us which values are superior to which other values. You listed abortion as being one of your primary drivers (if not the primary driver), but for someone else their primary driver might be some other social or economic issue.

As you say (here, and in another post) there's no reason why issues of the day shouldn't be addressed from the pulpit. Personally I'm wary of promoting one party's approach to a social issue over another party's approach, simply because it becomes needlessly divisive and has a high chance of turning people off to the rest of the message. It seems like a shame if a sermon that might prompt some change ends up losing its potency because it turns into a party political message.

 

[Faith]

There's no reason to leave our values at home (and equally no reason for anyone else, regardless of their faith, to leave their values behind).

The problem is when someone else tries to tell us which values are superior to which other values. You listed abortion as being one of your primary drivers (if not the primary driver), but for someone else their primary driver might be some other social or economic issue.

As you say (here, and in another post) there's no reason why issues of the day shouldn't be addressed from the pulpit. Personally I'm wary of promoting one party's approach to a social issue over another party's approach, simply because it becomes needlessly divisive and has a high chance of turning people off to the rest of the message. It seems like a shame if a sermon that might prompt some change ends up losing its potency because it turns into a party political message.

The priest scared my friend and I both into voting for Trump when neither of us wanted to. And I’m pro life but for ME, that’s not the only issue.

 

[Faith]

Well.... I don't know about the "hell" part (LOL) but I think it's okay for a pastor to teach that we should vote our morality and values. We should not leave our Christianity at home when we go to the polls.

I do not vote to any candidate who is pro-choice (at least that is in a position to promote that infanticide). If I had lived 250 years ago, I also would not have voted for anyone who was pro-slavery. Sometimes, a candidates values and morality disqualifies them.

Not voting for someone because of their stand on moral issues seems better than a lot of the reasons I hear ("He's got orange skin" "He's not a Black woman" "My union told me not to" Etc.)




.

When Covid was bad, there was a pastor at a ND church who was a big Trump fan and would mock people who wore masks.

 

[Albion]

The priest scared my friend and I both into voting for Trump when neither of us wanted to. And I’m pro life but for ME, that’s not the only issue.

How many of those other issues (would you estimate) directly violate one of the Ten Commandments?

I'm just curious, since hiking the national debt, excusing student loans, arming Ukraine, or closing down oil and gas production wouldn't do that, no matter how strongly we might feel for or against any of those policies.

 

[Faith]

How many of those other issues (would you estimate) directly violate one of the Ten Commandments?

I'm just curious, since hiking the national debt, excusing student loans, arming Ukraine, or closing down oil and gas production wouldn't do that, no matter how strongly we might feel for or against any of those policies.

I’m not interested in a political debate. IMO, all politicians are liars.

 

[Faith]

How many of those other issues (would you estimate) directly violate one of the Ten Commandments?

I'm just curious, since hiking the national debt, excusing student loans, arming Ukraine, or closing down oil and gas production wouldn't do that, no matter how strongly we might feel for or against any of those policies.

Trump has violated at least two, maybe three. And it wouldn’t surprise me AT ALL if someone came forward to say he paid for an abortion.

 

[Lamb]

I’m not interested in a political debate. IMO, all politicians are liars.

I totally agree!!

 

[Albion]

Trump has violated at least two, maybe three. And it wouldn’t surprise me AT ALL if someone came forward to say he paid for an abortion.

Okay, so you're neither able nor willing to name even one issue that you said means so much to you. I accept that. And I'm not interested in debating anything; I never intended to do so.

It was just a simple question that was raised by my reading of your post. But the reply to my question does seem to verify the feeling that people talk like they're certain of where they stand on the issues, and they will vote them 'up or down' on election day...yet all the while they don't actually know much of anything about the issues.

 

[Faith]

Okay, so you're neither able nor willing to name even one issue that you said means so much to you. I accept that. And I'm not interested in debating anything; I never intended to do so.

It was just a simple question that was raised by my reading of your post. But the reply to my question does seem to verify the feeling that people talk like they're certain of where they stand on the issues, and they will vote them 'up or down' on election day...yet all the while they don't actually know much of anything about the issues.

It’s just that I don’t like Trump. At all.

 

[Albion]

It’s just that I don’t like Trump. At all.

I know but, for myself, how much our food and gasoline cost, how close we are drifting towards World War III, whether or not we will still be allowed to raise our own children, and how much theft and violence we can ignore and still hope to have a stable society...these and other policies count for more than the personality of the president. That's just a personal opinion, of course.

 

[Faith]

I know but, for myself, how much our food and gasoline cost, how close we are drifting towards World War III, whether or not we will still be allowed to raise our own children, and how much theft and violence we can ignore and still hope to have a stable society...these and other policies count for more than the personality of the president. That's just a personal opinion, of course.

I agree to some degree but people have always blamed the President for all the problems we have and I think maybe it goes much deeper than that. No matter who’s in office, Democrat or Republican people are unhappy and we still have problems. Take violence for example, this society was violent long before Biden became President.
I fear war but I don’t see how a different President would make much of a difference,

 

[Albion]

I agree to some degree but people have always blamed the President for all the problems we have and I think maybe it goes much deeper than that.

That's why I took care to use as my examples only developments that are clearly the doing of the current president.

No matter who’s in office, Democrat or Republican people are unhappy and we still have problems.

I know, but you said that certain problems were especially concerning to you--

And I’m pro life but for ME, that’s not the only issue.

Take violence for example, this society was violent long before Biden became President.

True enough, but with the surge of violence seen with the "Defund the Police" movement, and with the number of random shootings in the major cities, it would be foolish to pretend that what we see now is no different from what has always been...or that every candidate takes the same approach to the matter.

I fear war but I don’t see how a different President would make much of a difference,

What a shame. Of course, the president you say you hate didn't get us into any new wars whereas this one has given billions of dollars and other assistance to one of the sides in a war in Eastern Europe that started only during his time in office and which is steadily increasing the involvement of the United States.

 

[Faith]

That's why I took care to use as my examples only developments that are clearly the doing of the current president.


I know, but you said that certain problems were especially concerning to you--




True enough, but with the surge of violence seen with the "Defund the Police" movement, and with the number of random shootings in the major cities, it would be foolish to pretend that what we see now is no different from what has always been...or that every candidate takes the same approach to the matter.


What a shame. Of course, the president you say you hate didn't get us into any new wars whereas this one has given billions of dollars and other assistance to one of the sides in a war in Eastern Europe that started only during his time in office and which is steadily increasing the involvement of the United States.

Well, as far as Russia/Ukraine goes, I think we shouldn’t stayed out of that mess.