For decades pastors have been timid about preaching about religion and politics from the pulpit. The Old Testament prophets would have been stunned by such apprehension. Many modern-day churches believe that they have some very good biblical reasons for not addressing the subject from the pulpit. Their aversion is contrary to the Bible they claim to believe. Dr. Gary North writes:"The lawyers of the Old Testament were the prophets, and they had delivered a series of covenant lawsuits against the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah. Their targets were primarily the leaders, but they also included the whole society. These were legal briefs."
Modern-day ministers who are suppose to fulfill a prophetic role, believe they are prohibited from doing so because it will jeopardize their tax-exempt status. It won’t, but even if it did, so what? Faithfulness to the Bible is every Christian’s calling regardless of the financial consequences, including the loss of your church’s tax-exemption if it comes to that. Such a development might clear out the “almost Christians.”
Then there are the typical arguments for non-involvement I deal with in my book Myth’s, Lies, and Half-Truths:
- Jesus didn’t get mixed up in politics. (He didn’t own a house, get married, or have children either).
- Politics is dirty. (What isn’t?).
- Our citizenship is in heaven. (Tell that to Paul: Acts 22:25–30).
- You can’t legislate morality. (Every law is the legislation of someone’s view of morality).
- Christians should remain neutral. (Impossible. Not to be involved only gives more power to those who are involved).
- We’re living in the last days. (How long have we been hearing this excuse?)
- There’s a separation between church and state. (There is a jurisdictional separation but that’s not what the First Amendment is about.)
Ministers of another era saw it their biblical duty to preach about politics from the pulpit because the Bible addressed every sphere of life, civil government included.
Good summary. By avoiding the confrontation we lose the battle without a shot being fired. Some pastors see church as an escape for their flock, and they want to share only "good feelings" with song and Praise. There is a time for that, and there is a time for Isiah type prophetic warnings.
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