[Alex Murphy]

George Barna was a guest on the American Family Radio program “Today’s Issues” on Thursday, where he explained a research project that he has been working on for the past two years. In his study, Barna’s organization asked pastors across the country about their beliefs regarding the relevancy of Scripture to societal, moral and political issues, and the content of their sermons in light of their beliefs.“‘What we’re finding is that when we ask them about all the key issues of the day, [90 percent of them are] telling us, ‘Yes, the Bible speaks to every one of these issues,” he explained. “Then we ask them: ‘Well, are you teaching your people what the Bible says about those issues?’ and the numbers drop…to less than 10 percent of pastors who say they will speak to it.”

Ouch.

[lurk]

Speaking out on the issues will make a church smaller. Pastors don’t get hired by churches to make them smaller.

[plain talk]

It depends on the church. If your pastor won’t speak out on what the church teaches about sin and issues that affect our lives and the world then find another church and pastor.

[afsnco]

LBJ raises his ugly head from the grave. He’s the one who bribed churches, saying they could receive donations tax-free, but in return they have to sit down and shut up and not do any electioneering. A lot of cowardly pastors take that to mean that they’re to not speak about social (aka moral) issues or risk their tax status with the IRS. Other cowardly pastors refuse to speak about moral issues because they’re afraid they’ll lose the donations of parishioners who might take offense at what the Bible teaches.

Chuck Baldwin has the right idea with his Liberty Church project. He’s trying to convince churches to forgo the bribe so churches will no longer be beholden to the government and no longer be in a master/slave arrangement.

[cloudmountain]

My Texas friend told me about a local Protestant minister of a black parish (rural) where she lives being asked WHY he didn't address the issue of unwed GIRLS having babies. AND, the fathers of those babies were MEN, not "just boys."

He talked about EVERYTHING else wrong in life but avoided those issues because he would have been RUN OUT OF TOWN if he condemned what was "common practice" and thereby, for some reason, acceptable.