This is a Final Warning from God

Well, you know, we have a debate on we've talked to other religious leaders on this show about where the politics and religion mix together. We do have the separation of church and state so you're really not supposed to endorse any candidates for example from the pulpit.

Yeah, do you do that or how do you feel about that? I don't want to get in trouble.

We keep it really straight laced. No, I think at our church when people say keep politics out of the pulpit I said, what do you mean by that. Because politics affects people so if that's happening You better believe we're gonna talk about politics to not do that.

Where's the line where you infringe upon the separation of church and state my dad's a lawyer.

So dad if you want to text me right now, I'm getting in the hot water.

I don't I don't know but do you feel like you know there. You have a moral imperative to. To speak publicly about some of these more controversial issues.

No, because we try to be like Jesus very rarely. Did Jesus ever talk about morality or social issues.

Why Pastors Must Preach Politics and Moral Issues

Pastors must preach politics and more.

There is a staggering amount of misinformation and misunderstanding Today concerning the issue of separation of church and state. For many Separation of church and state means that religion and politics should not mix in any way.

Which means that pastors should not speak about politics?

You're uncomfortable because of this long-standing myth of the separation of church and state. That long-standing myth of the separation of church and state Is a myth that has led us to believe that it is always and everywhere.

Inappropriate pastors to talk about religious and political topics.

There is even an IRS law that prohibits pastors from endorsing or opposing any political candidate. However, because this law is absolutely ridiculous many pastors have been openly defying this law and the IRS has Taken no action most likely because it knows it would certainly lose a legal battle regarding this law and the pastor has.

The president reached out. Has he responded. Have you had a conversation with him? We talked a little bit about why? From certainly a biblical standpoint Christians could not vote democratic because there's no way that a Christian can affirm the slaughter of babies homosexual activity homosexual marriage or any kind of gross immorality.

I said any real true believer is going to be on your side in this election because It's an entire set of policies that Christians cannot in any way affirm. In an interview with former Hillsong.

Pastor Carl Lentz joy Behar stated that it would be a Violation of the separation of church and state for a pastor to speak too much concerning political matters.

We've talked to other religious leaders on this show about where the politics and religion are mixed together. We do have the separation of church and state. So you're really not supposed to endorse any candidates for example from the pope.

The reality is that the vast majority of people are misinformed and miseducated. Concerning the separation of church and state you've been misinformed. You've been.

Miseducated you don't know what the truth is as it relates to the separation of church and state. Of course.

When understood correctly separation of church and state is a good thing.

One of the things that you've been taught is this that in America? There's always been this wall of separation between church and state and that that's a good thing by the way if you understand that. Historically and accurately.

I stand up and I say amen hallelujah praise the Lord. I am with you.

Yes, when understood in its proper historical context separation of church and state. Primarily refers to the idea that there will be no religion that is sponsored by the federal government. Not that religion and politics should never mingle.

Yes wall of separation between church and state. Why. Because I know where that statement comes from. That statement comes from a letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association now.

Why was he writing to the Danbury Baptist Association. Because they wrote to him he wasn't even in the country at the time. I believe he was in France. They wrote to him. Why did the Danbury Baptist Association write to Thomas Jefferson because they worried about something?

What are they worried about that the Congregational Church was going to be made the official Church of the United States of America and the Baptist said no. So Thomas Jefferson writes back to the Danbury Baptist Association in order to assuage their fears and let them know That the United States of America will have no official state church, not least of which the Congregational Church.

That's where he uses this phrase. There is a wall of separation between church and state. What he meant was that the federal government was not going to enact any laws That would establish a state church in the United States of America.

The idea that religion and politics should not mix is an invention that is not at all based upon history or fact. But is rather a weapon used by partisan actors on a particular side of the political aisle.

To get the other side to shut up and not fight for particular issues.

What he didn't mean was that religion and politics can't and shouldn't mix.

The First Amendment is crystal clear concerning the extent of what separation of church and state means and it says absolutely nothing about religion and politics not mixing or Pastors not being allowed to speak about political issues.

So First Amendment to the United States. Here's the clause.

That's important. Congress shall make no law respect respecting the establishment of religion nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof. There it is. That's it. That's all folks. Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion No prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

That proves that Thomas Jefferson Did not mean that religion and politics could not and should not mix because if he believed that why is there a statement about religion? in the Constitution.

The big problem with the idea that pastors should not speak about political issues is that political issues are essentially Moral issues that affect every aspect of our lives. If pastors could not speak about political issues That would essentially mean they could not speak about moral issues.

Which pastors are commanded to teach about and what is the statement by the way?

Pastors shall not speak about political issues from the pulpit. First of all, if you believe that then you have no idea what politics means. Tell you what it means later. There are very few things that we can talk about that are not political.

In fact, many states even had official state religions that were not at all. Unconstitutional since the Constitution only prohibits the federal government from enacting any official religion. It does not prohibit individual states from determining for themselves particular state religions.

By the way. The majority of the states that founded this country had official religions of their state. The First Amendment does not mean that religion has no place in politics. The First Amendment means that South Carolina can have an official religion but the United States of America can't have one that overrides South Carolina or New Hampshire or Delaware or whoever when they declare what their state religion is going to be.

That's what it means.

Even today when there are currently no state religions The Constitution would not at all prohibit a state from deciding to have a state religion if the people Decided they wanted one. Whether or not that's a good idea is a separate question.

None of these things were undone by our Constitution again. You've been misled. You've been miseducated.

Another common belief is that Christians should not try to legislate morality. That Christians shouldn't try to impose their morals and values upon non-christians through the law. But of course, this is silly since all laws legislate morality including supposedly.

Secular laws. We're told you cannot legislate morality. That is only true in the sense that legislation can't make people moral. Unfortunately, that's not the way we understand it. What we mean is you can't enact legislation that has to do with morality.

By the way, that phrase that phrase means what it says you can't legislate morality. You can't through your legislation make people moral, but the other part of it can't be true. Why. Because all Legislation is moral.

You can't legislate anything other than morality. Every piece of legislation is legislating some type of morality.

The real motivation behind saying that you can't legislate morality is simply to get Christians to stop Advocating for the Bible's teachings concerning morality. In other words It's fine for everyone else to legislate morality.

Just not Christians.

I take the same view of government that the prophets in the Old Testament took. You call the government to account when it steps out from under the conviction of the true and living God. I was serious when I said this morning when I heard the the presidential candidate Democratic presidential candidate say if he gets elected He's gonna fill he's gonna fill the White House with Muslims.

I think he thought that was advancing this culture. But that is where we are that there is no difference in the mind of leaders in this country between the true God and Satan. You can have God or you can have Satan.

It really doesn't matter.

That's how far gone We are. So again, here's the irony you can't legislate morality. Our culture takes that to mean you religious people close your mouth because you have morals and we don't. That means we can govern and You can't and we go.

Okay, I guess it is Romans 13. And then what do they write laws about marriage? You can't legislate morality Christian. So you be quiet and you get out of this because you have morals and we don't by the way.

We need to have marriage between homosexuals.

It should be obvious that non-christians are legislating morality all the time since essentially all legislation relates to morality. As Christians we need to see through this and not be afraid to advocate for morality.

That is true and right and.

Do they say because of a political? No, they say because it's only right and fair ie Moral. You can't legislate morality. Abortion is between a woman and her doctor. What's between a woman and her doctor that choice, which is what kind of choice moral?

Yeah, but see that's them. That's the social issues you're talking about. Okay property. Property. How about our laws concerning property burglary? Trespassing squatting rights. What do those have to do with the immoral usurpation of another person's property?

In other words, it's Morality. When you go to buy a piece of property the person has to prove to you that they own the property. They have to prove to you where the boundaries of the property are right.

Why? Because if they don't they would be making an immoral sale of something that belongs to another person.

It's completely legitimate even necessary for pastors to teach about moral political issues. When the time is appropriate to avoid doing this because of a misunderstanding of separation of church and state.

Would be to stay silent about issues scripture is clear about.

Folks there is nothing that we do politically that is not moral. Are the cobwebs clearing because the fact of the matter is. Probably a good number of people right here sitting in this room. Even if you don't make these arguments truth be told you don't have an answer for them.

But you do know romans 13. So what's the default position? Well, I guess you're right romans 13. You can't legislate morality. Well, I guess you're right romans 13. We'll just go out there and and and preach.

Well, no not on the streets because that would be a political statement. So we'll preach in our churches to the people who are not in our churches. So that as we preach in our churches the people who are not in our churches will somehow what?

The Moral Nature of Law and Government

Pastors much preach. Must preach politics and morals.