Clarion Call to Church Leaders as November mid-year election draw near

By Nancy Thorner & Bonnie O'Neil –

It makes no sense to only complain about the negative problems and immoral laws that have been enacted by our government. We must have viable solutions to restore America’s former moral strength. Many of us knew something had been going astray within our society for a while, but opinions vary as to why it was allowed, how it was done, and who presently is able to correct the mistakes that have been made. America has become politically polarized and morally challenged, making progress at any level of government difficult. Nevertheless, concerned patriots understand that correcting mistakes of past governments has never been more important. Perhaps the distrust of Americans regarding their leaders’ immoral decisions is the reason Donald Trump was elected President.

Leftists have introduced and promoted much of what our forefathers would consider immoral laws that are detrimental to our personal and/or national future. The most obvious examples have been banning God from our public schools, supporting abortion rights, and equating homosexual to heterosexual marriage. They have changed our country and put us on a track toward a serious decline. 

• It was in these two landmark decisions, Engel v. Vitale (1962) and Abington School District v. Schempp (1963), that the Supreme Court established what is now the current prohibition on state-sponsored prayer in US schools. 
• The current judicial interpretation of the U.S. Constitution regarding abortion in the United States, following the United States's 1973 landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, and subsequent companion decisions, is that abortion is legal but may be restricted by the states to varying degrees. Is there any evidence of restrictions?  Most Americans think that highly unlikely considering over 60 million babies have been aborted from their mother’s wombs in our country.  The actual figure may be much higher, because most agree there is no way to know how many abortions have been performed.
• In 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in the landmark civil rights case of Obergefell v. Hodges gave the right of same-sex couples to marry on the same terms and conditions as opposite-sex couples, and with all the accompanying rights and responsibilities.  This was guaranteed by the Due Process Clause. 

When these laws were enacted, a majority of Americans who identified as Christian were shocked and dismayed, but their church leaders remained largely silent as the anti-Christian bills were passed into law. Since Roe v. Wade in 1973 through 2017, there have been at least 60 million legal abortions performed in the United States.  This averages out to about 1.4 million abortions per year in which a human life has been legally aborted from their mother's womb, a place identified in past generations as the "safest place in America."   About one in four US women will have an abortion before age 45.

Where was the resistance?

Particularly tragic for this nation was the lack of a strong, organized resistance by the church to the above anti-biblical laws.  There was little public outcry from the pews or church leaders.  This is sad because America boasts having the most churches and active Christians than any other nation. The silence of church leaders was as appalling as was the silence from people of faith.  Worse yet, instead of understanding their lack of efforts in allowing immoral laws to be enacted, the church and church leaders have remained silent ever since.  

Church leaders, knowing the negative direction of our laws have taken, continue to avoid all that is of political in nature, to the extent of not encouraging their congregations to register to vote or to recognize the differences in our two major party platforms. This silence by the church has enabled anti-biblical laws to be enacted throughout our nation.

Do most voters even know the differences between the Republican and Democrat Party Platforms?  Do they know how our Senators and Representatives vote on moral issues? Do they understand that before immediately before the 2012 election Democrat leaders removed God from their Democrat Platform?  Realizing they may lose too many votes, Democrat party leaders during their next Democrat Convention decided to restore God to its Platform.  Three “voice calls" later, it was difficult to determine if the “yeas" or the “nays” won, but they called it on the side of reinserting God. The fact that Democrat Party leaders had removed God does speaks volumes.  Apparent is that the American church isn’t paying attention, based on their lack of interest in educating their congregations about the differences in the Party Platforms and how each Party thinks and votes on moral issues.   

Party platforms do matter

Christians need to know the Democrat Party is not necessarily in alliance with their biblical beliefs.  In keeping with today's standards, President John F. Kennedy's policies, although a Democrat, were more in-line with the Republican Party of today.  Since Kennedy's presidency, Democrat leaders have pulled their party to the far Left, with Democrat candidates promoting free “stuff" to all, which is Socialism, a form of government that has never worked whenever or wherever it has been tried in the world.  Democrats of all stripes, with few exception, support abortion, abortion clinics, and homosexual marriage, which is in direct opposition to what churches should sanction. If using the Bible as the purveyor of God's Word, it is reasonable that Christian churches should accept the responsibility of explaining the biblical differences between the two major American political parties to their congregations, lest Christians vote for candidates who oppose their deepest moral values.

Could it be that even our church leaders are unaware of which candidates are Christian. It is possible they likewise do not know what the two political party platforms actually state or how Democrats vote very differently than do Republicans on specific issues of concern to churches and Christians. Then too, it is possible that some church leaders will allow their partisan political views to prevail instead of using the Bible and God's Word as their guide. If so, this needs to change.  Any church leader who supports Democrat candidates must explain how they can do so knowing the Democrat Party supports abortion on demand and homosexual marriage.  The Democrat Party expects all their elected officials to support their Leftist Party Platform. Not doing so brings forth retaliation to the offending member.

Are church leaders even aware of the moral differences between the two parties?  It would be wise for Christians to have a meeting with their church leaders to ask that question.  It is the responsibility of those of us who know these differences to be sure our church leaders are aware of those issues that deal with Christian morality. The responsibility resides among those of us who do know these truths.  We must make an appointment to meet with our church leader(s) to discuss the importance of informing their congregations of these essential facts before they vote? This is especially true when the ballot has issues that have the potential to impact the church and Christians. 

Importance of Voter Guides

Christian voters must help make Christian voter guides available to church leaders to distribute to their congregations. This is a gift to their congregations, by helping them to be informed voters.  Without question reliable, informed facts are appreciated, as candidate advertisements are often not at all trustworthy.  Reliable Christian voter guides are extremely helpful, as is information about what each political party supports through an examination of their current party platforms.  It is the responsibility of every Christian to investigate and vote for the candidates who best represent their values?  Perhaps church leaders would be appreciative of knowing information such as this from a very reliable Christian source, Billy Graham.   

It only takes limited effort to help churches organize a “voter registration table."  Most church leaders will be far more apt to allow this if you agree to be in charge of it.  It is amazingly easy to do by following these easy steps:

1. Local Voter Registration Offices provide voter registration forms free of charge … as many as you need.  Just drop by your local Voter Registration Office for information and voter registration forms.
2. Set up a table in the courtyard, or another place outside the actual worship sanctuary of your church, with a homemade sign explaining it is a voter registration table.  Ask a friend to help, so the process does not cause people to wait an unreasonable length of time to fill out the form.  Some churches give a voter registration form to all who attend services a month or two before the election.
3. Follow the easy instructions on the voter registration forms; the form provides everything you need to know and do. 
4. For any questions, the Voter Registrar is happy to provide whatever you need to know or do. The process is exceedingly easy, and their job is to be helpful.
5. Return the new, signed registration forms to the Registrar's Office asap after they have been filled out and signed according to the instructions.    

If a majority of pastors, priests, and faithful Christians continue to remain silent about the immoral political changes that have caused Christians to be ensnared into passively accepting an increasing measure of immorality, how can God keep His hand of protection upon America?  Christianity in Europe is on life support.  If atheists and Democrats continue to have success promoting and defending anti-Christian values, might we see within our lifetimes what is happening in Europe?  Church leaders cannot continue to shrug and behave as if anything and everything political should be avoided. This sends a dangerous message to every Christian, which many not be their intent, but is a reality. 

While it is not uncommon for church leaders to believe they are avoiding political problems because they may divide their congregations, they neglect to understand the positives of doing so.  If they can back up their comments with Scripture and facts about the candidates and propositions, it should not be a negative issue.  Their comments need not be made in support of a specific political party or person, but for the general education of providing facts every Christian should know.  Churches certainly do not want immoral propositions or laws to pass that are on their congregation's ballots; nevertheless, some are cleverly written to portray the opposite of the proposition's real intent. Voter Guides are therefore exceedingly helpful, as they provide Christians information as to which candidates and propositions align with Biblical values and those that do not.

It is imperative that every Christian understand what and who they are voting for on their ballot.  Their churches’ assistance is exceedingly valuable and appreciated.  However, it often takes a member of the congregation to discuss and volunteer to help make that happen.   That person could well be you!