Should a church have a political conference on church grounds?

So you believe that abortion and homosexual marriage are political issues.

Many of our FF's were Deists, btw. Care to use an example of a leader from Scripture?

 

They are spiritual issues.

Unfortunately, the government violated 'separation of church and state' and stepped in where it shouldn't be and made those issues political.

 

Exactly, IMB18.

As already stated, Prophets were sent to speak to Kings throughout the OT. Look them up, you know it's true.

 

Fine, but I don't know any prophets in America whom God has sent to be a go between Him and the President.

Here is how Paul described the political responsibility of the Church:

Rom 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
Rom 13:2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

Was Rome any less corrupt than America? Was Rome any more a Christian nation than America?

No.

Joh 18:33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"
Joh 18:34 Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?"
Joh 18:35 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?"
Joh 18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."

Sounds like Paul agreed with Christ. Nuff said.

 

That is not topic of this thread.

No one is saying we are not to be subject to the governing authorities. That is a strawman argument.

When you compare the US to Rome, you are comparing apples to oranges. America was founded on Christian principles, Rome was not.

 

Comparing America with Israel is also apples and oranges.

It sounds like you disregard the Scriptures.

I disagree that America was founded with Christian principles.

The church's responsibility in terms of political responsibility is best summed up in two words, prayer (pray for leaders), and submission (submit to leaders.)

Anything else is extra biblical.

 

You brought up Israel, not me.

It is not a strawman. The responsibility of the Church is what is the point, which is as I stated, prayer and submission, not political activity.

 

In a democracy (or representative republic) politics is an important aspect of community. Most of us would probably have no problem local political events like town meetings to occur in a church building. In smaller towns, churches often are the largest building and the only logical place to hold a political town meeting.

I have disagreed with the way modern politics have entered the church in the past where the preacher would endorse a specific party or candidate and basically decide for the congregation who to vote for or else they were "bad Christians" or going to hell. I think most churches are moving away from that model but to go to the other extreme and remove any and all discussion of politics in a church community is also the wrong approach.

Around one of the Canadian federal elections a few years ago, some members of my church and several others got together to compile and circulate a document outlining all the major political parties (we had 5) and their main positions. It was very careful to get input from supporters of all the parties, cover all major issues (finance, education, health, legal, international environmental, religious, etc) and hopefully stimulate conversation about the impact our faith has on making political decisions.

Holding a conference where all major parties can be represented is a good idea, whether they be presidential candidates or spokespeople for candidates for city council. The issues and positions need to be made aware to our church community so we can have informed discussions about how our faith impacts our politics and give feedback to our potential leaders of how they can effectively lead.

Christians need to be a people who are educated about the world around us and are able to bring our faith into that realm. We need to be in the world but not of it, while we are on this planet. We need to form, discuss and express our voice clearly in a political system where we actually have a voice.

 

As late as the 1800's, all the town meetings were held in the church/school building.

In Bible times, people did not vote. We do (or should). A Pastor should not tell us who to vote for, but we are not doing our job if we leave all the politics to a lost world.

WE are the church. Where we meet is just a building. If we make it anything more, we are acting like the Catholics who have to go to a church building to pray...

We do not have political meetings at our church, but I wish we did.

 

Gold Dragon and I am Blessed make compelling arguments, except that they have no Scriptural basis. The Scripture was written for all believers, at all times, and all places. As such it is relevant to 21st century Christians who live in America, even though we often times act like it isn't.

I agree that the Church is a body of believers, not a building. But the building is bought and paid for by that body of believers. As such it is seen as the local meeting place for those believers to fulfill their commitment as members of the Body of Christ.

This commitment to society is best summed up in prayer and submission. We are to gather to pray for our leaders, and to submit (render unto Caesar.) Nowhere in Scripture do we find a charge for the Church to be politically active. On the contrary:

1Th 4:11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,
1Th 4:12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

We should aspire to be quiet, and mind our own business. Since we are in America but not of America, then the political affairs of America are not the concern of the Church. Again:

1Co 2:2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

We should know nothing in the assembly of believers except Christ, or the preaching of Christ, which is the gospel. Acts showed us this:

Act 2:41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Act 2:42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

So the business of the Church is teaching and preaching, fellowship, baptism, Lord's supper, and prayer.

Not political activism.

 

Are you saying that because we are Christians; we should have nothing to do with politics? Are you advocating we not even vote? We are the church and as citizens, we must be involved in politics. I hope I misunderstood you. Please clarify.

 

I pointed to Scripture to show the purpose of the Church, the body of believers, in terms of political activism, which is to pray and submit.

A believer who is in his home, or at work, or in the polling place, is not the body of Christ, thus he does not constitute the Church.

Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.

The Church needs at least two or three members who have gathered in Christ's name to constitute the Church.

Since the local "church" building has been set apart by the local body of believers for the express purpose of gathering in Christ's name, it should remain free from any worldly influence, and should serve to facilitate the purposes and commitments of the body. In terms of politics, those commitments are prayer and submission.

Romans 13 gives this instruction.

Rom 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
Rom 13:2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
Rom 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,
Rom 13:4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
Rom 13:5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
Rom 13:6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.
Rom 13:7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

 

If three ladies go to vote together and pray before they get out of the car...the church is there with us, as is God.

The Holy Spirit goes everyplace we go...even into the voting booth.

We ARE the church...not the building where we go to worship.

We also pray for our leaders during our regular church service. <gasp>

 

I agree, Marcia, you are abosolutely correct. Our Pastor would never let anyone behind the pulpit that was lost, taught a false gospel, or was for gay rights or abortion.

He even scrutinizes other Pastor's before he lets them preach to his flock. After all, he is our shepherd and is there to protect us from the wolves (especially the ones in sheep's clothing).

 

glad we got this cleared up :laugh: :applause: :wavey:

 

The Pastor Is Responsible, in the end!

The pastor needs to assure that false teachers, negative spirits, demonic spirits, oppressed spirits, etc., NEVER get behind the sanctified pulpit. I, as a pastor, may consider such a rally, but, I'd be inclined to use a community conference hall, and not the church facility.

Although, I don't see Warren accomplishing anything more than getting his name on the front page of many newspapers across this nation. Warren and his board will have to answer to God for this conference/rally, should it be ill advised with the supernatural will of God.

Shalom,

Pastor Paul:type: