The last church I belonged to was a Unitarian Universalist church where speakers would talk about many subjects, including politics. I see nothing wrong with religious leaders discussing political policies that affect parishioners and the morality of these decisions and the moral qualities of those politicians, as long as they and their congregations are not contributing money to political campaigns from money that is donated to their congregations from the parishioners. The religious leaders should not have this power since in the US, money equals power!
Just an *. I totally appreciate the Preacher, Rabbi, Priest, Imam, using what I call, homilies to direct the thoughts of their attendees attention to political issues. I’ve sat through some really pointed homilies which have left me chewing on the intended issue. I do wish more folks practiced what is preached in and about the goodness and less about the retribution. Oh well, we could argue all day, but, where do we go from here? (That’s a line from a very good rock and roll song, Sweet Child O’ Mine, Guns and Roses). Google, 10 year old boy playing electric guitar at an outside concert in Surry. It’s fantastic. 😊💕🎶🎸 p.s. I’ll never delete and move on. You’re stuck!
I stopped attending the little church I was affiliated with here in the Deep South because of the charged political climate. That was during the Biden Administration when the republicans were furious that a democrat was in their Whitehouse. As a liberal democrat in a ruby red state I was in the super minority. A blue dot in a Red Sea. Instead of going to church for peace and spirituality, I began leaving the services seething and enraged. So I took stock in all the odds and decided not attending that church was better for my mental and spiritual health. I walked around our lovely municipal lake. We’re a country divided, church shouldn’t have politics in it. And in a small town, there wasn’t the opportunity to just go somewhere else. So the lake became my church and I don’t believe we should mix religion with politics. It makes my teeth hurt. I love politics and Substack and your essays, but church should be about God and not who you hate or like in the Whitehouse.
Good points. I do believe that in extreme circumstances the message from the pulpit needs to be more direct. But seasoned clergy who knows their congregation and the situation should be able to handle the responsibility with sensitivity and proper timing. On Yom Kippur, for instance, I tend to focus on more spiritual matters.
Please, this is not criticism. I believe you are a man of God. You’ve read the book, taken the test, practice what you preach, about God and God stuff. But when you are in your holy house of God, do you think there is a time to cross over and preach politics? Maybe after your service is over, down in the fellowship basement, you could speak to your collection of members who are (not church politics) in fast agreement with you politically, as a respected leader, and encourage their support for a political side. But not from your pulpit with a captive audience. That’s God’s time. I’m just wondering if “souls to the polls” is universally okay? I see it more clearly in the all black churches down here in the South, it boarders on education but I can’t see it in a big congregation, like the one you held. Asking for a friend.😳
I appreciate your feedback (aways) and for the most part agree. I do understand when the audience is "captive," which is why my strongest, most pointed works of advocacy will be my writings and not live sermons. Readers are not captive, whereas those sitting in the pews are, unless the topic of the sermon is announced ahed of time. Anyone who reads my postings is free to delete and move on please don't :)). But regardless of the IRS ruling, I've always been in favor of strong advocacy for justice and other key Jewish values from the pulpit, and I'm sure you are as well. Most often it doesn't involve mentioning the names of people running for office or directly criticizing current office holders A political endorsement might be done just once every couple of years. All I'm saying here is that when the choice is an existential one, simply hinting. because it's an IRS rule, is not enough. And people should not be able to hold the contents of a sermon over the pastor's head over what amounts to a tax law technicality. I've known rabbis who have lost their jobs over it. One rabbi walked out of an AIPAC session in 2016 when Trump was speaking (offensively) and was summarily fired when he got back home. Sometimes conscience matters. But yes, "politics" (which is just the art of the possible) should be discussed with great judiciousness by any preacher.
...and don´t forget to include the criticism of Netanyahu who is dragging the Halacha which Jews have defended with their lives the past - how many millenniums? - through the blood of - how many thousands of innocents? 100,000 +? - in Gaza.
There’s a lot that can be said about that, but the Johnson amendment and IRS have nothing to do with it. I only wish diaspora Jews could vote in Israeli elections, as many Israelis with dual citizenship vote absentee in American elections.
Every morning, I walk my puppy to CPW, where we sit on the steps of the Spanish/Portuguese Temple
The last church I belonged to was a Unitarian Universalist church where speakers would talk about many subjects, including politics. I see nothing wrong with religious leaders discussing political policies that affect parishioners and the morality of these decisions and the moral qualities of those politicians, as long as they and their congregations are not contributing money to political campaigns from money that is donated to their congregations from the parishioners. The religious leaders should not have this power since in the US, money equals power!
I agree. If we can somehow keep the money out of it, that would be a good thing,
I agree. Many politicians and religious leaders do not worship God but worship the golden calf!
Just an *. I totally appreciate the Preacher, Rabbi, Priest, Imam, using what I call, homilies to direct the thoughts of their attendees attention to political issues. I’ve sat through some really pointed homilies which have left me chewing on the intended issue. I do wish more folks practiced what is preached in and about the goodness and less about the retribution. Oh well, we could argue all day, but, where do we go from here? (That’s a line from a very good rock and roll song, Sweet Child O’ Mine, Guns and Roses). Google, 10 year old boy playing electric guitar at an outside concert in Surry. It’s fantastic. 😊💕🎶🎸 p.s. I’ll never delete and move on. You’re stuck!
I stopped attending the little church I was affiliated with here in the Deep South because of the charged political climate. That was during the Biden Administration when the republicans were furious that a democrat was in their Whitehouse. As a liberal democrat in a ruby red state I was in the super minority. A blue dot in a Red Sea. Instead of going to church for peace and spirituality, I began leaving the services seething and enraged. So I took stock in all the odds and decided not attending that church was better for my mental and spiritual health. I walked around our lovely municipal lake. We’re a country divided, church shouldn’t have politics in it. And in a small town, there wasn’t the opportunity to just go somewhere else. So the lake became my church and I don’t believe we should mix religion with politics. It makes my teeth hurt. I love politics and Substack and your essays, but church should be about God and not who you hate or like in the Whitehouse.
Good points. I do believe that in extreme circumstances the message from the pulpit needs to be more direct. But seasoned clergy who knows their congregation and the situation should be able to handle the responsibility with sensitivity and proper timing. On Yom Kippur, for instance, I tend to focus on more spiritual matters.
Please, this is not criticism. I believe you are a man of God. You’ve read the book, taken the test, practice what you preach, about God and God stuff. But when you are in your holy house of God, do you think there is a time to cross over and preach politics? Maybe after your service is over, down in the fellowship basement, you could speak to your collection of members who are (not church politics) in fast agreement with you politically, as a respected leader, and encourage their support for a political side. But not from your pulpit with a captive audience. That’s God’s time. I’m just wondering if “souls to the polls” is universally okay? I see it more clearly in the all black churches down here in the South, it boarders on education but I can’t see it in a big congregation, like the one you held. Asking for a friend.😳
I appreciate your feedback (aways) and for the most part agree. I do understand when the audience is "captive," which is why my strongest, most pointed works of advocacy will be my writings and not live sermons. Readers are not captive, whereas those sitting in the pews are, unless the topic of the sermon is announced ahed of time. Anyone who reads my postings is free to delete and move on please don't :)). But regardless of the IRS ruling, I've always been in favor of strong advocacy for justice and other key Jewish values from the pulpit, and I'm sure you are as well. Most often it doesn't involve mentioning the names of people running for office or directly criticizing current office holders A political endorsement might be done just once every couple of years. All I'm saying here is that when the choice is an existential one, simply hinting. because it's an IRS rule, is not enough. And people should not be able to hold the contents of a sermon over the pastor's head over what amounts to a tax law technicality. I've known rabbis who have lost their jobs over it. One rabbi walked out of an AIPAC session in 2016 when Trump was speaking (offensively) and was summarily fired when he got back home. Sometimes conscience matters. But yes, "politics" (which is just the art of the possible) should be discussed with great judiciousness by any preacher.
...and don´t forget to include the criticism of Netanyahu who is dragging the Halacha which Jews have defended with their lives the past - how many millenniums? - through the blood of - how many thousands of innocents? 100,000 +? - in Gaza.
There’s a lot that can be said about that, but the Johnson amendment and IRS have nothing to do with it. I only wish diaspora Jews could vote in Israeli elections, as many Israelis with dual citizenship vote absentee in American elections.