Using Churches to Recruit Voters

The title of this post is a phrase that makes me ill and angry at the same time, yet it's happening all over the United States. An organized effort toward that goal is going on right now in my home state of Maryland. A group calling itself "Association of Maryland Families" has started what they term a "Voter Registration, Voter Education, and Voter Turnout" drive in churches throughout the state.

How are they going to "educate" potential voters? Well, the fact that this is a cooperative effort with Focus on the Family offers a disturbing clue. They are also advertising the "Value Voters Summit" being held in September by another right-wing group, the Family Research Council. My state is clearly in the blue column, but even here there will be recruits eager to sign up and push the agenda of exclusion and hatred these groups push in the name of God.

Folks, people with this mentality can rationalize just about anything, including coming into facilities established for the worship of God to try and increase their political influence.

I found a like-minded piece written by Rev. Gerald Britt, the esecutive director of Central Dallas Ministries. Rev. Britt writes:

"Enough is enough. I have joined more than 100 other religious leaders from across our state in sending a clear message to politicians: Keep partisan politics out of our houses of worship and respect the faith of all Texans."

He adds, "But we must not blur the line between faith and partisan politics. Our houses of worship cannot be used as campaign props, nor our congregations deemed a "political base." We cannot allow those who disagree to be stigmatized. Religion should not be used to divide communities to win votes."

Rev. Britt is more open to inviting speakers into his church to share political topics, but he does not give up his pulpit and is determined to hear both sides on issues.

How many sides do you think the Association of American Families is interested in hearing? Not mine, I'm sure.