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The political climate has become heated very early this year with endorsements and encouraging backslapping already being reported.
Popular politicians have already given their endorsements to national candidates, which though a bit early is an acceptable process and does not surprise many of us.
Editors of larger newspapers have also begun to record in their columns praise for their preferred candidates and criticism toward those they oppose. This, too, is not surprising as this has been the practice and privilege of a free press since the founding of our nation.
A bit more surprising is a national media network (NBC) which has indicated that it intends to report in a manner favorable toward a national political party. The surprise of course is not that this network is prejudiced in the favor of a particular party but rather though previously claiming to be unbiased now have with brazenness admitted to it.
All of these parties have the right and–if they think it necessary–the responsibility to endorse whomever they believe represents their particular political and worldview.
What has been more surprising to me and a bit disconcerting to me are religious leaders that have given public endorsements or opinions of political candidates. These are not just comments snatched from private conversations by some reporter searching for a story, but are intended public statements from individuals that at least some consider leaders and spokesmen of the Christian community. Also it seems the whole realm of the conservative Christian community from charismatic (Pat Robinson), to evangelical (James Dobson), to fundamentalist (Bob Jones III) have anxiously been willing to publicly limelight their views.
All of these men have the right to hold any personal political views and opinions and to make any endorsement that they desire. Also they are certainly neither under national law or ecclesiastic edict forbidding them to voice their opinions of endorsement; nonetheless, some Scriptures lead me to question the expediency of doing so.
The Pharisees (chief priests and scribes) once approached Jesus hoping to trap Him by putting Him in the position of making comments that would have had religious implications or would have constituted political endorsements. Here is the text: “So they watched [Him], and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor. Then they asked Him, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’ But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, ‘Why do you test Me? Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?’ They answered and said, ‘Caesar’s.’ And He said to them, ‘Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent” (Luke 20:20-26 NKJV).
Jesus obviously perceived their intentions and short-circuited their plot to cause Him to violate His nature as God or His responsibility under Roman authority. But there is more in Jesus’ rebuff than merely his avoidance of their vicious plot. What He said to them also challenged them with regard for God’s intended purpose in life for them. In asking “whose image and inscription” was minted in the coin, Jesus implied that God’s image was that which was minted in their lives by creation and should have been inscribed to their lives by religious experience.
Christian leaders need to be careful that public endorsement and the limelight accorded them and their preferred Caesar do not mar the greater image which is theirs by creation and professed faith.
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Summit View Baptist Church is located at 31 N. Highway 25 Bypass, just south of Furman University’s golf course.
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