Serious question for evangelicals.

C

Cache Landing

I have a serious question for evangelicals. I keep hearing stories of evangelical preachers helping to motivate congregations to vote for Huckabee.

I personally don't make my way into these congregations very often, so I don't know what to think about these reports. Given the format and topics of my church meetings, my natural inclination is not to believe these reports.

I am Mormon, and every time an election comes around, a note is sent out to every congregation in the U.S. This letter reaffirms the fact that the LDS Church doesn't support any particular party or candidate and that the local leaders are not to make any endorsements on behalf of the church. Nor is the church name or resources to be used for any political purposes. This is so much the case that Romney has had a very hard time organizing Mormon supporters to campaign for him.

So I'm wondering if the same is true of evangelical faiths, or do preachers really advise congregations to support Huckabee?
 
Well, I did a little more digging and was able to find reliable resources with lists of endorsements.

As of early last month, 60 preachers had released public endorsements for Huckabee, but all were very careful to state that it was personal conviction so as not to lose the church's tax exempt status. I guess the IRS is hard on this activity as of 2006.

Two of the 60 I found have already been brought up on charges for using church resources to make their endorsements, but the accusations are quite minor in my opinion. Things like using church letterhead for mailings. In a strange twist, one of the pastors urged his congregation to pray for the death of the accusers.

Given the high cost of public knowledge of from-the-pulpit endorsement, I doubt I'll get a legitimate answer to my question.
 
Quote from chuck.ells:

Cache,
I believe they do it the same way mormons do it. Through email groups / list. After hours, if you will.
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Well, I don't really know what you mean by the way "Mormons do it". I haven't gotten any e-mail, letters, fliers, etc. Maybe I'm just not popular.

In any case, that's why I was skeptical of the rumors I was hearing. Thinking to myself that these preachers are incredibly gutsy if they are doing it from the pulpit. Nobody wants to fight the IRS on that one.
 
I say let the churches promote who ever they want to and in any way they want to do it, this is after all a free country. Of course remove the tax exemption for all the churches who mention politics and who to vote for.
 
If I understand correctly, you're still a relative newby to that clan. Once you get drafted into their “volunteer” led programs, you'll get sucked in to the different contact list.

Unfortunately, they've had my name since the sixties. My family “volunteers” my addy to these email groups. I get a lot of pressure to be at least a jack mormon. But so far, I stand my ground. :D
 
Quote from chuck.ells:

If I understand correctly, you're still a relative newby to that clan. Once you get drafted into their “volunteer” led programs, you'll get sucked in to the different contact list.

Unfortunately, they've had my name since the sixties. My family “volunteers” my addy to these email groups. I get a lot of pressure to be at least a jack mormon. But so far, I stand my ground. :D
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I wouldn't say newbie, but I wasn't even alive in the 60's. :) Wasn't aware that you have Mormon family.

Anyway, I've never been to a meeting where anyone even suggested collecting email lists. Of course, where I live, such forms of contact aren't really necessary. Romney also doesn't need to campaign here. Wasted money.
 
Quote from bigarrow:

I say let the churches promote who ever they want to and in any way they want to do it, this is after all a free country. Of course remove the tax exemption for all the churches who mention politics and who to vote for.
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Agreed. That was my whole point though. It's crazy for a pastor to endorse a candidate from the pulpit. What a stupid way to give up tax exempt status.
 
Quote from Cache Landing:

I wouldn't say newbie, but I wasn't even alive in the 60's. :) Wasn't aware that you have Mormon family.

Anyway, I've never been to a meeting where anyone even suggested collecting email lists. Of course, where I live, such forms of contact aren't really necessary. Romney also doesn't need to campaign here. Wasted money.
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Of course. How do you think I got my revulsion for all things mormon? Actually, my moms family is mormon, my dads family is catholic. I rail against both sides with equal contempt. 4 of my 6 sisters are really into the mormon church. They like to call me a muslim. A muslim of all things, sheesh.
And my cousins, don't get me started on them. holy long johns for Christ sakes. [shakes head]

How do you guys share information with other stakes, if not by email? Or organize the camping trips or fund raisers for the church kids? Even though I no longer live in the same county I grew up in, but I still hear about a lot of the upcoming events sponsored by the church or church members.
 
I'm a mormon as well, and even though I get plenty of emails about things such as service opportunities and other activities, I've never seen an email supporting a particular candidate. I have seen little groups of friends, particularly women who all happen to be mormon, send each other email trails regarding things like news stories or proposed house bills that might deal with issues related to our values (gay marriage, abortion, fun topics like that), but those emails are not church sanctioned and are really just emails between friends.

It's interesting, you'd think that with a mormon candidate actually having a decent chance of landing the republican nomination you'd hear more people talking about it at church, but outside of conversations with my wife I haven't heard anyone at church talk about Romney nor have I even spoken to another mormon about Romney or the presidential race itself. I think this is a testament to how well church and state are separated for mormons, and why I think it is rediculous when people suggest Romney would take guidance from Salt Lake City if he were to become president.
 
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