[Arkinsaw]

I'm reminded of political speeches in black churches and Democratic Party "walking around" money. I'm reminded of church's involvement in gun control, in the Elian Gonzalez case, in gay rights, etc. Church hierarchies these days tend toward the liberal positions. This is, of course, why they are considering changing the rules. Even if they do change the rules, they won't be applied evenly. You can bet that the Episcopal or Methodist churches will be treated much differently than a fundamentalist non-denominational.

Churches should stay out of politics.

[Teacher317]

Churches should stay out of politics.

Hmmm. let's try:

Unions should stay out of politics.
Lawyers should stay out of politics.
Women should stay out of politics.
Judges should stay out of politics.
Minorities should stay out of politics.
Lobbyists should stay out of politics.
Politicians should stay out of politics.
Democrats should stay out of politics.

Out of all of those groups, I'd have to say that churches and minorities have done the least amount of damage to the Constitution. Get rid of the others first, and then we'll talk about the churches.

[DPB101]

Churches should stay out of politics.

Every major social movement in American history has been preached from pulpits. The Revolution, Abolition, Manifest Destiny, Prohibition, the Civil Rights movement...you name it, churches were in the thick of it.

There is no historical nor consitutional basis for your desire for churches to "stay out of politics."

[=Intervention=]

I wonder what they discovered in 1954 that was demonstrably better than the 150+ years leading up to that point? Could it be a way to shut out another voice from the fray?

[Hila]

"Churches should stay out of politics". What kind of idea is that? Churches are made out of people, most of those people are tax-paying citizens. Churches is not an etheral concept, churches is people with political preferences and the right to express themselves in their God-given freedom of speech right. What do you mean churches should not have political opinions? Churches are made of people, thinking, decision making, voting human beings.