{"id":703,"date":"2007-10-08T09:16:35","date_gmt":"2007-10-08T09:16:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/jwalking\/2007\/10\/polipastors.html"},"modified":"2007-10-08T09:16:35","modified_gmt":"2007-10-08T09:16:35","slug":"polipastors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jwalking\/2007\/10\/polipastors.html","title":{"rendered":"Poli-pastors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Beware the poli-pastors.
\nPoliticians have always been chided for promising anything during a campaign, even the moon in the form of manned lunar bases, and metaphorically in the form of economic bliss, health care nirvana, and two-sentence solutions to Iraq.
\nIncreasingly, however, promising the moon just isn\u2019t enough. Politicians \u2013 regardless of party, policy, or standing in straw polls – are making promises of harmony, unity, even salvation. Consider Sen. Obama’s words last year, \u201c\u2026we should talk more about our empathy deficit – the ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes; because our individual salvation depends on our collective salvation.\u201d Or consider his words yesterday<\/a>, “We’re going to keep on praising together. I am confident that we can create a Kingdom right here on Earth.”
\nReally? That is dicey theology no matter ones creed and begs the question of the of said salvation\u2019s destination \u2013 heaven or streets full of hugs?
\nSuch a sentiment is easy to ridicule, but actually flows from an ageless stream of American political rhetoric. While we are accustomed to hearing promises like Herbert Hoover\u2019s, \u201ca chicken in every pot and a car in every garage,\u201d we forget how the honorable George Washington promised America would advance because of the \u201cthe gracious indulgence of Heaven\u201d and could therefore \u201clook forward to the riches, power, and happiness\u2026 it seems destined\u201d to reach.
\nVirtually every American politician has assumed a divine right to utter spiritual truths and make spiritual promises. Lincoln declared without a hint of cynicism that government\u2019s \u201cleading object is to elevate the condition of men \u2013 to lift artificial weights from all shoulders, to clear the paths of laudable pursuit,\u201d not only materially, but spiritually.
\nThose spiritual promises, however, tended to adorn political speeches, not provide their substance. Ray Suarez, in his book The Holy Vote<\/a><\/em>, confirms that while \u201cGod appears in the words of Lincoln, Wilson, both Roosevelts, Eisenhower, Carter and others, the Almighty has now moved from the wings to the center of the speech.\u201d
\nWhy? In part because of \u201cGeorge W. Jesus\u201d and his enormously successful political self-portrayal as \u201cpastor-in-chief\u201d to millions of evangelical Christians. If politicians always run the last campaign, then Bush\u2019s spiritual exhibitionism is leading some candidates – mostly Democratic ones – to speak as much about their spiritual goals for themselves and for America as about their policy goals.
\nIf this salvation talk from politicians is confusing, try listening to some of America\u2019s leading pastors.
\nLike American politicians, America\u2019s clergy have always had a political voice. After all, it was John Winthrop sloshing across the Atlantic on the Arbella in 1630 who first proclaimed America \u201ca city set on a hill\u201d and thus a \u201cnew Jerusalem\u201d.
\nNow, however, pastors and religious leaders are becoming defined by the their political promises. Consider the Christian mega-ministry Focus on the Family. In a letter to supporters kicking off 2006, Focus leader James Dobson sited only one leader for inspiration. Jesus? Paul? Moses? No, no, and no. It was \u201cRonald Reagan [who] once said, \u2018Every new day begins with possibilities. It’s up to us to fill it with things that move us toward progress and peace.\u2019\u201d In Ohio, nearly 1,000 churches are now part of a political mobilization network to support conservative candidates. Rev. Al Sharpton attacked fellow African-American pastors not over bad theology but because they had \u201cchosen to ignore or have simply forgotten the big-picture vision promoted by Dr. King and his kin\u201d by opposing gay marriage. What gives?
\nThe poli-pastors are taking over. Politicians think that by sounding like preachers they are going to win votes and preachers think that by sounding like politicians they will grow churches, bring in money, and \u201csave\u201d America. Unfortunately, the net result is bad politics and even worse faith.
\nAscribing too much spiritual weight to politicians burdens them with a spiritual authority they do not have \u2013 no matter what they do, they won\u2019t deliver a new heaven or create a new earth. They are limited to governing well and serving citizens in their pursuit of peaceable and productive lives. Meanwhile, becoming too encumbered with politics distracts spiritual leaders from their primary eternal purpose and entangles God in political fights that cheapen his reputation.
\nLet\u2019s hope it doesn\u2019t require crystal meth and gay prostitutes to set everyone straight – though that is helping New Life Church find its way back.
\nIts founding pastor Ted Haggard, who also headed the National Association of Evangelicals, was exposed last year for dabbling in those things. I talked to a friend who attends the church. He was crushed by Pastor Haggard\u2019s sins, but stayed in the church. How was it going?
\nWonderful, he exclaimed. Given all of Pastor Ted\u2019s political involvement, his sermons had become ever more political \u2013 more America than Jesus. Now that had changed. Jesus was back, the church was thriving and relationships were being renewed.
\nThey are rediscovering that \u2018hope in the unseen\u2019 is the stuff of faith and \u2018hope in the seen\u2019 is the stuff of government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Beware the poli-pastors. Politicians have always been chided for promising anything during a campaign, even the moon in the form of manned lunar bases, and metaphorically in the form of economic bliss, health care nirvana, and two-sentence solutions to Iraq. Increasingly, however, promising the moon just isn\u2019t enough. Politicians \u2013 regardless of party, policy, or…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-faith","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nPoli-pastors - J Walking<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jwalking\/2007\/10\/polipastors.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Poli-pastors - J Walking\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Beware the poli-pastors. Politicians have always been chided for promising anything during a campaign, even the moon in the form of manned lunar bases, and metaphorically in the form of economic bliss, health care nirvana, and two-sentence solutions to Iraq. Increasingly, however, promising the moon just isn\u2019t enough. 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