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By Larry O'Dell
FREDERICKSBURG
Virginia's attorney general Thursday urged pastors and other church leaders to speak out politically, telling them that failure to do so concedes the battle over Christian values to "the other side."
"You can speak to any issue in America from the pulpit, full-throated, ears pinned back," Ken Cuccinelli told about 250 clergy at a "Christian Citizenship and Godly Government" breakfast.
The event was sponsored by the Virginia Christian Alliance. Donald Blake, chairman of the Richmond-based conservative organization, said Cuccinelli was invited to speak because church leaders are looking for assurance that they can talk about political issues without risking their tax-exempt status.
They can, Cuccinelli said, as long as they are careful to avoid explicitly endorsing or advocating the defeat of a candidate on behalf of the church. Pastors can endorse candidates personally as long as they make clear that their church affiliation is given just for identification purposes, he said.
Cuccinelli said it's common for Christians to think "politics is dirty" and avoid getting involved. When that happens, he said: "You just left the field to the other side."
The Republican alluded to some hot-button issues in his speech.
"Pull out a map of Virginia and look where the abortion clinics are," Cuccinelli said. "That doesn't make you mad? You're a calmer person than I am. It makes me mad."
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Don't ministers usually speak out for their values?
Isn't Cuccinelli stating the obvious just to get his name in the paper? My three legged dog killed two 'possums last night. Now that's news.
I
believe he was making a speech to pastors... not to the press. He was indeed preaching to the "choir". The press merely reported it. Don't think he was "trying" to get in the paper.
Meanings.
Does this then mean that he changes his opinion depending on to whom he is speaking? Or that he will only speak to Christian pastors?
The clergy shouldn't need a
The clergy shouldn't need a politician to get in the pulpit to tell them to speak out to defend moral values, they should be doing that anyway. But some won't fearing their "tax exempt" status. Sounds like the religious establishment of Jesus' day. Let's not speak the truth, let's just be religious to keep the status quo".
Conservative Republicans
Conservative Republicans call themselves Christians but they will not take hard stands on the Bible because it would compromise their political positions and power. I believe it is very difficult to be a politician who has to please the masses (to stay in office) and take hard stands on what the bible says about moral issues. In a society that is permeated by moral relevatism, if someone, especially a politician stands up and say what the bible says about hot button issues, he or she will be labled as intolerae and narrow-minded, and subsequently, the poliitician may as well forget about re-election.
I know I have to "believe"
The bible says so many things that you can pick and choose a part of it to support any issue you desire. How many times have theologists claimed the rapture was coming? And how many times have they been right? It used to be believed that "heaven" was up in the clouds, well I've been up in those clouds and have seen no angels. Space craft have been to the end of the solar system and not seen any angels either. Hell is supposed to be underground, and we have been miles down into the earth and have yet to hit "hell". I know I have to believe.
Please clarify
The AG is supposed to represent the State government in all legal matters. The state government, theoretically, represents ALL the people of the state. By singling out Christianity as the only guiding principle of state government, the AG is declaring that Judaism, Islam, Buddism, all other religions, and, don't forget the agnostics and atheists, are not represented by the AG and ergo, not represented by the state. Logically, this means that only Christianity is recognized officially by the state, which is clearly unconstitutional!
Yeh
go ahead in live in Saudi Arabia, I double dare you, (or for that matter Tibet or China) for awhile and just see how that is conducive to a Democratic Republic. It is because of the Judeo-Christian (the AG has often sited Judaism as the foundation of our faith) ethics and beliefs that you have the freedoms and tolerance that you know enjoy.
Actually
Our freedoms started with a group of guys, especially one Mr. Thomas Jefferson, who thought it best that the government should stay out of religion very strictly. That's not to say individuals cannot have their religious preferences, but those preferences should not be impressed upon others through the political system.
To clarify
My comment was not about the desirability of any one faith to establish a government. I was commenting on the duties of the AG to represent ALL the people under his jurisdiction, REGARDLESS of faith. Any other action is in violation of the constitution in that it promulgates one religion over others, clearly illegal. It is when one religion controls the government that the government dictates the religion to be observed by all the citizens. This is not freedom. It is the basis of Sharia law.