Buna Church of Christ - Buna, Texas






This Is Why We Don't Preach Politics 9-30-18

This Is Why We Don't Preach Politics


With reasons grounded (i) in scripture, (ii) in good sense, and (iii) in federal law, our brethren have historically maintained a wall of separation between the pulpit and the political podium, a wall that prevents our churches and our preachers from publicly pushing political parties or formally promoting political personalities. 

 


In Scripture

Doctrinally, this wall is built upon the separate roles of the government and the church.  Establishing this difference between the political and the religious, Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's" (Mt. 12:17).  Caesar's governments exist to provide peaceful and quiet lives (I Tim. 2:2); God's Church exists to provide hope of eternal life (Tit. 1:2). This difference is evident in the New Testament where neither Jesus nor the inspired writers ever crossed the wall to either approve or disapprove of political personalities or policies. 


Good Sense

Practically, this wall is built on the fact that our congregations and communities are filled with very good people who do not agree with all of their party's excesses and who conscientiously vote Democrat (one of the finest elders I know is an elected Democrat judge) and also with very good people who do not agree with all of their party's excesses and who conscientiously vote Republican. 

Regarding similar matters Paul said, "I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some" (I Cor. 9:22).  Why would our congregations promote Republicanism and alienate our many Democrat church members?  Why would our pulpits echo the Democrat line and alienate members of the community who are Republican? 


More Good Sense

Practically, this wall is also built upon the fact that many politicians are completely unworthy of being promoted by our preachers or commended by our congregations.  With more and more information becoming public about his moral choices, our current Republican President is a perfect example of why we do not preach politics. With his "stormy" affairs and pay-offs a matter of public record, we are reminded of the moral mud bath our nation suffered during the Monica Lewinski scandal of Democrat Bill Clinton's presidency. 

 


 Breaching this wall and ignoring the obvious, one of our notable sometimes ministers provided a perfect example of why we do not preach politics.  Printed in the Washington Post, his Op/Ed's title was "Why Trump Doesn't Pass the Decency Test." Although he was 100% right, he was also 100% wrong.  In our two-party system, the effect of his invective in the run-up to the election was to endorse a candidate whose platform was powerfully anti-Christian. 


What if he had written a critical piece entitled "Why Hillary Clinton Doesn't Pass the Decency Test" on abortion, gay marriage, and other issues?   Again, he would have been 100% right and 100% wrong.  Effectively endorsing Trump, he would now suffer embarrassment as Trump's immorality is so well known.  Traditional marriage and heterosexual virtues are just as critical as abortion and homosexual rights.  The moral leadership of example is just as important as the political leadership of policy-making.


Federal

Picking winners among moral losers is not only impossible, but political pushing and promoting by churches and preachers is also illegal.  The 1954 "Johnson Amendment," named after its author then-congressman Lyndon Baines Johnson, prohibits non-profit organizations like churches from endorsing or opposing political candidates [Paragraph (3) of subsection (c) within section 501 of Title 26 (Internal Revenue Code) of the U.S. Code (U.S.C.)].  Often ignored, sometimes even defiantly violated, this law is nonetheless on the books and we are responsible to it (Rom. 13:1. Tit. 3:1, I Pet. 2:13, I Pt. 2:17, and etc.).

 


Conclusion

Sometimes maligned, church history has included an awful lot of awfully good thinking based on biblical, practical, and legal reasons.  Our conclusion from some of that thinking has been that we do not preach politics.  This same conclusion, an endorsement of our corporate wisdom, should remain a characteristic of the Churches of Christ.

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