By ED VVASICEK
Tribune columnist
March 22, 2008 04:47 pm
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Accountable for pastor’s remarks?
Politics and religion do not mix well. As Cal Thomas said, “Religion is about convictions, politics is about compromise.” Because they do not mix does not mean they are not related. Their relationship is like vinegar and oil: They do not blend well, but they share the same bottle.
For some people, religious affiliation is considered genetic: “I attend a certain religious meeting because I was raised that way.” For others, religious affiliation should be based upon conviction (my viewpoint). For still others, it is about friends, social events, or entertainment.
The religious world is filled with both major variations and nuances. Some Protestants believe the Bible should be interpreted normally and is true (a viewpoint espoused by evangelicals); others embrace a concept that divides reality into lower (actual) history and higher (religious) history. Others reject orthodox beliefs entirely.
The religious landscape gets even muddier when we look at how people view religious authority. Most evangelicals view the Bible (not the church) as the final authority; thus any teaching is open to challenge if not Biblically defensible. Some significant groups (Roman Catholics, Orthodox) view authority as vested in the church leadership and tradition. Yet other churches grant cult-like status to their spiritual leaders, and accept rulings about even the smallest details of life from them. Liberal Protestant churches might consider the first two of the above as worthy of study, but they do not consider themselves bound by either of them.
If you are with me so far, let me see if I can lose you here. The relationship of church to society differs from culture to culture. In Europe, church attendance is a thing of the past and churches are generally supported by government through taxes. Some nations run their welfare programs through the State Church. In the African-American community, it is not unusual for churches to be highly political. Although many black churches are quite evangelical, some (like the one in question) embrace a viewpoint many of us would consider extreme or reactionary.
I have found it interesting that the media has focused in upon the teaching of Barack Obama’s pastor when they have not done so for past candidates. Of course it could be because of Pastor Wright’s extreme viewpoints or rhetoric. Still, I never remember another candidate being held accountable for what his pastor said.
I have long considered it inconsistent that the media has embraced political activism in the Black Church – most of which leans left – while condemning political action in the evangelical White Church – most of which leans right (I personally oppose church political action). Since I have condemned that inconsistency, fairness demands I point out inconsistencies in the opposite direction as well.
It is fair to question Obama as to his agreement with his pastor. And it is legitimate to ask him why he would continue to belong to a church which advocates such a radical viewpoint – but we must then look at the pastors chosen by other candidates.
When a man runs for the presidency, he takes residence in a fishbowl. I remember some scrutiny about George Bush’s religious background. Certainly Mitt Romney’s Mormonism, Joseph Lieberman’s Orthodox Judaism, or John Kennedy’s Roman Catholicism were important political issues. After all, we are voting for a human being, and leading America means drawing upon all one is.
But this sad reality surfaces: for most politicians, what the Bible teaches, what their clergy preach, or what their church (or group) decrees usually has little influence upon their decisions. Fortunately, there are a number of exceptions. Several presidents have been devout men whose religious values played a major role in their decisions. But think about these questions: Where would John Kennedy have stood when it came to abortion (probably where his brother stands)? Or Lieberman (even though Orthodox Jews generally denounce abortion)? What is Romney’s track record?
The big surprise in all this is that the media (who are largely unchurched) seem to take church more seriously than the churched. And that is a sad commentary.
Ed Vasicek is pastor of Highland Park Church and a weekly contributor to the Kokomo Tribune.
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