I heard this minister on NPR the other day talking about how he was encouraging his congregation from the pulpit to vote for John McCain. And, better yet, he is playing chicken with the IRS. It sounds like he wants a legal battle to redefine the nature of tax exemption and what religious leaders are allowed to discuss in their houses of worship. His argument centers on the idea that the IRS regulation in only about 50 years old, while the 1st Amendment is 220 years old and therefore more binding. Thoughts?
UPDATE & NDY GIG
12 years ago
4 comments:
I’m never quite sure how to feel about this. On one hand, I think the church should be involved in politics. And I totally disagree with her suggestion that politics and the gospel are two separate things. On the other hand, his suggestion that the two key issues of politics centre around abortion and homosexuality is both ignorant and short sighted. I don’t have the energy to dig too deeply on this one today, but how did homosexuality ever become a key focus of Christian politics? Jesus never mentions it, the Bible barely does, and when Jesus sums up the entire Old Testament he tells us to love God and love our neighbour. With that in mind, how is “nationalized medicine” not the central focus of Christian politics? It makes absolutely no sense at all.
Guys like this are simply regurgitating what the extremists before them have already chewed up. It’s bad theology and an absolute danger to the gospel.
In the discussion of the separation of church and state, it is very odd to me that the state can make rules that regulates the church. Should the church be subject to such regulation and if so is the church in danger of becoming a "government" sponsored religion? Especially if the government can regulate by stripping a church of it's tax exemption making it a tax paying entity, it seems like a no win situation for the church. If I remember right the founders and writers of our great constitution were thinking of their own recent history, so surely it was their intent to allow freedom of expression from the pulpit, not suppress it.
I think the Amish way is the only way that church and state never mix. Of course they do have to put those orange triangles on their horse-drawn buggies. I suppose we can never get too far away from intermingling of church and state. Though, this pastor (me) doesn't presume to think he knows the heart of either of the current two candidates for the United Stated presidency. I will pray for whoever wins.
I'm commenting a good bit after this posting... but...
From the perspective of a future tax attorney (maybe, hopefully... it's leaning toward Estate & Tax Planning)I'd say don't mess with the IRS. The IRS will find a way to win. Besides that, how would the congregants feel about the church losing its tax exempt status?
On a far deeper level- I hate politics from the pulpit. Issues, yet, but partisan politics HEL... umm... HECK NO.
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