Politics and Religion Redux

The debate about the comments made by Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama's long-time minister, continues to swirl. Those on the right proclaim that the comments are an abomination to all Americans. Those on the left point to some similar comments made by conservative evangelical Christian ministers, which have largely been ignored. Those on the right turn a blind eye to the comments and positions (which are equally offensive to me as anything Reverend Wright has said) made by two prominent ministers - namely the Reverends John Hagee and Rod Parsley - who have endorsed John McCain. Those on the left claim that Reverend Wright's comments are actually in the main stream of Black Liberation Theology. Some on each end of the theological continuum maintain that the media should not even be interested in anything that a minister says because he is a minister after all and not a political analyst.

Personally, I think the furor is a direct consequence of the trend for office seekers to seek political endorsements from ministers. I have been in ministry for a long time. I have strongly held political opinions - both on candidates I support and positions I hold - and share these in discussions with friends. Yet, in my position as minister, I have never endorsed a particular candidate or a political party. I have always considered my role as minister - that is as a spiritual support for the people - to take precedence over partisan politics.

This has not always been easy for me to do. At one church I served, a very influential member of the congregation asked me to include a petition for the Republican Party to prevail in elections as part of the morning service prayer time. I refused. That church member held my refusal against me for the rest of the time I served that church.

It would be interesting to hear how politically minded pastors deal with the current flap with their congregations. It will be interesting to see how this influences the upcoming primaries and the general election in November. I, for one, will always take comfort in the truth that God is not a member of any of the American political parties or any other political organization in the world.