Preacher Refuses To Preach Conservative Politics -Loses 1000 Members

[kpete]

Disowning Conservative Politics Is Costly for Evangelical Pastor

By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
Published: July 30, 2006
MAPLEWOOD, Minn. — Like most pastors who lead thriving evangelical megachurches, the Rev. Gregory A. Boyd was asked frequently to give his blessing — and the church’s — to conservative political candidates and causes.


The requests came from church members and visitors alike: Would he please announce a rally against gay marriage during services? Would he introduce a politician from the pulpit? Could members set up a table in the lobby promoting their anti-abortion work? Would the church distribute “voters’ guides” that all but endorsed Republican candidates? And with the country at war, please couldn’t the church hang an American flag in the sanctuary?

After refusing each time, Mr. Boyd finally became fed up, he said. Before the last presidential election, he preached six sermons called “The Cross and the Sword” in which he said the church should steer clear of politics, give up moralizing on sexual issues, stop claiming the United States as a “Christian nation” and stop glorifying American military campaigns.

..........................

Mr. Boyd says he is no liberal. He is opposed to abortion and thinks homosexuality is not God’s ideal. The response from his congregation at Woodland Hills Church here in suburban St. Paul — packed mostly with politically and theologically conservative, middle-class evangelicals — was passionate. Some members walked out of a sermon and never returned. By the time the dust had settled, Woodland Hills, which Mr. Boyd founded in 1992, had lost about 1,000 of its 5,000 members.

more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/us/30pastor.html?ei=5094&en=fc81bfdd0ee7feb1&hp=&ex=1154232000&partner=homepage&pagewanted=all

[waiting for hope]

1. Good for him....

Perhaps he's realizing that that kind of religion is a border line cult.

[blueinchicago]

18. not borderline

Read "Battle for the Mind" by William Sargent. The fundamentalists are using the same cult techniques that moonies and hare krishnas use.

Most of the rank and file fundies aren't stupid, they're brainwashed, which is why its so important for them to be validated by an authority figure, like a preacher.

I know. I was there.

[Lusted4]

25. I think when word gets out his church will grow three fold in time. n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

2. But 4000 stayed!!!! His approval rating is 80%!!!

[silverweb]

4. Exactly!

I noticed the same thing. That puts a different spin on the whole article, doesn't it?

Nobody is going to miss the 20%! They can go hang out with the other rabid fundie minimobs.

On edit: Wow, check this out: "They said, 'You're not doing what the church is supposed to be doing, which is supporting the Republican way.'"

Since when is the church "supposed to" support the "Republican way" ???

:wtf:

[DUgosh]

5. Great news, he got rid of 1000 fanatics and kept 4000 of the faithful

New members will be joining soon.

[Fridays Child]

8. If you want to email a message of support...

[e-mail]

www.whchurch.org

[EFerrari]

10. Thank you, Friday's Child!

Will do.

:hi:

[Lusted4]

26. Al Franken should mention him and his church on Al's show. n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

24. Which SHOULD have been the whole point of the story, not as in headline.nt

[davidwparker]

3. Excellent. It's good to him him preaching the word according to Jesus,

not the word according to the American Taliban.

[Fridays Child]

6. According to the article, he's written a book...

“The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power Is Destroying the Church”

Might be worth checking out.

[arcane1]

20. sweet!!

[oneighty]

7. Twenty-per-cent-ers

The Bush base grab up their bibles. Go home.

hahahahaha

180

[Robeson]

9. Yep, aka, the "backwash".

[kurth]

11. The 1,000 members can go fuck themselves

like the Vice President says.

[BenDavid]

12. What is that statement

from the Christian Bible, " where two or three are gathered in my name, there shall I be".....

[LincolnMcGrath]

13. What would BullMoose, Al From, or any other dlcentrist told him to do?

Think about it.

[dpbrown]

14. The same 20% who still think Bush is God

Crackpots.

Let the Branch Davidians or the Jim Jones's have 'em.

Maybe Hale-Bop is coming back for them.

[mia]

15. Thanks for posting this.

A paster with courage and principles!
I wonder if there are any in Miami.

[RagAss]

16. Good for Him.... He lost 1,000 Pieces of Shit !!!!!

[Blue_In_AK]

17. A real pastor - what a concept!

[Kire]

19. Now that's a man of God

I will be in the St. Paul area next month, maybe I should stop by for a prayer.

[proud patriot]

21. His strength of conviction is inspiring

:-)

[mcscajun]

22. He sees the threat clearly...

He said he first became alarmed while visiting another megachurch’s worship service on a Fourth of July years ago. The service finished with the chorus singing “God Bless America” and a video of fighter jets flying over a hill silhouetted with crosses.

“I thought to myself, ‘What just happened? Fighter jets mixed up with the cross?’ ” he said in an interview.

Patriotic displays are still a mainstay in some evangelical churches. Across town from Mr. Boyd’s church, the sanctuary of North Heights Lutheran Church was draped in bunting on the Sunday before the Fourth of July this year for a “freedom celebration.” Military veterans and flag twirlers paraded into the sanctuary, an enormous American flag rose slowly behind the stage, and a Marine major who had served in Afghanistan preached that the military was spending “your hard-earned money” on good causes.

(snip)

“America wasn’t founded as a theocracy,” he said. “America was founded by people trying to escape theocracies. Never in history have we had a Christian theocracy where it wasn’t bloody and barbaric. That’s why our Constitution wisely put in a separation of church and state.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/us/30pastor.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5094&en=f0cf63e262a9a896&hp&ex=1154318400&partner=homepage

[watercolors]

23. Those 1000 are the hypocrites he does not need

They won't be missed!