beaconchurches

VALLEY FORGE, PA ( ABNS 09/3/08 ) — Just in time for the fall election season, National Ministries offers resources for American Baptists who want to align the votes they cast in November with their Christian faith and values.

A Bible study—“Does the Bible tell me how to vote?”—explores the connections between discipleship and citizenship, and faith and politics. Perfect for adult Sunday school classes and small groups, this resource is also appropriate for individual study and enrichment. Each of the three sessions in the study includes background material and an interpretation of its biblical passage as well as a series of questions to jump start thoughtful examination and dialogue.

Also, three articles relating to political issues from the current issue of The Christian Citizen, “Children in Poverty: Local Churches Respond,” are available as downloadable web-based resources.

• “Questions on the ‘No Child Left Behind Act’ for Candidates in the 2008 Federal Elections” features 10 questions for presidential and congressional candidates designed to help evaluate their understanding and support of public education and their plans for directing usage of federal education funds.

• “The ‘Vote Out Poverty’ Campaign” outlines a national Sojourners effort to mobilize the church and people of faith to put poverty at the top of our national political agenda and set goals for reducing poverty in the United States and around the world.

• “ABC Policy and the Political Process” again explores the relationship between faith and politics and reminds American Baptists that ABCUSA Policy Statements and Resolutions can help with applying faith insights to participation in the political process.

As the nation looks forward to the opportunity for making citizens’ voices heard in the upcoming election, the American Baptist Resolution on Citizenship in Elections ( 8101:3/88 ) reminds American Baptists:

“Christians ought to be among the most concerned and informed of all citizens. Church members should be encouraged to take active roles in political affairs; should help to develop informed public opinion on important local, state, national, and international issues; should judge candidates for office by their stands on important issues, past performances, and integrity, rather than by their personal appearances, campaign slogans or race, gender or religious affiliation.”

To order the Bible study—“Does the Bible tell me how to vote?”—call 800-448-3766.

Visit National Ministries’ Office of Governmental Relations Web pages for the articles from The Christian Citizen (nationalministries.org > Justice Ministries > Office of Governmental Relations).

National Ministries, American Baptist Churches USA, equips individuals and churches through public policy advocacy recommended by its Office of Governmental Relations to develop Christ-centered leaders and transform persons, congregations, communities and cultures.

I Read this News Flash and clicked onto the various links. Anti-"no child left behind"; pro-illegal immigration; anti-deportation; fighting global warming; 'justice'; etc; etc; etc...

Am I wrong or is this VF's version of MTV's Rock the Vote? After all this valuable information is carefully worded, with which party or candidate shall you choose?

I don't tell my congregation how to vote, none of us should, and I suggest denominations do the same. Do they think people are idiots? At some point, someone is going to grab a hefty bag full of this political pushiness and ask "Why"? After several of those people get castigated by some life-long Board Torquemada, scores of people will dump more hefty bags at denominational gatherings and ask "Why?"

What will they say? "Because we can."

Folks, I don't like the SBC telling people how to vote conservatively and I don't like denominations like the ABC 'informing' people to vote liberally. The separation of church and state stuff only works when it is convenient for the higher-archs. Where are those "Baptist Liberty" people when this jive is being pushed around from the left?

Guess ya can all me a "rebel" (the good kind).
News Flasher: if you really, really want some of us to go far left, tell us to go far right; that reverse psychology just might work because that's the effect your information is having on this lever puller.
chip

Hi Chip,
First time I observed this dynamic was back in the 80's, when "the little scroll" (I think Phil Jenks?) slammed Jerry Falwell for intruding in politics. In the church newsletter I opined that if we slammed one on the right it ought to be balanced with at least a critique of folks on the left. Jesse Jackson had just given Fidel a full embrace. The latter was approved by NM and the former, well...
A week later I recieved a personal visit from my Area Minister. Apparently I was out of line, divisive and a charismatic to boot...
Heavy sigh.
While I was not a Falwell supporter, there were people in my church that were. My op ed was an observation that it is not alright to alienate one group and offend another.
NM has still not caught on. It is part of the disloyalty toward the family. Offend one segment, affirm an albeit large, minority and marginalize anyone who complains.
So happy that we are getting past the idea that NM represents anything but a small portion of the family.
Art