Pulpit politics rejected here

Local clergy say they do not endorse

Intelligencer Journal

Published: Oct 02, 2008
00:26 EST

By LORI VAN INGEN, Staff Writer

On Sunday, 33 pastors in 22 states defied the Internal Revenue Service's regulation against certain tax-exempt organizations endorsing political candidates on the grounds that it was their First Amendment right to speak freely about politics and moral issues.

Local church officials, however, believe there is a line that shouldn't be crossed — talking about social issues is fine but endorsing candidates is not.

"There's nothing wrong with talking positions, morals, but endorsing (a candidate) is crossing the line," said the Rev. Doug Winne, senior pastor of Lancaster Evangelical Free Church.

Winne said that as long as churches are tax exempt, "we should let churches deal with church and moral issues but stay out of the political" arena.

Winne said he has no problem with neutral voter guides being available at churches because they help people vote intelligently.

In fact, his congregation has, in the past, made them available on a table in the church. So far this year, however, he has not seen any voter guides.

"We do encourage people to vote," Winne said. The church happens to be a polling center. "We encourage everyone to vote — even if we vehemently disagree with them. Let their vote be known. They have a God-given opportunity to make their voice known."

Monsignor Richard Youtz of St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Manheim Township said neither he nor the Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg would endorse any candidate.

"We leave that up to the individual," he said.

Catholic priests, however, do talk about issues, especially abortion, he said.

"Life issues are very important to the Catholic Church," Youtz said.

The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference distributes voter guides after interviewing the candidates, Youtz said, "so we know where the candidates — even local candidates — stand, based on what they learned from their interviews with the candidates."

The voter guides, Youtz said, are available to any parishioner who wants them, but they don't publish them in the bulletin nor do they hand them out.

However, Youtz said, St. John Neumann has had a problem with fliers being put on parishioners' cars after Sunday Masses.

"We don't approve of that. If they see it on the car, they might think the church did it. But no, they're from a private group who didn't ask permission," Youtz said.

John Zeswitz, executive director of ministries at Lancaster County Bible Church in Manheim, said his church doesn't get involved in politics.

"We stay focused on our core mission. We stay focused on how life changes with Jesus Christ," Zeswitz said.

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Lancaster promotes voter registration within the community, not any particular candidate, said Phoebe Bailey, executive director of Bethel Harambee Historical Services at Bethel AME Church.

"No matter what, that — the right to vote — is important," Bailey said.

Bailey said Bethel AME also believes in educating voters.

"We speak on social issues and policies of the day which affect lives. (Social issues) are very important to holistic well-being."

The Rev. Andrea Brown, assistant pastor of Grandview United Methodist Church in Manheim Township, said she was "really sad" to see news stories about pastors who defied the IRS regulations.

"It was wrong-headed legally and theologically," Brown said.

At Grandview, "we do talk about how faith relates to the real world," Brown said. "We talk about how Christian values relate to the issues of justice and peace. We never take partisan positions."

Grandview also has occasionally handed out brochures from Good Schools Pennsylvania, an organization in support of public education, she said. "But we never hand out fliers encouraging voting one way or another," Brown said. "We just encourage voting."

Brown said the church wants members to be well-informed, so they talk about contemporary issues — from both Democratic and Republican viewpoints.

"We have a free and useful dialogue," she said.

Christians may have different political perspectives, Brown said, but they are united by something larger.

The Rev. Randy Riggs, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, said he believes those pastors had the right to challenge the IRS regulations.

"Civil disobedience has a long history in the church and within the country. Laws have often only changed when they were disobeyed and courts ruled in their favor — civil rights were certainly (won) this way," Riggs said.

However, First Presbyterian does not endorse specific candidates, he said.

"The denomination is so diverse that we attract a diversity of people, so there is no common view of what candidate should be endorsed," Riggs said.

"The church should be in the business of speaking mercy, justice and grace and let the people decide which (candidate) comes closest to that," he said.

First Presbyterian has not provided voter guides to its congregants.

"If we did, that would have to be approved by the elders," he said.

However, Riggs said, "I'm free to preach on whatever I feel the (Bible) teaches about any issues — but I rarely do."

He said he teaches what the Scripture teaches on issues all year long, not just at election time.

These issues are complex, Riggs said, because they are often written in Scripture for a specific time and place.

"We're not like the denominations that say, 'Scripture says it, and that settles it.' We don't take it literally. We differ from those congregations, specifically about abortion, and there are huge (ongoing) debates in the denomination about what the Bible says about homosexuality," Riggs said.

"My voice is part of a larger discussion in denomination. … Every time I presume to preach what the will of God is, there's always a good counterargument. I try to lift up what I believe what Scripture says and apply it to current situations," Riggs said.

E-mail: lvaningen@lnpnews.com