# voting in church **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 5, 2000, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-church/32087 "2000-09-05T14:19:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-church/32087/1 "2000-09-05T14:19:18Z")
We had a guest speaker Sunday in church. He is a traveling music minister. He mentioned that if one votes for a cnadidate who is for abortion, we will have to answer to God for supporting murder. He claimed God said He’s not democrat or republican, but I figured out he probably means Gore, who unless I’m wrong, is pro choice. Isn’t it illegal to tell folks in church to vote a certain way? I know he didn’t mention names, but we all knew what he meant! It just made me want to go out and vote for Gore. I suppose the ACLU wouldn’t be interested. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-church/32087/2 "2000-09-05T14:24:02Z")
I don’t think the ACLU \*\* would \*\* be interested. I don’t like politics coming from the pulpit, myself. however, AFAIK, there’s nothing illegal about it. Many groups encourage their members to vote certain ways, Unions, Chambers of Commerce etc. Churches are no different in that respect, although, I’ll grant you most CoC and unions don’t threaten eternal damnation. ---
**Author:** ![Steve-o](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@Steve-o](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve-o)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-church/32087/3 "2000-09-05T14:51:37Z")
Having never been accused of being a Constitutional expert, I’ll offer up my understanding of things as fact. 😉 I’ve always understood “separation of church and state” to mean “protection of the church from influence by the state”, not “protection of the state from influence by the church”. ---
**Author:** ![Needs2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5e925/32.png) [@Needs2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Needs2know)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-church/32087/4 "2000-09-05T15:18:18Z")
If the pastor didn’t say so my brother-in-law wouldn’t know when to wipe his ass, I’m sure without the good Reverend’s input he sure as heck wouldn’t know how to vote. Needs2know ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-church/32087/5 "2000-09-05T15:24:30Z")
A church can, and has, lost it’s tax exempt status for “politicing from the pulpit”. The fine line seems to be whether the preacher is talking about issues or candidates. It’s OK to preach against abortion, but to use the pulpit to endorse a particular candidate or political party is a no-no. ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-church/32087/6 "2000-09-05T16:13:50Z")
Nothing here is against the law, but things will change a church/organization’s tax-exepmt status. A church can lose their tax-exempt status for sayong “Vote for Bob.” A church won’t lose it’s tax-exempt status for saying, “Abortion is a sin. Oh, and please find out where the candidates stand on this issue before you vote.” I don’t know about saying, “Vote for pro-life candidates,” where specific candidates are not mentioned but it is a little more precise (which seems to be what the OP says happened). The ACLU would probably be interested, and maybe the IRS as well. Personally, I would tell the pastor that I am there for spiritual renewal, not political mongering, and that I would find another church if such activities were encouraged there, but that is just my opinion. * * * Yer pal, Satan _I HAVE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR: Four months, three weeks, six days, 14 hours, 12 minutes and 58 seconds. 5983 cigarettes not smoked, saving $747.96. Extra life with Drain Bead: 2 weeks, 6 days, 18 hours, 35 minutes._ ---
**Author:** ![Oblong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c0e974/32.png) [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-church/32087/7 "2000-09-05T16:18:38Z")
If the pastor is black and espousing liberal causes, then it is OK, if the pastor is white and espousing conservative causes, then there is alarm. i.e. Jesse Jackson can preach from the pulpit about affirmative action and he is called a “Civil Rights advocate”, Jerry Falwell can preach about abortion and he is a “hate mongeror”. just an observation. trying to be funny here… Churches and other groups get around this by handing out “voter guides” which make it pretty clear on who they want you to vote for. ---
**Author:** ![Steve-o](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@Steve-o](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve-o)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-church/32087/8 "2000-09-05T16:42:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Satan \* > \*\*Personally, I would tell the pastor that I am there for spiritual renewal… > Yer pal, > Satan > \*\* LOL. Just looks funny from a guy that goes by “Satan”. ---
**Author:** ![Aglarond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@Aglarond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aglarond)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-church/32087/9 "2000-09-05T19:26:21Z")
I don’t know how other churches act in this matter, but politics is never brought up in my church. I’m Methodist, and I’m not sure if this is true of all Methodist churches, either. But, we have had no mention of the elections or any “hints” during a sermon. We do, however, discuss these things outside of church and I do know that my pastor is voting for Bush. I’ll ask him about this and see what he says. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-church/32087/10 "2000-09-05T21:53:49Z")
Organizations such as _Americans United for the Separation of Church and State_ have made a practice of notifying political churches that they are in danger of losing their tax-exempt status by politicking (specifically, passing out voter’s guides from the Christian Coalition.) Some churches have been ratted out to the IRS, which took action. The action mentioned by the OP, which mentioned no candidate by name, probably would not be illegal. I personally believe that any politics in church is unethical. ---
**Author:** ![Kyberneticist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kyberneticist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyberneticist)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-church/32087/11 "2000-09-05T22:38:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Oblong \* > \*\*If the pastor is black and espousing liberal causes, then it is OK, if the pastor is white and espousing conservative causes, then there is alarm. i.e. Jesse Jackson can preach from the pulpit about affirmative action and he is called a “Civil Rights advocate”, Jerry Falwell can preach about abortion and he is a “hate mongeror”. > \*\* Well, while Jerry Falwell, has the right to say what he does, I’d have to agree - yes, he is a “hate monger” > [@](#): > > \*\* > just an observation. trying to be funny here… > > Churches and other groups get around this by handing out “voter guides” which make it pretty clear on who they want you to vote for. \*\* Dunno what’s so funny. It’s true. Advocating equal opportunity is civil rights activism. Praising medical clinic bombers is hate. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-church/32087/12 "2000-09-05T23:09:47Z")
> [@](#): > > If the pastor is black and espousing liberal causes, then it is OK, if the pastor is white and espousing conservative causes, then there is alarm. i.e. Jesse Jackson can preach from the pulpit about affirmative action and he is called a “Civil Rights advocate”, Jerry Falwell can preach about abortion and he is a “hate mongeror”. I would just like to point out that [Americans United for Separation of Church and State](http://www.au.org) does go after churches if they _endorse candidates_ of any party or ideological persuasion. (And AU would certainly support any church’s right to take stands on social issues, whether those stands are “left”, “right”, or “center”.) See [IRS Should Investigate Detroit Church for Intervening in Michigan Presidential Primary, Says Americans United](http://www.au.org/pr22200.htm) (where the intervention in question was _against_ George Bush) and [Americans United Urges IRS to Investigate New York Church for Endorsing Al Gore](http://www.au.org/pr21400.htm), for a couple of examples. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-church/32087/13 "2000-09-06T00:46:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kyberneticist \* > Well, while Jerry Falwell, has the right to say what he does, I’d have to agree - yes, he is a “hate monger” > …Praising medical clinic bombers is hate. \*\* I’m not trying to be a smartass, but you’ll have to show me some evidence that Jerry Falwell ever praised a medical center bomber. I just can’t see that being the case.