Prostituting the Pulpit: Religious Right wants churches to get partisan, but most Americans don’t

[cleanhippie]

Poor Erik Stanley.

The Alliance Defense Fund attorney keeps pleading with evangelical clergy to step forward and become political bosses, but the clergy – and the American people – keep saying no.

Stanley and his Religious Right cronies salivate at the prospect of an evangelical Christian voting bloc marching in lockstep under the dictates of rigid right-wing pulpiteers and electing candidates who will tear down the wall of separation between church and state.

The ADF even has a project that encourages preachers to endorse or oppose candidates from their tax-exempt pulpits in violation of the federal law that bars nonprofits from using charitable contributions for partisan purposes. This year, the ADF’s so-called “Pulpit Freedom Sunday” is scheduled for Oct. 2.

In his most recent screed, Stanley again implored participation, saying, “America needs patriot pastors today more than ever. If you are a pastor, would you prayerfully consider joining with us in the Pulpit Initiative?”

Unfortunately for Erik, the vast majority of American clergy have no desire to prostitute their spiritual roles and become cogs in his political machine. And the vast majority of Americans don’t want that either.

As a matter of fact, scholarly evidence suggests that the number of Americans who oppose the politicization of religion is escalating. According to a story this week at The Christian Post, General Social Survey data show that public disapproval of electioneering by religious leaders has grown sharply over the past two decades.

http://www.secularnewsdaily.com/2011/09/02/religious-right-wants-churches-to-get-partisan-but-most-americans-don%E2%80%99t/

[NMMNG]

1. Is the ADF as keen on the idea of

Muslims, Satanists, Pagans, Buddhists, and others getting into this game?

Rhetorical question, of course.