State of the Church 2010: Have the Lines Blurred?

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by DAII

Very interested what impartation means to Sciscoe.

I would assume a special impartation of the Spirit. What else?

[Orthodoxy]

Is it appropriate for pastors to defend the rights of the unborn from the pulpit?

[berkeley]

Originally Posted by Orthodoxy

Is it appropriate for pastors to defend the rights of the unborn from the pulpit?

No, politics don't belong in the church.






It is appropriate for pastors to preach/teach against the evils of sin. Abortion is murder. Murder is sin.

[Baron1710]

There certainly has been an inappropriate cross pollination between politics and Christianity. It happens on the left and the right. We have preachers preaching about the virtues and vices of both political parties rather than the cross of Jesus. With that said I also do not believe that because one is a Christian or a pastor that they should not be involved in the political process, there justs needs to be a distinction between the two.

I have friends who are very liberal when it comes to politics yet I support their ministry to orphans in Russia. They are very careful to keep God out of their politics and politics out of their ministry. Now, their view of God informs their politics, and they have come to radically different opinions than I have.

Just as there were founders who were much more secular, even atheistic, than some would like to recognize, such as Thomas Paine there were also many who were very outspoken about their Christianity, including Noah Webster. America was founded upon the Principles contained in the Declaration of Independence which was a collection of views that were prominent at that time. Though Thomas Jefferson did not wish to include the words, "Endowed by the Creator" it certainly carried the day among the signers who voted to include it.

The truth is all of us inform our politics by our faith, the problem comes when we expect others to have our political views to share our faith.

[DAII]

Originally Posted by Baron1710

There certainly has been an inappropriate cross pollination between politics and Christianity. It happens on the left and the right. We have preachers preaching about the virtues and vices of both political parties rather than the cross of Jesus. With that said I also do not believe that because one is a Christian or a pastor that they should not be involved in the political process, there justs needs to be a distinction between the two.

I have friends who are very liberal when it comes to politics yet I support their ministry to orphans in Russia. They are very careful to keep God out of their politics and politics out of their ministry. Now, their view of God informs their politics, and they have come to radically different opinions than I have.

Just as there were founders who were much more secular, even atheistic, than some would like to recognize, such as Thomas Paine there were also many who were very outspoken about their Christianity, including Noah Webster. America was founded upon the Principles contained in the Declaration of Independence which was a collection of views that were prominent at that time. Though Thomas Jefferson did not wish to include the words, "Endowed by the Creator" it certainly carried the day among the signers who voted to include it.

The truth is all of us inform our politics by our faith, the problem comes when we expect others to have our political views to share our faith.

Great post.

[Orthodoxy]

Originally Posted by Berkley

No, politics don't belong in the church.






It is appropriate for pastors to preach/teach against the evils of sin. Abortion is murder. Murder is sin.

Is stealing sin?

Like.............robbing the rich to give to the poor?

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by Orthodoxy

Is stealing sin?

Like.............robbing the rich to give to the poor?

Dennis Moore?
(Monty Python reference)

[Maximilian]

Originally Posted by Orthodoxy

Is it appropriate for pastors to defend the rights of the unborn from the pulpit?

That's a matter of injustice... not political parties. What should be public are issues. Of course, the pulpit is not really the best way to do that.

[Maximilian]

Originally Posted by Baron1710

There certainly has been an inappropriate cross pollination between politics and Christianity. It happens on the left and the right. We have preachers preaching about the virtues and vices of both political parties rather than the cross of Jesus. With that said I also do not believe that because one is a Christian or a pastor that they should not be involved in the political process, there justs needs to be a distinction between the two.

I have friends who are very liberal when it comes to politics yet I support their ministry to orphans in Russia. They are very careful to keep God out of their politics and politics out of their ministry. Now, their view of God informs their politics, and they have come to radically different opinions than I have.

Just as there were founders who were much more secular, even atheistic, than some would like to recognize, such as Thomas Paine there were also many who were very outspoken about their Christianity, including Noah Webster. America was founded upon the Principles contained in the Declaration of Independence which was a collection of views that were prominent at that time. Though Thomas Jefferson did not wish to include the words, "Endowed by the Creator" it certainly carried the day among the signers who voted to include it.

The truth is all of us inform our politics by our faith, the problem comes when we expect others to have our political views to share our faith.

Well said... mostly agree

[Jack Shephard]

IMO, the pulpit should be a place to help "pull from the pit" but it seems that it is more of a "push into the pit" more often than not.