November 13, 2020

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

Why have our Christian leaders decided to be political? Instead of helping this country come together under the umbrella of Christ’s love, we are endorsing political candidates, praying to God for one candidate and not the other, and spreading fear of what will happen if the “other” candidate gets elected.

What happened to uniting all people under God? What happened to our calling to spread the good news to all peoples and making them disciples of Christ? We seem to be more focused on making disciples of particular political parties.

Our Christian leaders whine that the church’s tax-free status is under fire, refusing to recognize that we have done harm to that status by endorsing candidates and turning the pulpit into a prop for fundraising for political candidates. I’m not denying the right, or the sense it makes, for political candidates to attend local churches in hopes of garnering support. I’m speaking of our pastors, who are endorsing candidates during their sermons, who are spreading fear of the “other” political party, who are spreading unsubstantiated warning of what terrible things will happen if one person is elected instead of the other. All this is occurring from the pulpit. All of this is occurring during sermons, during Bible studies. And our leaders, who we trust are in harmony with our Lord and Savior, are speaking from positions of the authority given to them by God. Is that what God is truly telling them to talk about?

What happened to warning me about the consequences of a life without Jesus Christ? What happened to reminding me that God is in charge of who’s in charge? What happened to reminding me that the end times are coming and things are going to get crazy, but my God never changes and loves me? Jesus himself dined and socialized with the poor, the outcasts, those deemed unworthy by the Christian leaders of the time. Jesus scolded the religious leaders for being so involved with the politics of the time and losing their focus on what they were supposed to be doing: Telling those around them about God.

Perhaps we as Christians need to remind our religious leaders that the love of God does not differentiate between political parties. It’s time for our leaders to stop focusing on bringing undecided voters to a political party and refocus on bring more lost souls into the family of Christ.

Robert Rogers, Escondido, Calif.