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Do clergy have any business endorsing Political Candidates?
Televangelist and San Antonio, Texas mega-church leader John Hagee finds himself in hot water after endorsing Republican Presidential candidate John McCain. The Democratic National Committee and the Catholic League have attempted to get Senator McCain to reject Hagee’s endorsement due to several negative comments he made about the Catholic Church. After much criticism over the last few weeks, McCain last Friday was forced to repudiate Hagee’s offensive comments about the Catholic Church.
I’m very much aware, respect and uphold the fact that IRS rules prohibits the endorsing of candidates from the pulpit, but does that preclude your pastor from being able to do that as an individual? Does the bible state that your spiritual leader should be an advisor to you in spiritual issues only?
Let me hear your heart! Do you think your pastor should be free to endorse a candidate or should he just stick to the spiritual? Do you consider electing leaders to office a spiritual issue and one that you would benefit from hearing your pastor’s perspective? In your mind, where does the role of spiritual leader begin and end with? If your Pastor is a CEO of a corporation, should he be allowed to use his influence just like any other CEO?
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Comments
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By :)
March 9, 2008 10:47 PM | Link to this
This is a great topic. I beleive not only is it wrong to stifle Pastors from endorcing canidates but it violates both the free exercise clause and free speech of the 1st amendment. LBJ incorporated this when he was in the Senate. He was opposed by a nonprofit organization (not a church), and after he won the election, he proposed legislation to amend the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit nonprofit organizations, including churches, from endorsing or opposing political candidates. The Code was amended in 1954 without any debate regarding the impact of the bill. Bill Clinton also bullied a NYC church after they took out adds on him during his bid for the presidency and removed a churches non-profit status for opposing him. I don’t believe this tax-code should even be considered constitutional and it will only take someone to challenge it in the supreme court to strike it down as a 1st amendment violation. Pastors endorce canidates all the time, and nothing is done. It proves that this law is not serving its purpose considering America does not mind.
On the other hand, I don’t think Pastors should endorce a particular canidate for other reasons. The republican party has taking the reign as the “Christian” party, even though it supports wars, tax cuts that could help many poor and struggling middle class, a reaonable healthcare policy, and many other things that would be considered non-christian if you consider the way a new testament christian should act. I have always voted republican but have had a change of heart as I seen no reason to remain so loyal to this party. I just think that people should attempt to research teh canidate themselves and not depend upon people of influence. If I vote republican, its because I want to.. if I vote democrat, its because I want to. Not because I am Christian… I don’t think either party can claim to act in a Christian fashion, although every canidate that has won the presidency has claimed either protestant or catholic.
By Fred
March 10, 2008 4:16 AM | Link to this
Religious Candidate? Oxymoron.
By Jim McAlister
March 10, 2008 8:45 AM | Link to this
If the Clergy are well versed on the position of each and ALL candidates, yes, their opinion is valid.
By KDF
March 10, 2008 9:00 AM | Link to this
This is a tough question for me. I have always felt that musicians, actors, etc., should not vocalize their political position to the public. Just because they act well or are good performers, and are followed by so many that really don’t have a clue, and vote the way their favorite “hero” votes, does not make sense to me. I don’t know, and biblically I have nothing to put out to help. <><
By :)
March 10, 2008 11:14 AM | Link to this
I agree, they should have the right to but, If I was a Pastor, I would never endorce someone. You risk alienating people in your own congregation. If they choose so, let them.
By lfv
March 10, 2008 1:45 PM | Link to this
Away from the pulpit, you are just another person, support who yu desire. The issue to me would be to endorse from the pulpit and try to influence the congragation to vote your way. We should still feel blessed that we have the opportunity to still have freedom to make choices and vote. Pray for our leaders.