Think about that question. How comfortable would you be if someone representing you in either your local or the federal legislature stood up at the microphone and started preaching the Gospel of Jesus? What if he wrote a devotional in his newsletter originating from the state or U. S. Capitol? Even if you agree with what was said, I suspect most of you would share the same type of discomfort I would feel.
Let's flip that scenario around. Why is it then okay for church officials to push for specific legislation from the pulpit and/or in their church's newsletters? I don't think it is okay, yet the most recent example of that is occurring right now in Colorado.
According to this report on 365gay.com, Roman Catholic churches throughout Colorado will be working to collect signiatures for two ballot measures, one that would restrict the rights of same-sex couples, the other that would amend the state Constitution and ban same-sex marriage.
My point here is not to adress the speficic initiatives, but rather condemn the Catholic Church in that area for stooping to the level of a political operative. I understand their position on these measures are consistent with the teachings of the church. I respect their right to share that view from the pulpit in the same way that they would preach about various sins that we can all agree about, such as violence and adultery. Adressing the fact that there are almost certainly some closeted gay priests doing the church's bidding here is another issue.
I don't want to see any political initiative debated from the pulpit of my church, even if it is one that would favor the GLBT population that largely makes up our congregation.
Let the politicians and political organizations stick to lobbying for political issues (and hopefully staying away from preaching). I want pastors, priests, and anyone else standing behind a pulpit claiming to represent Jesus Christ's church would stick to that and not try to run a political campaign.
I attend church to worship God, not take sides on political issues. I wish everyone else took the same approach.
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Unfortunately, Jim, the Catholic Church cannot help itself from meddling. Here in Massachusetts they did the same thing to get a petition initiative before the legislature concerning same-sex marriage. This despite the fact that the state law does not require them to perform or recognize same-sex marriage.
ReplyDeleteSo, they preached and preached and had signature sheets in the church vestibules for people to add their names to the petition drive.
Some of the folks who signed the petition are friends of mine. They cannot understand why I'm offended by their signing on to this bigoted petition. They say "it's nothing personal." How ridiculous is that.
They cannot possibly believe that gay people are people of faith. They cling to a misplaced notion that we're all heathens.