What role should a pastor play in politics? For about 25 years conservative evangelicals have been linked with Republicans, even to the extent that it is assumed that we all vote the same and agree on the same issues.
I ask because I saw a local pastor here walking in the Mizzou homecoming parade with a partisan candidate for office. The dilemma here is: should a pastor endorse a candidate on his own time? Is there the potential for parishioners who vote for the other party to get bent out of shape at his active partisan campaigning?
Now, I do not think that any pastor should endorse a politician or party from the pulpit. I encountered a situation in my former church. There was a certain Adult Bible Study class with a member who would openly campaign for the party he used to support. It was a little too early in my tenure to do anything about it, but I would have had them hush things if it would have continued. We even had an involved family leave our church because they were tired of the bias toward one party and antagonism toward the party they were members of.
I guess a pastor could do whatever he wants on his free time, but should he be concerned about parishioners who may disagree or be on the other side of the aisle, so to speak?
You tell me. As for me, I would probably choose to keep my political leanings to myself.
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I confronted our pastor and his use from the pulpit of the term...DEMONcrats. I haven't heard it since. We also had a guy teaching a Wed. night study on Islam vs. Christianity that focused really on the war and he blasted Democrats too.
From the pulpit NO. Like me in the classroom I can't bring up that I am a Christian, but if a student asks I can talk about it.
I forgot about your little dilemma in TX. How's the relationship with your pastor after the confrontation?
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