Our church treasurer may freak out if she reads this post, but there is no worry. It's often said pastors cannot endorse a political candidate, but that is false. Churches are not permitted to endorse candidates, and a pastor may not use his church assets, pulpit, or publications for such endorsements. But as a pastor, I remain a free American with all the rights and privileges therein.
So when I heard my man, Ted Cruz, was holding a political rally in Rockford this morning, I grabbed up my teenage son and took him down to see the Senator. Simply hearing a presidential candidate in person has already sparked some great questions from him.
Character counts for me when we're talking leadership. Whether it's a political candidate or a college basketball coach, I want someone I can trust to live an example of leadership before my children.
As a citizen, I want someone who values the lives of the helpless. I want someone who challenges the impoverished to pursue a bigger dream than a government to meet all their needs. I want someone I can trust.
The rules for ministers are clear. We should not instruct our parishioners on who to vote for. I feel the same way on many issues of our faith. My role as pastor isn't to tell people what to believe, but to guide them to God's Word in order to form personal convictions built on the ultimate truth.
An American minister is still an American citizen. If you have any concerns about your rights, I encourage you to visit the following link, IRS Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations, and read pages 7-8 that easily illustrate the law and examples of compliance or violation. I read it in less than 5 minutes.
SO I ENDORSE...your right to vote. Many don't because they believe politicians are all the same. Maybe the reason for that is because the same people vote year after year. If we suddenly engaged even the 2.6 million people in Illinois who are able to vote, but not registered, we might see some real change in our country.
Amen!
ReplyDeleteI agree that a pastor should be allowed to vote, but shouldn't such pastor use the right to vote for someone who isn't against the constitution, has manipulated the system by denouncing a particular candidate by lying and is in favor of killing innocent people because he is a proponent of the death penalty? A GOP candidate that will take the taxes of the poor and convert it back into the top percent of wealth. Also, take a large portion of such finances and use it for military resources and build walls. It seems as though that the only thing Christian about Ted Cruz is that he says he is, and if we are guided to following the devil, isn't that the fault of the pastor?
ReplyDeleteMy vote is separate from my ministry. However, I do challenge my people to be voters who are shaped by Christian principles. For me, innocent life is of the utmost concern. But I choose to vote for those who elevate the lives of the unborn and infirm over those who have taken life from their fellow man.
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