Jul 31 2008
Should Pastors Endorse Politicians?
Popular megachurch pastor Rick Warren said he does not believe pastors should endorse political candidates in a recent interview held weeks ahead of his highly-anticipated leadership and compassion forum, which will feature presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama.
“I don’t think it’s right for pastors to endorse [a political candidate] in the first place,” Warren said on a recent CNN interview when asked if he thinks McCain was right to disavow controversial pastors John Hagee and Rod Parsley.
“I would never endorse a candidate. I would never campaign for a candidate,” he added.
“I think as a pastor my role is to pastor all the flock regardless of their political persuasion, so I wouldn’t have wanted endorsements anyways.”
Warren has, however, invited political candidates to speak at his church on the topic of HIV/AIDS. Past politicians that have spoken at Saddleback Church during its annual HIV/AIDS conference include Sens. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Sam Brownback.
Next month, Obama and McCain will appear together for the first time during the ’08 presidential race to answer questions from Warren about faith and moral issues such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, climate change and human rights.
“I believe in the separation of church and state, but I do not believe in the separation of faith and politics,” Warren said, “because faith is simply a worldview and everybody’s got a worldview.”
A person who says he can separate his faith and worldview is either an “idiot” or “lying” because it’s impossible, the influential Christian leader contends.
Read more here.
[From me]
Of course you know I agree with Rick. I believe when a pastor or a church endorses one candidate or party over another, they automatically put half the people they are trying to minister to against them. What do you think about people like Rick inviting people from both sides to speak at church?
What do do you think?
17 responses so far
I will not judge Rick on this one. I agree no pastor should endorse a candidate. I share his concern for the moral issues since the media wants to keep it away from that and consider the economy and war more important. But I hope he doesn’t throw softballs either.
Bill(cycleguy)’s last blog post..Life’s an Adventure!!
Turn the situation around and ask if you’re for governmental entities, schools, etc having debates between, say, Christians and satanists or Wiccans, etc. The answer to that is a “no”. A LOUD one.
Bob Cleveland’s last blog post..Maybe It’s Supposed To Be Enough???
I think it’s a great idea. Churches need some substantive topics to fill the time :))
Rick Warren has certainly done a great job of educating his members and the church in general about the subject of AIDS, violence, poverty, etc.
While I know so many criticize his work, on this one, he’s got it right!
M. Steve Heartsill’s last blog post..Life = Risk
I agree with him as well. I don’t like to see endorsement from pastors. On the bigger question of whether or not Christians should be involved in politics as Christians (instead of citizens) is a bit fuzzier for me.
Michael’s last blog post..A Long Absence
Pastors shouldn’t endorse politicians period.
I like what he said about church/state vs faith/politics. I remember my pastor, Tom Wolf, at the Church on Brady in LA say that “two taboo subjects are religion and politics. Religion is how man relates to God and politics are how man relates to man. What else is there, the weather?”
Rick Boyne’s last blog post..Anniversary
Pastors should NOT endorse political candidates at any time from the pulpit.
Quinn Hooks’s last blog post..Boxer and the Revolution
“A person who says he can separate his faith and worldview is either an “idiot” or “lying” because it’s impossible”
Say it ain’t so. I agree with Ricky! I love this quote. Something is going here. Either I may have scurvy or Rick’s totally right.
Stuart’s last blog post..A Note of Encouragement
I agree with Rick Warren. A pastor has a much higher calling that politics.
than politics.
Why? You running for an elected office?
Camey’s last blog post..The River. People in Life.
Camey,
That will be the day…
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..Public School to charge for use of lockers!
Ooops…. didn’t put a smiley face at the end of that.
Camey’s last blog post..The River. People in Life.
Kevin for President! A Starbucks in every house! I will be the campaign manager.
LOL ROTF!
Quinn Hooks’s last blog post..Boxer and the Revolution
I don’t think some of the commenters read “all” of what Rick said.
Kevin S’s last blog post..Andrew Murray on The Presence of Christ
I agree with Warren. Endorsing is dangerous biz. And the government is looking for a way to get the church, especially when the gov sees abuse of laws and tax exemptions.
While Hagee and Parsley do some good stuff, they are both vulnerable.
However, Bush would not have won in 2004 without the Parsley push in Ohio.
You bring up a good point, but I don’t think the church is the place for inviting political candidates.
I am new here, but reading along. In the meantime, check out one of my previous posts on politics and church and maybe we will find some common ground.
I would love to read your thoughts brother.
Joe Miller’s last blog post..Elders Lead A Healthy Family: Service