Religion and politics

It used to be that politics and religion were taboo topics for conversations, but that's not so in an election year.

Religion is "more part of the party politics than it used to be," said Dr. Russell Renka, a political science professor at Southeast Missouri State University.

Issues that were once considered purely social matters, like abortion or stem cell research, have moved into the political arena, he said. And when that happened, the church got involved.

Churches have long been part of the election process as places for voters to cast their ballots. In Tuesday's primary election, 23 of the 35 polling sites in Cape Girardeau County are churches.

But churches have a delicate balance to maintain when it comes to election cycles. From their pulpits, ministers cannot endorse one candidate over another or speak about their candidacy. If they do, they run the risk of losing the church's tax-exempt status.

"But we need to speak the message appropriately," said the Rev. Dr. Clayton Smith, senior pastor at Centenary United Methodist Church.

Churches and ministers can speak out about social issues, and have a responsibility to do so, he said. In the Bible, Jesus says to "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."

Government leaders are to be honored and respected for their leadership, Smith said. And as people of faith, it is important that Christians seek out strong Christian leaders for the nation.

Some churches believe that God is Republican, and others might think the Democratic Party has pastors in the pulpit, Renka said.

Democrats often visit black churches and speak from the pulpit to solicit votes, and ministers in those churches speak about getting the vote out. And then there are conservative-leaning congregations that push voter registration, Renka said.

Several Democratic candidates were invited to speak at Rhema Word Breakthrough International Ministries in Cape Girardeau last Sunday. Pastor Anthony G. Green said he invited the candidates because he wanted to encourage his congregation to vote. On Tuesday, Missouri Gov. Bob Holden made a campaign stop at New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church here.

Smith is not comfortable with inviting candidates to church.

"We need to make a distinction between political personalities and issues," he said. "And we need to preach on the social issues that impact life."

Missouri's primary election on Tuesday includes two ballot measures that should bring out churchgoing voters: gambling and a push to ban gay marriage.

Though no church locally has made a public endorsement for or against either matter, they have offered voter registration drives and used newsletters to encourage people to vote. And ministers are good at offering subtle hints, Renka said. They don't say "God wants you to vote this way," he said, but they do "engage in political exortations from the pulpit."

But Smith doesn't think the church exerts as much political prowess as it might have 50 years ago. "Fifty years ago we had a more prominent role in society and the influence was more obvious," he said. Today about half the population doesn't regularly attend any house of worship.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

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