Preacher endorsing a Candidate???

[DawnCt1]

Hillary and Barrack have given their share of speeches from several pulpits. Did you not think that at least one of them were hoping for an endorsement?

 

[enyaj40]

Views to me are one thing, endorsing one particualr person is wrong. Inviting a candidate to speak from the pulpit is wrong.

iirc, they can invite a candidate to speak as long as they invite the opposing candidate as well

i KNOW they're not supposed to endorse

our church was allowed to place information in the lobby about the voting record of all candidates on various issues but they could not mention by name a particular candidate

does this preacher who endorsed have a church where he is a paid pastor?

if not, or if he's retired, that may be why it no one is mentioning revoking a tax exempt status

 

[rie'smom]

It annoys the heck out of me that many churches are allowed to have candidiates speak in their churches. I know of preachers who will dictate from the pulpit who the congregation should support. It has to do with the way the churches are registered.

 

[Honu]

It doesn't bother me that candidates address congregations. I think of churches as I would any other social group and people are free to listen and make up their own minds. I do have a problem with preachers endorsing candidates though. I have a friend that attended catholic mass with her inlaws before our last election and not only did the priest endorse candidates in the sermon, they handed out flyers on the way out so people wouldn't get confused on who and what to vote for.

 

[jimmiej]

So, my question is WHY is it ok for Rev Butts to do the same thing??

The real question is, "Why will the media not make a big deal out of this?"

The answer is, because they're liberals.

 

[Fizzgig]

It pretty much enrages me to see churches get involved in politics. From the "we'll excommunicate you if you vote differently than I teach you" to the back slap and "let me present the candidate of my choice"... It's all bad.

Fitswimmer, here's an article about Colorado Springs religious leaders and politics: http://www2.gazette.com/display.php?id=1325573&secid=1

*ugh*

 

[swilphil]

Pastors of the megachurches around here were the leaders in pushing state bans on same-sex marriage. They also back many local conservative candidates by issuing information on "values." They seem to have a way of doing it to skirt around their tax-exempt status.

 

[enyaj40]

Pastors of the megachurches around here were the leaders in pushing state bans on same-sex marriage. They also back many local conservative candidates by issuing information on "values." They seem to have a way of doing it to skirt around their tax-exempt status.

this is one of the things that got richard roberts in BIG trouble at oral roberts university this past fall

 

[Fitswimmer]

It pretty much enrages me to see churches get involved in politics. From the "we'll excommunicate you if you vote differently than I teach you" to the back slap and "let me present the candidate of my choice"... It's all bad.

Fitswimmer, here's an article about Colorado Springs religious leaders and politics: http://www2.gazette.com/display.php?id=1325573&secid=1

*ugh*

That's a good article because it describes the line where tax exempt status gets crossed. Talk about church teaching regarding social issues is OK, endorsing specific candidates is not.

So I'll be looking for Rev Butts to offer invitations to all the other candidates.

 

[Tazicket]

At my church, I don't recall my Pastor ever saying, "You need to vote for Candidate X because s/he supports cause Y." or anything along those lines. He has mentioned issues (i.e. abortion) and what the church's position is on those particular issues, but never a specific person.

Now, we have had people running for office who would come to services during campaign season. The Pastor would acknowledge their presence, but I don't remember any of them coming up behind the podium to speak. And it doesn't strike me as all that odd when it happens, because he does the same thing for people who aren't politicians (like, if we have someone visiting who used to be members and have moved away or something like that).

 

[bsnyder]

I'ts not just pastors injecting politics into their churches. It's the politicians injecting religion into their candidacies.

 

[Fitswimmer]

Thanks for posting that Bet, I'm going over to the Obama site now to register my complaint about it.

One of the main reasons I left the Republican party was because of the intrusion of religion into politics. I'm tired of each candidate trying to be more religous than the others. I want my religion out of politics and my politics out of religion.

 

[Honu]

I'ts not just pastors injecting politics into their churches. It's the politicians injecting religion into their candidacies.

I don't like it, but when there is a slam campaign in place stating he is of the Muslim faith (which apparently scares people ) I guess they felt the need for him to declare his faith. It's definitely over the top IMO.

 

[basas]

Thanks for posting that Bet, I'm going over to the Obama site now to register my complaint about it.

One of the main reasons I left the Republican party was because of the intrusion of religion into politics. I'm tired of each candidate trying to be more religous than the others. I want my religion out of politics and my politics out of religion.

If religion is an important factor in one's life, why should it be left out?

 

[Fitswimmer]

If religion is an important factor in one's life, why should it be left out?

Because it has nothing to do with one's qualifications for President. I don't care what religion he follows-I care how he's going to get us out of Iraq, how he's going to handle the economy and other policy issues. I could care less what God he or any other candidate prays to or if they pray at all.

 

[bsnyder]

Thanks for posting that Bet, I'm going over to the Obama site now to register my complaint about it.

One of the main reasons I left the Republican party was because of the intrusion of religion into politics. I'm tired of each candidate trying to be more religous than the others. I want my religion out of politics and my politics out of religion.

I understand that people are offended by it (a candidate wearing their relgion on their sleeve, so to speak). And I respect that viewpoint, even though personally, it doesn't bother me.

What does bother me is the double standard - if John McCain or another GOP candidate produced a piece of campaign literature like this, it would be huge news. Obama does it, and there's not a peep from the mainstream media.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

I'ts not just pastors injecting politics into their churches. It's the politicians injecting religion into their candidacies.

Agreed...

Aren't the campaigns required to put "Paid for by Obama for President" on all published literature like this? I only ask because there's so much fake/unofficial stuff flying around the Internet these days, I don't know what's the real deal and what's been photo-shopped by some under the radar, grassroots group just trying to "help"...

 

[Fitswimmer]

I understand that people are offended by it (a candidate wearing their relgion on their sleeve, so to speak). And I respect that viewpoint, even though personally, it doesn't bother me.

What does bother me is the double standard - if John McCain or another GOP candidate produced a piece of campaign literature like this, it would be huge news. Obama does it, and there's not a peep from the mainstream media.

That's why I started this thread. I saw Hillary going to the Abyssianian Chruch and it just made me livid-and I don't like what Obama did either, even though I'm a supporter of his. Democratic candidates have been preaching in Black churches for years and it's WRONG. Earlier I said that if Cardinal Egan had Mitt Romney preaching at St Patrick's Cathedral, there would have been screaming all over the place.

 

[bsnyder]

Agreed...

Aren't the campaigns required to put "Paid for by Obama for President" on all published literature like this? I only ask because there's so much fake/unofficial stuff flying around the Internet these days, I don't know what's the real deal and what's been photo-shopped by some under the radar, grassroots group just trying to "help"...

You make a good point. I'll try to research futher.

 

[bsnyder]

I found this from the Washington Post's Campaign 2008 Daily Diary feature:

Obama's Christian Appeal
By Perry Bacon
GREENWOOD, S.C. -- The brochure being handed out in South Carolina shows a picture of the candidate with his hands together and eyes closed. In large letters, it reads "ANSWERING THE CALL."

Inside, voters learn of a candidate who was "CALLED TO CHRIST" and even larger letters is a "COMMITTED CHRISTIAN" and is quoted saying, "I believe in the power of prayer."

Barack Obama's campaign in South Carolina is targeting black voters, and one of the ways he's doing it is appealing to a connection based on shared religious faith. Obama, a Christian who attends a United Church of Christ congregation in Chicago, has talked about his faith in Iowa and other states, as well, but his campaign literature is particularly focused on his religion here, where he depicts himself, in one picture, before a pulpit, and, in another, praying with an African American man.

That appeal is no accident. There may be as many African American born-again Christians voting in the South Carolina Democratic primary as white Christians voting in the Republican one. Reaching out to religious African American voters, Obama's campaign hosted a series of gospel concerts last year that drew huge crowds, but also some controversy because of the anti-gay comments of one of the singers, Donnie McClurkin. The candidate did not attend, but the concert included videos of Obama and his wife Michelle speaking.

It appears to be a three part pamphlet, and here's the third part, that does clearly have "paid for by Obama for America" on it.