Religion & Politics: Just the Facts, Ma'am

I want to tread REAL carefully here, as I'm not interested in endorsing one candidate over another. But in an presidential campaign where all of the major candidates have religious ties, it's important for me to say something.

Please, make sure any information you share about the candidates and/or their beliefs is factually correct. As followers of Christ, we are obligated out of love for Christ not to gossip or slander - and no matter how much you dislike a particular candidate or their policies, it does not justify sinful behavior. (The article that that got me started on this is on Jeffrey Overstreet's Looking Closer blog, entitled ...and speaking of being judged.)

I'll be writing more about my (personal!) feelings about the link between spiritual beliefs & political leadership... but the starting point for any of this is Jesus' admonition that we should "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." And there's no exception clause because they're a public figure or a member of the "wrong" political party.

A version of this article originally appeared in the December 30, 2007 issue of The Grapevine, the newsletter of NewLife Community Church.