Gary churchgoer complains about pastor preaching partisan politics from his pulpit of conservatism – Chicago Tribune
Does your faith leader preach politics from the pulpit at your place of worship? If it bothers you, I have a suggestion.
A woman from Gary contacted me with complaints about the Christian pastors of a well-known church in her city who repeatedly sermonize about partisan politics. She doesn’t agree with it, politically or spiritually.
“I thought politics and telling people who to vote for was not supposed to be done in church by pastors,” she said. “Just today, my pastor talked for over an hour about politics. He said he has to inform his congregation who to vote for and what candidates believe.”
Her popular pastor is known for politically-slanted preaching during church services. He and his wife have been quite vocal about their conservative political preferences, which may not align with some of their left-leaning congregation.
“He says it is President Biden’s fault that (Russian President) Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, because it didn’t happen when Donald Trump was president,” the woman said. “And it’s Biden’s fault that gas and food prices have increased. And on and on.”
Her church’s faith leaders have been evangelizing pro-Trump rhetoric since our former president was elected into office in 2016, and possibly before then, she said. And the pastors also endorse political candidates to their congregation.
“Isn’t this one of the reasons for separation of church and state?” asked the woman, who I’m not naming to protect her identity.
This overused phrase, which dates back long before our nation’s Founding Fathers and the Constitution, has evolved (or devolved) to mean whatever we want it to mean. It depends on our religious beliefs versus our civic values.
Contrary to popular folklore, the words “separation of church and state” do not appear in the First Amendment. An establishment clause was applied to prohibit the federal government from any involvement in religion, but not to separate religion from public life or national politics. The three entities have always been intertwined like paper, ink and words.
Thomas Jefferson, who has been attributed for introducing this popular term to the American populace, believed that religious freedom hinged on this crucial separation, an ideological wall of divide. However, its usage and imagery predates Jefferson and our country’s origins, with some accounts dating back to the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church, and the Roman Empire.
In today’s America, most of us prefer to weaponize this phrase to fit our battles. We want it to either defend our religious freedom or to defend our freedom from religion. For me, it’s been the latter kind of battle. For most believers, it’s usually the former kind of battle.
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For instance, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the government to mandate restrictions on public gatherings, the same Gary church fought for its religious freedom to congregate together, citing God’s law over man’s laws. I had no problem with their public stance. I would feel the same way if I believed as they do. Here’s why.
If I believed in an omnipotent, omniscient entity that would govern my soul throughout eternity, I would obey it more than any mortals’ rules, even during a public health crisis. I would choose my god of choice over any other governance — civic or cosmic — without apology.
If I believed this way, God would be the ultimate vaccination against eternal hell. Isn’t this the essence of faith, to inoculate your soul from any mortal trappings? This is how many evangelicals feel when it comes to obeying manmade rules versus holy Scripture (even if it was written by man).
Instead of adopting this belief system, I have my own version of a separation of church and state. I do my best to separate myself from both of these inescapable entities in our society. I have little interest in politics and even less interest in religion. Neither hold a special place in my heart, my head or my soul.
Their intersection on Sundays, or any other day, is not a shocking new concept. This is why I don’t empathize with people who complain about the separation of church and state only when it infringes on their perceived separation of religion and politics.
If that Gary church heralded, say, former President Barack Obama, not Trump, its parishioners would likely be more accepting of its politically-slanted sermons.
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“In March, our pastor taught ‘Kingdom Politics’ for the whole month,” the Gary woman complained.
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I’m not surprised. Faith leaders, especially in the Black community, have been historically outspoken with their support for politicians who back their like-minded interests. For example, a news release I received Thursday from the campaign office of Richard Boykin, an attorney who’s running for Cook County board president in Illinois.
“This morning, humanitarian and business owner Dr. Willie Wilson joined more than 200 faith leaders across Cook County’s various communities. Among those who spoke in favor of Attorney Boykin’s candidacy included …” the release states, citing a long list of church pastors. These are common news releases in election season on the cusp of primary elections in May and June.
Churches and politics go together like pews and Bibles in our God-fearing, God blessed country. The only time some believers realize this obvious fact is when their church doesn’t reflect their politics. Until that epiphany, they’re happy to be part of the choir of complicity.
For these disillusioned parishioners, here’s my simple sermon: separate yourself from your church.