Pastors and Politics: Always a bad idea

Reason #42532 why I dislike politically active pastors. They always embarrass us. Not for the gospel, which would be perfectly fine, but because of their political aspirations.

Here is Rick Warren, during the election cycle, endorsing Proposition 8 (anti gay marriage) in California:

In the video, Warren states:

This is not even just a Christian issue, it's a humanitarian, a human issue, that God created marriage for the purpose of family, love and procreation. So I urge you to support Proposition 8 and pass that word on.

That sounds like a pretty clear endorsement of Proposition 8.

Fast forward to the present. Here is a quote from Rick Warren, heir apparent to Billy Graham as pastor to the presidents, from a recent appearance on Larry King live (April 6, 2009):

The money quote:

During the whole Proposition 8 thing, I never once went to a meeting, never once issued a statement, never—never once even gave an endorsement in the two years Prop 8 was going.

I guess it depends on what the definition of “give an endorsement” is.

Sounds to me like the politician Warren wants to disown any impolitic statement from the past. It would have been just as transparent but at least more honorable if he had told Larry King: I now regret my previous endorsement.

Of course, this is all independent of the question of whether or not evangelical Christians should have supported or opposed Proposition 8. It is about whether or not Christians should seek national political prominence—which will inevitably put them in a position where, as Warren did, they lie out of political expediency.

Christians, repeat after me: Preach the gospel. Do not seek political prominence. Preach the gospel. Do not make it your goal in life to make sin illegal for unbelievers. Preach the gospel. Preach the gospel.

H.T.: Ed Brayton ^†

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^† Ed's blog, which I greatly enjoy, is the blog of an atheist deist. You will note, Pastor Warren, that your mistakes on nationally televised new shows (why are you there?) are celebrated and publicized by unbelievers.