David Gushee has these seventeen rules for "Christian engagement in politics." Check 'em out. And read the rest of the article here.
1. Christian leaders must not officially or unofficially endorse political candidates or a political party.Posted by tripp at July 11, 2007 04:49 PM2. Christian leaders must not distribute essentially partisan or single-issue voter guides that purport to be apolitical or nonpartisan.
3. Christian leaders must not publicly handicap or comment upon the political horse race.
4. Christian leaders must not provide private or public advice to particular politicians, parties, or campaigns concerning how they can strategize in order to win evangelical or Christian votes.
5. Christian leaders must not calibrate their public teachings or writings in order to affect the outcome of political elections or to gain and hold the support of politicians.
6. Christian leaders must not attend political rallies or campaign events of one candidate or party unless they are prepared to attend rallies and events of all candidates and parties.
7. Christian leaders must not invite political candidates to speak in church pulpits or on church grounds unless they are prepared to invite all political candidates of all parties to do so.
8. Christian leaders must not identify the potential or actual victory of any politician as a victory for God or God’s kingdom.
9. Christian leaders must limit their direct contact with politicians or staff in order to avoid even the appearance of undue loyalty or involvement.
10. Christian leaders must not engage in voter registration campaigns or get out the vote efforts aimed at mobilizing the voters of one political party rather than another.
11. Christian leaders must not direct the funds of their organizations toward direct or indirect support for a particular political candidate or party.
12. Christian leaders may not sidestep these rules by drawing a distinction between their activities as a “private individual” over against their service in their public role.
13. Christian leaders must offer Christian proclamation related to the large number of public issues clearly addressed by biblical principles or direct biblical teaching.
14. Christian leaders must encourage Christian people toward active citizenship, including studying the issues and the candidates and testing policy stances and candidates according to biblical criteria.
15. Christian leaders must model and encourage respectful and civil discourse related to significant public issues as well as political candidates.
16. Christian leaders must model and encourage prayer for God-ordained government, its leaders and their policies.
17. Christian leaders must teach and model respect for the constitutional relationship between religion and the state as spelled out in the First Amendment.
And do you agree with these rules?
Posted by: Megan at July 11, 2007 06:29 PMI'm not sure yet. I am still pondering them. I find them interesting...The author wants evangelicals to take a huge step back from the political stance that has become so popular over the last couple of decades. It is one thing to "speak truth to power." It is another thing to give one's ecclesial oomph to a specific politician.
I read him to say that I can speak out against warfare, for example, but I cannot say "Vote Democrat! End the War!" It's a good bit of advice. But it is difficult in a democracy to do so as a pastor.
As an individual, I have political leanings...mostly leftward. But as a pastor I am discovering that I have to muzzle those leanings and embody something else entirely. I cannot bifurcate faith and politics. So, I have to reinvent politics for myself.
These rules make me think that I should not vote. I know that I may not be demonstrating "responsible citizenship" by neglecting to vote...but how am I supposed to embody these rules and then go and do the opposite as a person of faith by picking a person, praying the other person does not get elected, and seeking the will of God in a political platform?
It's challenging stuff this guy has written.
Posted by: Tripp at July 11, 2007 07:04 PMLiving in "Falwell Country" I find this very interesting. The man is dead and this town is in an uproar due to the appointment of a Liberty University professor to the School Board; somewhat through the back door and due to the Falwell influence which apparently is alive and well. Community asking for resignation and recall petitions. None of this type of information showed up in info I read on Lynchburg when it was voted as one of the best places in America to live (#15 at the time). Definitely believe that the clergy should stay at arm's length in politics; but definitely entitled to one vote just like the rest of us.
Posted by: Mom at July 12, 2007 08:52 AMyowza. Wish I wasn't avoiding a sermon right now--maybe tomorrow afternoon I can jump in to this.
I think this guy is reacting to the takeover of the religious right in the political arena; he wants to put such a high a wall between church and state that the church can't impact the state at all. And if we do that, we're missing the point of being church.
Posted by: cristopher at July 13, 2007 03:41 PM