There are many today who would like to silence the voice of the church altogether. They rely on the doctrine of "separation of church and state" to say that the church should not speak to public issues, but only to spiritual ones. This simply does not square with what the Bible teaches. The fact is that many of the cultural issues that are critical to Christians and the church are intertwined with the political world. To fail to speak to issues that are sometimes framed as "political" would mean that the church, and the church's pulpit, would fail to carry out the clear mandate of scripture.
Consider Isaiah's words:
"Cry loudly, do not hold back; Raise your voice like a trumpet, And declare to My people their transgression. And to the house of Jacob their sins." (8)
The voice of the church is to be loud and clear. The Jerusalem Bible catches the spirit of this verse well, as it renders it: "Shout for all you are worth." The attitude conveyed by this word is speak clearly and loudly, spare no one, and be sure that all hear you.
Many, if not all, of the issues that are facing our nation carry with them a clear spiritual and moral dimension. The church must speak to all these issues with a clear and loud voice or else place itself in the realm of the irrelevant. For years the church has understood that abortion was sinful, and a blight on the nation. Pro-abortion groups have long called this a political issue and one with which the church should not "interfere."
Today the church is faced with issues that in past generations it would not have expected to speak to. Two examples are the issue of national security and antiterrorism. If the Bible is correct -- and it is -- in stating in that the primary responsibility of the state is the protection of its people from evildoers (Romans 13:1-5 ), then this becomes an issue in which the church must be interested.
Does it mean that "political" sermons should become the main diet from the pulpit? Of course not! The church, in the early days of this nation, spent one day a year with the "election sermon" and others as needed to call the citizens to prayer, thanksgiving, and humiliation. The problem today is that the church has failed to continue the practice of the early American church: to call for righteousness in public life, as well as in personal, private life.
We are facing a time in the history of our nation when there must be a clear voice spoken from the pulpits of our land. They cannot simply be filled with pious platitudes, but must speak boldly to the issues that are facing our country today. God's word gives clear instruction as to how a nation may go about being strengthened. In Proverbs 14: 34, King Solomon is unambiguous when he says, "Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people." May we who are charged with preaching the truth of a sovereign God not shrink back from proclaiming "the whole purpose [counsel] of God" (10) as the Apostle Paul expressed was his desire to do.
There are, without a doubt, proper ways to do this within the context of our legal system. The American Center for Law and Justice has prepared information that analyses the issue of what is allowed by churches and ministries. You can find this paper on our website at www.aclj.org/resources/politicalspeech/voter.asp.
The church is the heart and soul of our great nation. We must remain true to our call to be "salt and light" (11) by speaking the "truth in love" (12) to our nation in days that cry out for moral clarity in times of great challenges.
For more information about the American Center for Law and Justice, or to join their email list, visit the ACLJ website.
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