...continued from Politics and worldview 2.
After having spoken to several ministers, I was very amused by the fact that they all told me that they could not give support to one party over another from the pulpit.
Here in South Africa churches do not have any kind of tax-free status. Meaning that the church here is taxed like any other organisation.
So, pastors do not want to say which party to vote for or which to support because they do not want to upset those members who
vote for parties other than the ACDP. My question is this: Why do these pastors not want to upset them? Should we not stand up for what we believe no matter what area of life, even if it is in the area of politics?
When I look at other parties in South Africa, I cannot with any good conscience vote for any party but the ACDP! I also cannot in good conscience be quiet about who I vote for when asked! Pastors come up with schemes such as "Ask the Lord who you should vote for." Isn't that amazing?! Fine! "Lord, should I vote for the ACDP who stands for the Bible, against abortion, pornography, same-sex marriage, etc or should I vote for the ANC or even the DA who both have raised their hands for abortion?"
How can a pastor with a clean conscience tell his people to ask God to tell them who to vote for? We have all seen how people in the past have gone to God to hear His "now" word and came away from this celestial meeting with the biggest lot of anti-Biblical notions.
Goodness me! If people are going to be upset because you have spoken out on your support for the ACDP and not the other parties, then so be it! Perhaps pastors must start preaching on topics to make people think and not on all this new fandangled pop-theology of our modern sermons. It is all to common for pastors to preach for all too long and hardly say anything of any value at all! Why is this so? It simply happens because they are preaching on their favourite topics without actually making the Bible speak on those topics. At church the other day the pastor preached for almost 45 minutes in which he mentioned a couple of verses which did not say at all what he claimed they said! He made absolutely no effort to expound those verses to show what they really meant through proper exegesis! If he did so, then the people would actually start thinking in his sermons. But, as it is, it is more important to experience breakthrough than actually be fed the real unadulterated Word of God.
Now, coming back to the excuses these pastors make for not standing behind what I would call the obvious party to support, if these pastors really taught their people a proper Biblical worldview, then perhaps people would not get upset because they have already been trained to discern between right and wrong! But, it is easier to preach pop-theology than real sermons, because real sermons demand hard work.
Then on the other hand, maybe these pastors do not want to upset the people because then they would lose their base of income through tithes?!
Money talks, I suppose and if it does talk, then what does it say?
Continue to Politics and Worldview 4...
After having spoken to several ministers, I was very amused by the fact that they all told me that they could not give support to one party over another from the pulpit.
Here in South Africa churches do not have any kind of tax-free status. Meaning that the church here is taxed like any other organisation.
So, pastors do not want to say which party to vote for or which to support because they do not want to upset those members who
vote for parties other than the ACDP. My question is this: Why do these pastors not want to upset them? Should we not stand up for what we believe no matter what area of life, even if it is in the area of politics?When I look at other parties in South Africa, I cannot with any good conscience vote for any party but the ACDP! I also cannot in good conscience be quiet about who I vote for when asked! Pastors come up with schemes such as "Ask the Lord who you should vote for." Isn't that amazing?! Fine! "Lord, should I vote for the ACDP who stands for the Bible, against abortion, pornography, same-sex marriage, etc or should I vote for the ANC or even the DA who both have raised their hands for abortion?"
What accord has Christ with Belial?
Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
(2Co 6:15 ESV)
How can a pastor with a clean conscience tell his people to ask God to tell them who to vote for? We have all seen how people in the past have gone to God to hear His "now" word and came away from this celestial meeting with the biggest lot of anti-Biblical notions.
Goodness me! If people are going to be upset because you have spoken out on your support for the ACDP and not the other parties, then so be it! Perhaps pastors must start preaching on topics to make people think and not on all this new fandangled pop-theology of our modern sermons. It is all to common for pastors to preach for all too long and hardly say anything of any value at all! Why is this so? It simply happens because they are preaching on their favourite topics without actually making the Bible speak on those topics. At church the other day the pastor preached for almost 45 minutes in which he mentioned a couple of verses which did not say at all what he claimed they said! He made absolutely no effort to expound those verses to show what they really meant through proper exegesis! If he did so, then the people would actually start thinking in his sermons. But, as it is, it is more important to experience breakthrough than actually be fed the real unadulterated Word of God.
Now, coming back to the excuses these pastors make for not standing behind what I would call the obvious party to support, if these pastors really taught their people a proper Biblical worldview, then perhaps people would not get upset because they have already been trained to discern between right and wrong! But, it is easier to preach pop-theology than real sermons, because real sermons demand hard work.
Then on the other hand, maybe these pastors do not want to upset the people because then they would lose their base of income through tithes?!
Money talks, I suppose and if it does talk, then what does it say?
Continue to Politics and Worldview 4...
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