Breaking The Rules: Pew Politics
October 17, 2008 by James Hipps · Leave a Comment
From Scott Maxwell with the Orlando Sentinel:
If your priest or pastor starts preaching about marriage during this Sunday’s service, it’s probably not by accident.
Supporters of the anti-gay marriage amendment have been asking ministers to take part in “Stand for Marriage Sunday.” In a letter to “fellow pastors,” First Baptist Church of Central Florida’s senior pastor Clayton Cloer and Family Research Council president Tony Perkins of DC have urged recipients to preach about the sanctity of marriage — even offering “sample sermons” for them to use. The reason, say Cloer and Perkins, is that: “God’s design for marriage is under attack.”
Technically, it’s the anti-gay-marriage side that has launched this specific attack. They’re the ones pushing Amendment 2 — an effort to constitutionally ban gay marriage (something that’s actually already banned in Florida). But their contention is that gay-rights supporters and activist judges could try to undermine the sanctity of marriage if they don’t.
Still, the opposition has decided to respond. Equality Florida is also urging pastors to preach about the dangers of Amendment 2, arguing that it could actually strip rights away from heterosexual couples as well — and that discrimination is not part of God’s plan.
Either way, those looking to get a break from election-season politics may not find it in the pews this weekend.
Line Between Religion & Politics Not Always Straight
October 4, 2008 by James Hipps · Leave a Comment
From the Smokeymountainnews.com:
In an African-American Baptist church in Waynesville the pastor and two members sat in the sanctuary and said they will vote for Barack Obama, even though the Democratic presidential candidate supports abortion rights and civil unions for gay couples.
Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church Pastor A. Ferman Sweat said he disagrees with Obama’s stance on abortion and gay marriage but said those are only two issues and Baptists must look at the entire picture.
Church Treasurer Lee Bouknight agreed, saying, “You can dig up portions in the Bible and contradict anyone.”
Bethel Baptist Church Pastor Roy Kilby said he supports McCain because McCain is against abortion, believes in the “sanctity of life,” and is against gay marriage.
Bouknight noted that Republican Vice President Dick Cheney’s daughter is a lesbian.
Kilby said McCain is “pro-family in that he supports traditional family values.” Kilby added, “This country was built upon strong Biblical family values.”
Churches Defy IRS by Openly Endorsing McCain
September 29, 2008 by James Hipps · Leave a Comment
According to a post in the WSJ:
The Rev. Fran Pultro shrugged off federal laws restricting his role in partisan politics Sunday, telling 45 people at Calvary Chapel on the King’s Highway in Philadelphia that preserving conservative social values was of the utmost importance in this election.
“As Christians it’s clear we should vote for John McCain,” said Mr. Pultro from the church’s stage. “He is the only candidate I believe a Christian can vote for.” Mr. Pultro was one of several ministers across the country, citing Scripture and their free-speech rights, who endorsed or criticized a presidential candidate inside their church, in apparent violation of federal tax law, all part of a mass protest led by a conservative legal-aid group.
Read the rest by clicking here.
Church & State: It’s the Thought that Counts
August 18, 2008 by James Hipps · Leave a Comment
A law banning gay marriage is not meant to make more people Christian, and the belief is not even held uniquely by a single religion. It is, however, a belief about personal behavior that is held for religious reasons and is being imposed on others. Does it not forward the religion to force other people to live by its teachings? Wouldn’t that interpretation also outlaw laws against murder, though, if most of their supporters cited religious teachings as part of their argument for the law? There are other ways of testing constitutionality, such as looking for an appearance of government endorsement of the religion. Most of these fall to the same type of problem, though. Does endorsing the idea that gay relationships are immoral count as endorsing a religious belief?
Read more at thoughtcounts.net.
White House Travel Paid for By Religious Groups
August 7, 2008 by James Hipps · Leave a Comment
A review of White House travel records shows churches and other religious entities paid for close to a quarter of the privately funded trips taken by White House aides since late 2006.
Critics, who see this as evidence the administration is mixing faith and public policy, say religious groups may feel pressure to sponsor aides’ travel in order to secure government funding for their own work.
“I think there would be very few circumstances where a religious organization or church paying government officials wouldn’t lead to a conflict of interest,” said Terri Schroeder, a senior lobbyist at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Groups like the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB), which paid for former White House aide Tim Goeglein to travel to its annual convention in 2007 for a speech, counter that the White House has a responsibility to connect with religious organizations.
“People of faith make up a crucial American demographic. Frankly, we would think it rather odd if an administration neglected religious groups in its sphere of contacts,” said Craig Parshall, the NRB’s senior vice president and general counsel.
