I still remember, I think it was in 2005 in the Canadian General Election, a sermon from FEC's now-retired senior pastor, translated in English by one of the current pastors. Essentially, the sermon lauded Stephen Harper for his sentiments and his beliefs, while ragging on Paul Martin. Furthermore, the sermon extended beyond the issues. The sermon touched base on how Paul Martin had considered undermining his party (which was never really a real threat, he was known to be next-in-line to Jean Chretien), while how Stephen Harper patiently waited his turn to be leader (even though he was never a clear-cut leader in the first place... it's hard to say he was being patient). Nonetheless, it brought about an interesting though... how far should politics go in the Church?
Of course, I personally thought it to be despicable. The translator may have been assumed to be of the same opinion as the speaker, because they were both pastors. They may not have shared the same views. At the same time, it was hardly evident that Conservatives stood up for moral values anyway. We haven't seen anything done in the 2 plus years that Stephen Harper has been in charge. Yes, a gay marriage reversal would cause an uproar... but then why does it matter who we vote for if none will change it (assuming one is against gay marriage, which I am not really against)? To be honest, if the Liberals come up with a better policy to help the environment and the economy, and to cut taxes, I'd probably vote for them.
In the same way, it happens in every election. A lot of Evangelicals were frustrated when the choice was between Obama and McCain, who is relatively moderate and not very strong on the issues. However, the addition of Palin, a strong conservative, has caused a lot of Evangelical leaders to throw their support behind McCain. Radio show hosts such as James Dobson have told viewers to vote McCain (many had blasted McCain in the past), and I'm assuming it will happen again in churches everywhere tomorrow (Sunday). It sort of reminds me of a story I read after the 2004 election in the States, when a church tore itself apart after the pastor said that anyone who voted Democrat should leave the church.
How far can politics intertwine with the Church? Is voting Republican a must if one is a Christian, based on abortion and gay marriage stances? What is right?
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Well, I mentioned this at one of our discussions. I read this somewhere and it really stuck to me. When Jesus was alive, He did not bother to go through the system of politics. Instead, He chose to go to the individual and spread His message individually, personally, and intimately. He did not create large organizations to spread His message, nor did He choose to use politics as a platform for His views. Instead, He spread His message through His actions and His life.
What do you think about that?
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