We Double-dare you? You have got to be kidding, right?
Here is one more "stupid pet-trick" to log in your journal of what's wrong with the church today. Apparently an Alliance Defending Freedom attorney, Erik Stanley challenged
pastors across the nation to "Preach Politics" on what he has dubbed "Freedom Sunday (June 9th, 2013.)
First, let me say I missed this little "tid-bit" somehow and was unaware of this latest challenge to the church. Second, I would have given almost anything to have been able to preach this past Sunday. Why, so that I could preach politics? Absolutely not! I would have taken a "double-dare" to preach the Word of God.
Stanley wanted pastors to "sign-up" and preach in order to encourage the IRS to lodge complaints against pastors so that the Alliance Defending Freedom could take their cases to Federal Courts. Why? Stanley and the ADF want to challenge and overturn the Johnson Amendment. The Johnson Amendment prohibits pastors from speaking on politics from the pulpit.
I am not saying that as preachers that we should not preach what is contained in the Word of God. Issues such as marriage, purity, homosexuality, abortion, death-penalty, holiness, and such should be preached and taught. I am a great supporter and proponent of preaching all of God's Word. I am also not saying that we as American's cannot or should not utilize the rights and opportunities that we have as citizens.
The pulpit however is not the place for politics. The pulpit is to proclaim the word of God accurately and powerfully. If a theme or text is "dubbed" as political we are still called upon by God to preach it and let the "chips" fall where they may.
I shudder to think that pastors may need to be "double-dared" to preach the word of God. I shudder to think that we may have a repeat or resurgence of the Fallwellian "Moral Majority."
What is my suggestion for Mr. Erik Stanely and the Alliance Defending Freedom? Forget trying to sign up pastors for such a challenge (however according to OneNewsNow.com approximately 1,000 pastors did sign up) and demanding that they preach "politics." Challenge pastors to accurately, prayerfully, and powerfully exegete and exposit biblical texts. Then, when a pastor is charged with violating the Johnson Amendment defend him. I abhor any idea that would use the pulpit for political purposes, even the overturning of a bad amendment.
Stanley is quoted as saying, "Yet every day that pastors are intimidated into silence on issues like life, liberty, the family, marriage is another day the cultural erosion continues unchecked." No Mr. Stanley, a true pastor, a real shepherd would never be intimidated nor silenced when he came to a text that contained God's revelation.
Here is one more "stupid pet-trick" to log in your journal of what's wrong with the church today. Apparently an Alliance Defending Freedom attorney, Erik Stanley challenged
First, let me say I missed this little "tid-bit" somehow and was unaware of this latest challenge to the church. Second, I would have given almost anything to have been able to preach this past Sunday. Why, so that I could preach politics? Absolutely not! I would have taken a "double-dare" to preach the Word of God.
Stanley wanted pastors to "sign-up" and preach in order to encourage the IRS to lodge complaints against pastors so that the Alliance Defending Freedom could take their cases to Federal Courts. Why? Stanley and the ADF want to challenge and overturn the Johnson Amendment. The Johnson Amendment prohibits pastors from speaking on politics from the pulpit.
I am not saying that as preachers that we should not preach what is contained in the Word of God. Issues such as marriage, purity, homosexuality, abortion, death-penalty, holiness, and such should be preached and taught. I am a great supporter and proponent of preaching all of God's Word. I am also not saying that we as American's cannot or should not utilize the rights and opportunities that we have as citizens.
The pulpit however is not the place for politics. The pulpit is to proclaim the word of God accurately and powerfully. If a theme or text is "dubbed" as political we are still called upon by God to preach it and let the "chips" fall where they may.
I shudder to think that pastors may need to be "double-dared" to preach the word of God. I shudder to think that we may have a repeat or resurgence of the Fallwellian "Moral Majority."
What is my suggestion for Mr. Erik Stanely and the Alliance Defending Freedom? Forget trying to sign up pastors for such a challenge (however according to OneNewsNow.com approximately 1,000 pastors did sign up) and demanding that they preach "politics." Challenge pastors to accurately, prayerfully, and powerfully exegete and exposit biblical texts. Then, when a pastor is charged with violating the Johnson Amendment defend him. I abhor any idea that would use the pulpit for political purposes, even the overturning of a bad amendment.
Stanley is quoted as saying, "Yet every day that pastors are intimidated into silence on issues like life, liberty, the family, marriage is another day the cultural erosion continues unchecked." No Mr. Stanley, a true pastor, a real shepherd would never be intimidated nor silenced when he came to a text that contained God's revelation.
True, Gregg,
ReplyDeletebegan seeing this a few years ago, in that I saw many Christians wanting to "legislate morality"...we cannot legislate morality, morality is what it is and this world is what it is, and we are to let our lights shine regardless of whether the world or it's governments say it is moral to do so or not. We still bow to a higher authority ... if human authority requires something that is against God, He will give us the strength and courage (sadly I admit I often fail in my own human strength and continue to pray for that SUPERhuman strength) to stand firm not so that we can change legislation, but so that He can change hearts and lives for His eternal kingdom, not this temporary makeshift one.
When it comes to rights and wrongs I am at a total loss. when rules are made I go along with it because "It is right" whether it really is or not.
ReplyDeleteHave a good week-end.
Yvonne.