Pastors weigh politics in the pulpit

Oct. 04--HAMLET -- Conflicts between church and state have made national headlines in recent years, particularly those involving the Affordable Care Act and its initial requirement that all employers offer insurance that covers procedures some denominations cannot condone because of their faith.

A 1954 amendment to the Internal Revenue Code restricting the speech of nonprofit and tax-exempt entities states they can not "participate in or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office" without risking the loss of their tax-exempt status.

On Sunday, more than 3,500 pastors in the United States and Puerto Rico plan to support Alliance Defending Freedom's seventh annual Pulpit Freedom Sunday, an event the group said "gives pastors the opportunity to exercise their constitutionally protected freedom to engage in religious expression from the pulpit," something they believe is threatened by the tax code amendment.

Two local clergy members weighed in on the general issue, though they were not familiar with the group or its annual event.

The Rev. Jean Pierre Swamunu Lhoposo, pastor of St. James Catholic Church of Hamlet, is not a fan of politics and prefers to leave them out of his homilies but acknowledges there are times when taking action is unavoidable.

"Normally, in my understanding, we cannot mix religion and politics," Lhoposo said. "We consider them, but some of the issues, we don't put our noise over that. Because religion is about spirituality and the spiritual growth of people. Politics are about division. The Democrats and the Republicans are not together. They seek to divide. But when politics jeopardize the value of the human being, then the church can step up and fight against it if it's necessary."

Lhoposo was speaking specifically of abortifacient drugs and lawmakers who attempt to force church groups with strong anti-abortion convictions to pay for health insurance that provides them to employees, against the precepts of their faith.

"This is a serious issue," he said. "We cannot do it."

But Lhoposo said he believes the best way for churches to influence politics is to pray that leaders will be open to God's will, knowing that their power comes from above, from God. If they receive this special vocation from God, then they have to put in practice what is pleasing to him.

The Rev. Dian Griffin Jackson, pastor of Mount Zion United Church of Christ in Rockingham, believes it unlikely that politics can be completely separated from religion when people in office are themselves religious.

"At the outset, I do contend that it is vital that church and state do not marry, but should be friends," Jackson said. "It is my conviction that they make strange bed partners indeed, though not for the obvious reasons. It is almost impossible for those in leadership of both institutions -- government and church -- to refrain from being swayed by political and faith-based beliefs and/or opinions, which one group will call truth based on its faith, while the other will call law based on its social location."

Jackson's concern about mixing faith and legislation boils down to human rights and respect for all people.

"Rather than legislate civic and humanitarian rulings that will affect all people and do not discriminate against any, neither of the biases should be present in policy-making," she said. "In regards to faith, the question becomes 'whose God will have the final truth, or which religion will be the true religion?' And in terms of politics, whether we enact legislation that will make the rich richer, the poor poorer, those disenfranchised even more hopeless. To avoid these kinds of prejudices that are sure to be determined based on who is in office when, it is more productive to consider the whole of society."

As for the church, Jackson said pastors are called by God to live out their faith in the way they understand God to speak to them. In order to connect and communicate rather than erect barriers and alienate, pastors need to know about world events, not just for themselves, but those they serve.

"But I think we must be careful about the fine line between endorsing a candidate and simply speaking the facts about all candidates," Jackson said in an email to the Daily Journal. "People need to make their political choices with all the facts. Again, if pastors endorse a candidate, they will endorse the ones who more closely adhere to their own personal biases even when that candidate stands for supporting laws and policies that will negatively impact many others -- and it will be because of their scriptural hermeneutic. For example, pastors who do not believe that same-gender people should marry will support candidates who believe likewise, even if that same candidate also holds to other positions that will have an adverse effect on many other people."

Jackson also said that religious groups should not keep silent on political issues that contradict their most fundamental beliefs.

"Pastors are, after all, followers of the Christ, and Jesus spent his few years of ministry -- as did the prophets of antiquity -- speaking truth to power about corrupt leaders, arrogance, greed, hatred, injustice. That was his mission. It also is ours, as those pastors who follow this Christ. In his words: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for God has sent me to open prison doors, give sight to the blind, release the captives...'

"We cannot follow this mandate if we do not keep our elected officials aware of why they have been chosen to serve. It becomes convoluted when either of the entities overlap too much in the other's arena. I talk about world events and political issues at Mount Zion, where I serve as senior pastor. However, I am careful not to go so far as to endorse one particular candidate over another. I hope."

Reach reporter Melonie Flomer at 910-817-2673 and follow her on Twitter @melonieflomer.

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