Discussing VS. Telling

My Church is doing this awesome series on being a Christian in an Election year.  We've talked about how we, as Christians, approach "politics."   What does it mean for us to be faithful and to be political.  Are the two mutually exclusive?  Where is God calling us in this world?

We have framed the discussion as Christians being Citizens of heaven but also how we are called to pray for cities and places that we end up as we will be blessed if they are blessed (Philippians 3:20 and Jeremiah 29:7).  I know that I do not agree with everyone in my Church about politics.  I felt respected enough to be able to raise questions.  The discussion had been opened with a call for openness and dialogue. 

I want to contrast this open and respectful dialogue that never attempted to endorse candidate or political party with an article I read on Fox News about pastors telling their congregation how to vote.  (Interestingly, the article has been taken down but this video was still up)  This video and the article promote what's being billed as "Freedom Pulpit Sunday."  On October 7 over 1,000 preachers around the country will be openly endorsing candidates for President during their sermons.  This is important  because the IRS requires that all tax exempt 501(c)3 organizations remain non-partisan.  Churches, as tax exempt organizations are required to meet this basic standard.  Endorsing any party or candidate is in violation of this the tax exempt status.  Those that are promoting Freedom Pulpit Sunday believe that this requirement to remain non-partisan is a violation of the separation of Church and State. You can preach whatever you want from the pulpit.  If you endorse a candidate be prepared to lose your tax exempt status.  That's a good thing. Organizations that are openly campaigning for one candidate should not be tax exempt.

Partisan politics is NOT the Gospel.  Neither Romney or Obama shares God's vision for this world. No Church that is holding to the Gospel of Jesus Christ should endorse either of these candidates. The Gospel is so much bigger than Republican or Democrat or even USA. We need to be preaching that from the pulpit, not preaching the Gospel of Conformity to the mainstream media that tells me I have to vote for one of these two candidates that gets somewhere near my values on some items. No, the message of Jesus is liberation from this mindset. Liberation from the world's requirements that we endorse a candidate that they have chosen for us.

This whole Freedom Pulpit Sunday is being used to get around this 60 year old ban on tax free organizations working directly for one party or candidate.  I hope that the pastors that preach on this Sunday will realize that preaching the Gospel of Jesus Crucified is so much bigger than any one election or any one party or any one candidate.  I am blessed that my Church chose the harder, but more inspired, more Jesus-like path.  We are having the conversations about how what it means to be in community together and try to order our lives together in a way that respects all people and creation.  That is what our political discussion looks like - and we are not telling anyone who to vote for (or even to vote!).