I believe churches and their leaders need to be advocates for social concerns, justice, equality, and peace... the causes that Jesus spent his ministry teaching about. Churches and their leaders should not be endorsing or advocating specific candidates or political parties.
A pastor is called to be a shepherd and a spiritual leader. When a pastor uses his position and pulpit to tell people how to vote and who to vote for, then that person has crossed a line. Fortunately our country has checks and balances in place to ensure that this remains a place of freedom. I for one am glad that religious organizations and other nonprofits are going to be held accountable for what is said and taught from the pulpit during this election campaign.
Wayne Cook, Brent Waldemarsen, and several other area pastors have been complaining that their right to free speech is being curbed by the Internal Revenue Service regulations regarding nonprofits. Not so! The call of a pastor is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ -- not to use his influence with a group of people (the congregation) to tell people how to vote.
Cook claims that is not what is going on, but I wonder what a person would hear in some churches in Willmar these Sunday mornings as the election approaches. Let the political parties and candidates tell us where they stand on particular issues; and then let the voters do our jobs -- vote for the candidates who best represent our personal views.
Phil Holzman
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