Roundup Record Tribune & Winnett Times -

It is commonplace these days, for the churches we attend to place limits of what they are willing to preach and teach about, when the subject matter turns to elections, governing principles and the policies and practices of civil government. These are generally thrown into the catch-all category of "politics" -- which is really not a Biblical term, but I guess that means anything involving God's institution of civil government that might be too controversial or "hot to handle."

Most churches adopt a position of steering clear of specific governmental issues and questions of public policy -- believing them to be unnecessarily divisive for the body of Christ to handle. The general belief is that the "corporate church" should preach the Gospel (amen!), convert the unbeliever and teach the princi[ples and lessons of the Old and New Testaments. That is the church's specific "job" -- but not confronting so-called "political" issues, evils and concerns. If the church is doing its job, the thinking goes, then the result will be more Christans who, in turn, will apply Biblical principles to civil government and "do the right thing" to turn our dying nation around. (Side note: 50% of Christians do not even vote.)

The Founders of our nation, of course, believed something very, very different than this (thank God!) I'm not going to "hold forth" anu more at this time, other than to say as politely as I can that I believe the churches are in serious error on this, and are following a pathway of fear rather than faith, and simply not trusting God in this important area where the expression of God's truth is so desperately needed. By failing to fully recognize that government is God's institution, and that God, not man, owns our "politics" (just as he owns everything else in a believer's life), most churches flout their responsibility to be good and vigilant stewards of God's civil government -- and thus capitulate to the Devil. By saying, in effect, that this is an area where the church will not speak and will not act, they give the Devil a pass. They make "politics" a carve-out for the Devil. I maintain that you just won't find that in Scripture.

Roger Koopman

PSC District 3