Disowning Conservative Politics Is Costly for an Evangelical Pastor

[Omaha Steve]

Full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/us/30pastor.html?ex=1154836800&en=66040ca0043aff45&ei=5043&partner=EXCITE

By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
Published: July 30, 2006

MAPLEWOOD, Minn. — Like most pastors who lead thriving evangelical megachurches, the Rev. Gregory A. Boyd was asked frequently to give his blessing — and the church’s — to conservative political candidates and causes.

The requests came from church members and visitors alike: Would he please announce a rally against gay marriage during services? Would he introduce a politician from the pulpit? Could members set up a table in the lobby promoting their anti-abortion work? Would the church distribute “voters’ guides” that all but endorsed Republican candidates? And with the country at war, please couldn’t the church hang an American flag in the sanctuary?


Most members of Woodland Hills Church near St. Paul stayed after the Rev. Gregory A. Boyd urged an end to sexual moralizing and military glorification and said America should not be proclaimed a “Christian nation.”


After refusing each time, Mr. Boyd finally became fed up, he said. Before the last presidential election, he preached six sermons called “The Cross and the Sword” in which he said the church should steer clear of politics, give up moralizing on sexual issues, stop claiming the United States as a “Christian nation” and stop glorifying American military campaigns.

“When the church wins the culture wars, it inevitably loses,” Mr. Boyd preached. “When it conquers the world, it becomes the world. When you put your trust in the sword, you lose the cross.”

[RamboLiberal]

1. K&R - May there be more like Pastor Boyd

God I hope this is an awakening in the evangelical community. There are those in the Republican and Christian community that are only using the movement for their own evil aims.

[Rowdyboy]

2. K&R too, but I'm not optimistic......Republicans have cheapened religion

to the point that I, a traditionally religious Episcopalian am sickened. I'm ashamed of being called a Christian because of how Republicans have twisted reality.

[xchrom]

7. i'm with you , rowdy.

hair on fire conservative christians have created a cancer in the faith.

[meow2u3]

21. Republicans have politicized Christianity

much like the Middle Eastern fanatics have politicized Islam, giving both religions a bad name and provoking thinking human beings to ditch their faith.

[Rowdyboy]

22. How sad that its cme to this

[Diogenes2]

3. Is there any way to contact Mr. Boyd?

I would like to thank this gentleman for his courage and genuine "moral clarity". Bravo!

[w4rma]

5. Website of church with sermons

http://www.whchurch.org/content/page_274.htm

[Cha]

4. God, this guy is Good!

Almost makes me want to join up!

The change in his church is going through some growing pains right now but his and his flock's future look bright to me. B-)

[yurbud]

6. This pastor should read Elmer Gantry--one of Gantry's colleagues

makes a change like this, loses his congregation, and gets the crap beat out of him.

[Floogeldy]

8. This is the lead story on AOL's home page this morning.

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/disowning-conservative-politics-is/20060729195809990004?ncid=NWS00010000000001

[MODemocrat]

9. More proof they're not in Church to praise their God

They're there to push their political agenda. Those who quit are what my Father used to refer to as:
"Fair Weather People". They're only around when things are going their way. :spank: :thumbsdown:

[smacky44]

12. "These people worship me with their lips. But their hearts are far from

me." Christ speaking about the Pharisees and Sadducees Matthew 15: 8-9 In other wrods, this applies to the evangelicals of today who preach the gospel of hate and war.

[MODemocrat]

15. Thanks for posting this quote from Matthew 15

So befitting.

[Exiled in America]

10. The full article is a great read!

Blessings to this guy.

[Supersedeas]

25. i'll second that and recommend

[RevCheesehead]

11. Read the full article, or you'll miss some great stuff:

Something tells me that Rev. Boyd and I could be friends.

In his six sermons, Mr. Boyd laid out a broad argument that the role of Christians was not to seek “power over” others — by controlling governments, passing legislation or fighting wars. Christians should instead seek to have “power under” others — “winning people’s hearts” by sacrificing for those in need, as Jesus did, Mr. Boyd said.

“America wasn’t founded as a theocracy,” he said. “America was founded by people trying to escape theocracies. Never in history have we had a Christian theocracy where it wasn’t bloody and barbaric. That’s why our Constitution wisely put in a separation of church and state.

“I am sorry to tell you,” he continued, “that America is not the light of the world and the hope of the world. The light of the world and the hope of the world is Jesus Christ.”

Mr. Boyd lambasted the “hypocrisy and pettiness” of Christians who focus on “sexual issues” like homosexuality, abortion or Janet Jackson’s breast-revealing performance at the Super Bowl halftime show. He said Christians these days were constantly outraged about sex and perceived violations of their rights to display their faith in public.

“Those are the two buttons to push if you want to get Christians to act,” he said. “And those are the two buttons Jesus never pushed.”

(snip)
In the end, those who left tended to be white, middle-class suburbanites, church staff members said. In their place, the church has added more members who live in the surrounding community — African-Americans, Hispanics and Hmong immigrants from Laos.

[B3Nut]

23. I'm with you, Rev...

It's about time more pastors spoke up like Boyd has. Looks like he did a great job of afflicting the comfortable. :)

My pastor never goes into politics much, though he did have one of the elders (an ecology prof at the UW) give a talk on the realities of global warming and that humans have exacerbated the process...it was part of a larger theme of stewardship (oh the horror! You mean we actually are supposed to take care of the place? Whoda thunkit?)

Todd in Beerbratistan

[RevCheesehead]

24. Beerbratistan?

:rofl:

What denomination? Sounds like the pastor's on the right track, but wants to be subtle. Subtlety is not my forte. :)

[B3Nut]

26. Evangelical Free (n/t)

[B3Nut]

27. Oh, and

I sometimes use "Cheesecurdistan" as well. :D

No wonder I put on weight after moving here in '02.... :D

Todd in Beerbratistan :beer:

[Exultant Democracy]

13. Looks like Boyd knows what Jesus would do

The temptations of christ are some of my favorite standbys for arguing with fundies.

[Bill McBlueState]

14. What I like about this guy...

I hope everyone notices what exactly this pastor is doing. He's not preaching "Jesus was a liberal" or "Democrats can be Christians, too" or in any way trying to replace Republican Christianity with Democratic Christianity. He's articulating a theological basis for the separation of church and state. That voice is largely missing from the debate today.

Perhaps people who continue to attend his church will come to realize what secularists already know, that a religiously neutral government is the only way to guarantee religious freedom.

[neverforget]

16. the people who left are probably more Republican than they are

Christian being married to the Party instead of the Word.

[maxrandb]

17. Can I get an Amen for the preacher?!

“I am sorry to tell you,” he continued, “that America is not the light of the world and the hope of the world. The light of the world and the hope of the world is Jesus Christ.”

Thank you Rev Boyd for putting into such simple terms what I've been trying to say to the wing-nut "Republivangelist" for a long time.

[samsingh]

18. he seems like a very good man.

[gratuitous]

19. When the church conquers the world, it becomes the world

Succinct and nicely put. I probably wouldn't see eye to eye with Mr. Boyd about much of his theology, but I am foursquare in his corner when he talks about a choice between the sword and the cross. You can't hold onto both at the same time, and if you truly believe "In God We Trust," there's no choice to be made between secular power and fealty to religious truth. I note with approval his refusal to put a flag in his sanctuary.

It's kind of heartening, I suppose that after sermon series, Mr. Boyd lost only about 20% of his congregation. There may be hope after all for reconciling across political lines.

[AliceWonderland]

20. Oh! I was forwarded this story and

I really, really enjoyed it. Very thought-provoking and good to hear a sensible voice in the evangelical movement. Highly recommended read.

ETA: I agree with the posted above that this is important as a Christian minister advocating a theological basis for separation of church and state. I don't want Jesus to be a liberal (for one, he was much more radical than that) -- I want a profound and upheld separation of church and state.