Pulpit Priority: An Atlanta Pastor Says Churches Should Be Prophetic, Not Political

[Adsos Letter]

Source: The Wall of Separation
The official blog of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Rob Boston

Americans United recently asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate an El Paso ministry that is spearheading a recall campaign against that city’s mayor and two members of the city council.

Pastor Tom Brown has used his Tom Brown Ministries to coordinate the recall campaign. Brown is angry because Mayor John Cook and council members Steve Ortega and Susie Byrd voted to extend benefits to domestic partners. He is using the ministry’s website to promote the recall.
.............
Brown also asserts that he’s working only on his own behalf to recall the mayor and the two council members. But that’s simply not true, as this page on his ministry website proves. Brown also asserts that the IRS doesn’t prohibit churches from getting involved in recall campaigns. Again, that’s not true. Federal law forbids any 501(c)(3) group from intervening in an election by endorsing or opposing a candidate. Launching a campaign to remove candidates from office is clearly intervention.

The good news is that plenty of clergy disagree with the kind of church-based electioneering that Brown is doing. The Rev. Dr. Richard H. Cobble, president of Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta, recently spoke out strongly against misusing church resources for political ends.

Link: http://blog.au.org/2011/07/27/pulpit-priority-an-atlanta-pastor-says-churches-should-be-prophetic-not-political/

[OHdem10]

1. Remember even J Falwell(RIP) had pulled out of Politics.

He never indicated his motivation other than he
personally had decided it was better not to be involved
in Politics.

I have often wondered if he recognized that ordinary working
Americans were not being served. Of course he could not
have said that. Often wondered.

[Adsos Letter]

4. I don't know, but I'll do some research on it.

I didn't realize he had eschewed politics.

[Ruby the Liberal]

2. "Americans United for Separation of Church and State"

Never heard of this group before. I like! I like!

Going to check them out. If they are focused on challenging the IRS tax exempt status of religions NFP dabbling in the political realm, I will do whatever I can to support them, even if it means stalking twitter feeds and facebook pages.

[Adsos Letter]

6. They are an excellent organization working to defend Church/State separation

since 1947. Barry Lynn, the president of AU, is an ordained minister who believes in Church/State separation. They are very active as a watchdog group. http://www.au.org/

Their Statement of Purpose:

"We defend religious liberty in Congress and state legislatures. We work with lawmakers on all levels to ensure new legislation and policy protects church-state separation.

Each day, we learn of constitutional violations from all over America and we aim to advise these violators on the law and how they can best resolve the issue, without heading into court.

But when we do have to go to court, we take that opportunity to make it clear that when one citizen violates the constitutional rights of another, we take it seriously. We use these cases to shape legal precedent so the same mistakes are never repeated.

Our long-term projects, such as our publicizing our research on Supreme Court nominees and monitoring church politicking activities through Project Fair Play, educate the public on church-state separation.

Through our Legal, Legislative, Communications and Grassroots Departments, we are committed to not only serving as America’s religious liberty watchdog, but also to reminding Americans why church-state separation should matter to every American."

[Bake]

8. They've been around for years.

Southern Baptists used to support them strongly before the fundies took over the Convention.

Bake

[Adsos Letter]

10. You know, that's one of the real sad things in the history of American religion

that the Danbury Baptists, as a minority group in the early National period realized the necessity of equal protection, but in our day so many Baptists have renounced that.

I think it says a lot about the fundamental idea that the mix of Church and State is deadly to the legitimate function of either.

Edit: removed "they" and added "so many" in first sentence.

[izquierdista]

3. And when the prophecies don't come true...

We can deduce that
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o
Religion is Bullshit.

[Bake]

9. Not that type of "prophetic."

More like the OT moral/ethical prophets. Thke ones who would point the finger at the king and say "Thou art the man!" (and that wasn't a good thing for the king ...).

Bake

[Adsos Letter]

11. Yup.

[spanone]

5. what? a clergyman who respects the constitution?

the irs should go after the high profile abusers, like rick warren and his ilk....scare the little shits

[Adsos Letter]

7. I agree wholeheartedly. Barry Lynn is also an ordained minister

Some variation of Baptist, I think. He's also president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and recognizes that Church/State separation is one of the foundation stones of the right of equal protection under the law.