ALCAP
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Alabama's Moral Compass
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Legislative NewsClick here to go to the "Current Issues" page for additional information regarding gambling.  Alabama State Legislative Session 2011 To read all pending legislation go to the Alabama Legislative Information System Online (ALISON).
Note: House bills are identified as "HB" and Senate bills are identified as "SB"
Click here to find the names and contact information of your state legislators.
People often call our office to find out how certain legislators voted on certain bills or issues. Project Vote Smart is an excellent resource for finding such answers. Click on the "Project Vote Smart" link to go to the Alabama page. Then, type in your zip code or the legislator's name, the issue or key word about which you are inquiring and the year. Then click on "Go."
Galatians 6:9 (KJV) 9And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
ALCAP LEGISLATIVE RECAP
Dr. Joseph C. Godfrey, Executive Director
June 15, 2011
The Alabama Legislature completed its 2011 Regular Session on Thursday, June 9, at midnight. The most significant news coming out of this Session was that there were NO pro-gambling bills introduced! It is the first time since I was called to ALCAP in 2007 that there have been no pro-gambling bills that we had to fight. Dr. Ireland tells me that it is the first time this has happened in decades!
Some may think that ALCAP had nothing to do since the gambling bosses have been silenced (for the time being), but such is not the case. We monitored 121 bills: 36 alcohol-related bills; 3 tobacco-related bills; 19 bills related to other drugs; 12 bills related to sexual offenses; 14 pro-life bills; 2 bills related to illegal immigration; 14 family-related bills; 5 gambling bills (all designed to restrict gambling); 2 bills related to homosexual rights (both failed to get passed); 2 bills related to bullying; and 12 bills related to other issues concerning the faith community.
Identified below, with comments, are some of the key bills that we monitored [NOTE: House Bills are identified by "HB" and Senate Bills are identified by "SB"]
HB18 - The Alabama Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act that would limit abortions after 20 weeks gestation (which new scientific evidence shows is when a baby in the womb is able to feel pain), passed both houses and was be signed into law by the Governor. This was the only pro-life bill to get through both houses.
HB56 - The Beason-Hammon Alabama Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act (a.k.a. "The Illegal Immigration Bill") - passed both houses and was signed into law by Governor Bentley. Our goal in monitoring this bill was to make sure that churches are protected when ministering to persons who may be in this country illegally. While we do not endorse the act of harboring illegal immigrants, we certainly do not want to see church leaders punished for providing ministry in the name of Jesus. Language was included in the final draft of the bill that should protect churches, especially if they are ministering to illegal immigrants unknowingly.
HB66 - (Northport), HB587 (Athens), HB593 (Russell County), HB627 (Tuscaloosa County outside of Northport and Tuscaloosa city limits), and SB518 (York) will allow the citizens of these cities, towns or counties to vote on Sunday alcohol sales. All of these bills passed and were signed into law, except SB518 (York).
HB72 - (Daleville), HB73 (Ozark), HB458 and SB405 (Athens), and HB593 (Russell County) will allow draft and keg beer to be sold in these communities and/or counties. All of these bills passed.
SB192 - "The Brewpub Bill" passed and was signed into law. Before passage of this bill, brewpubs could only build in historic districts which limited them to larger cities. Now, however, because this bill passed, brewpubs may build in any wet county or wet city. Also, they can allow tastings and can bottle/can their beer and sell it to distributors. The reason this bill was requested was because the brewpubs were having a hard time staying open, so you could call this the "Anything We Can Do to Help Produce More Alcohol for People to Get Drunk On" bill! When signing this bill into law, Governor Bentley stated that he would not let his personal convictions get in the way of signing the bill.
HB149 and SB372 were "Smoke-Free" bills that would have outlawed smoking in all public buildings and worksites. Neither bill was passed.
A few success stories
HB266 - "The Homebrew Bill" that would allow individuals to produce and store up to 100 gallons of beer, wine, cider or mead in their homes each year, as well as transport it to competitions, was voted down by a majority in the House of Representatives. There is no way to regulate this practice and the House Members recognized that fact. I had one home-brewer e-mail me after I sent out an alert during the Session, saying that the home-brewers would "self-police" themselves. I had to laugh because this comment was coming from an individual that is currently brewing at home even though it is currently ILLEGAL to do so!
HB418 - "The Small Winery Business Viability Act" was never brought up for a vote in the House. It would have allowed wineries around the state to buy and sell alcoholic beverages without having to go through the Alcohol Beverage Control Board. This, too, was a dangerous bill that would have dismantled many of the safeguards that protect Alabama citizens from the dangerous effects of alcohol.
HB361 - "The Ignition Interlock Bill" was passed. This law will require the use of an ignition interlock device under certain conditions to be placed in the vehicle of a convicted DUI driver. The individual will have to breathe into the device, which will register his/her Blood Alcohol Content, before he/she can start the vehicle.
HB513 - Protects church-related ministries that assist alcohol and/or other drug addicts in turning their lives around from having to meet state mental-health department requirements, was passed and signed into law.
As you can see, most of the pro-alcohol bills were passed and signed into law by Governor Bentley. This shows that the work of ALCAP and American Character Builders (our school program) is more important than ever! We need to increase our efforts in educating the public concerning the dangers of alcoholic beverages and these efforts must start with churches. If the churches of Alabama would renew their commitment to opposing the use of alcoholic beverages, lawmakers would be more inclined to pass more restrictive laws, not more liberal laws, concerning the use of alcohol.
Even Parade Magazine, produced by the very liberal, New York Times, recognizes the dangers of alcoholic beverage use! Though they fail to advocate total abstinence, their cover story in the June 12, 2011 issue is worth the read! Click here to read the article.
Thank you for your continued support of ALCAP and American Character Builders. If you are an individual who would like to contribute to our mission work, and you would like to receive a tax deduction, please give to American Character Builders. If your church wishes to give to our mission work, please make a payment to ALCAP. The summer months are especially difficult for us financially, so please consider helping us TODAY!
ALCAP LEGISLATIVE RECAP
Dr. Joseph C. Godfrey, Executive Director
April 22, 2011
There are several issues I need to address:
1. SB256, the Senate version of the immigration bill, passed on Thursday, April 21, with an amendment by Sen. Roger Bedford that provides protection for churches that are seeking to minister to illegal immigrants. The amendment reads, “Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to prevent a bona fide religious organization from transporting persons to and from church functions.” The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Scott Beason, agreed that his intent is not to see someone driving a church van or bus, picking up children and maybe a couple of mothers, transporting them to VBS and then getting arrested because one of them turns out to be an illegal immigrant.
Now, the Senate and House (HB56) versions of the immigration bill will likely go to conference where a compromise bill will be hammered out. We are working with the various individuals to make sure that the final bill includes protection for churches that are seeking to minister to people who may be illegal immigrants. Call your House Member and Senator and ask him/her to make sure this protection is included in the final version of the bill. 2. HB266, the “Homebrew Bill,” was on the House’s “10-Minute Calendar” on Thursday, April 21. (This means that if a bill cannot pass in 10-minutes, it is “carried over” to another time for debate.) The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Mac McCutcheon, after learning that several House Members planned to talk long enough to stop his bill from passing, asked the Speaker to carry over the bill. We have been told that it is already scheduled to be on the “Special Order Calendar” for next week and can be debated longer than 10 minutes. We don’t have enough support t stop the bill unless the churches of Alabama will flood the phone lines and ask their House Members to oppose this bill.
Our concern is that people who want to brew their on beer, wine, mead and/or cider will be unregulated and uncontrolled. After calling them “bootleggers” in my e-mail last week, I had one home-brewer to e-mail me and declare, “If someone tries to sell their home-brewed beer, we will be the first to point the finger at them!” This statement came from an individual who is currently brewing his/her beer at home, which is currently ILLEGAL in the state of Alabama!
We did work with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to get an agreed-upon change in the bill that will allow the ABC Board to license and charge an annual fee for home-brewing. This will help to regulate the practice, but enforcement will be difficult to maintain. Again, we suggest that you contact your House Member and ask him/her to oppose this bill when it comes to the floor. 3. Several pro-life bills are still making their way through the Legislature.
a. HB18, by Rep. Kerry Rich, has passed the House and is currently in the Senate Health Committee. This bill prohibits abortion on or after 20 weeks postfertilization.
b. SB46, by Sen. Cam Ward, has passed out of committee, but is still in the Senate. This bill protects health care providers and institutions who decline services that violate their consciences.
c. Two similar bills SB183, by Sen. Greg Reed, and SB281, by Sen. Shadrack McGill, have both passed out of committee, but are still in the Senate. These bills prohibit group insurance plans from providing for abortions under their regular plans. They must offer abortion coverage as “riders” that must be paid by those who want such provision.
d. SB298, by Sen. Gerald Allen, has passed out of committee, but is still in the Senate. This bill would make it unlawful to administer any abortion-inducing drug to a woman without her receiving an exam by a physician.
e. SB301, by Sen. Phil Williams, and HB405, by Rep. John Merrill would define “persons” to include all humans from the moment of conception. SB301 has passed out of committee, but is still in the Senate, and HB405 is still awaiting action in the House Health Committee. A similar bill, HB409, also by Rep. John Merrill, calls for a constitutional amendment that defines “persons” to include all human beings from the moment of conception. This bill has still not passed out of committee.
f. SB308, by Sen. Clay Scofield, has passed out of committee, but is still in the Senate. This bill, often referred to as the “Right to Know and See Act,” requires that a video of the ultrasound image of the unborn child must be shown to the mother before an abortion can be performed. The mother does not have to look, but the video must be presented.
4. Several bills are making their way through the Legislature that will allow the sale of draft or keg beer in certain localities:
a. HB72, by Rep. Steve Clouse, will allow a vote on draft/keg beer in Daleville
b. HB73, by Rep. Steve Clouse, will allow a vote on draft/keg beer in Ozark
c. HB430, by Rep. Bill Roberts, will allow the city council to approve the sale of draft/keg beer in Jasper
d. HB458, by Rep. Dan Williams, will authorize the city council to approve and regulate the sale of draft/keg beer in Athens
5. SB192, by Sen. Bill Holtzclaw, has passed the Senate and is awaiting action in the House. Two similar bills, HB86, by Rep. Joe Hubbard, has passed out of committee and is still awaiting action in the House. This bill, often called the “Brewpub Bill,” will allow brewpubs to be established in any county or municipality that is wet and not limited to historic districts of large cities as the current law allows. This bill will also allow the brewpubs to sale their beer to wholesalers who will be able to distribute it state-wide. (NOTE: A third “brewpub” bill, HB161, by Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow, has not passed out of the House Committee.)
6. SB 372, by Sen. Vivian Figures, is expected to be on the Senate Health Committee agenda on Wednesday, April 27. This bill will prohibit smoking in work and public places. Our concern is that legislators will try to make so many exceptions that the bill will be rendered useless. A similar bill in the House, HB149, by Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin, is currently being held up in the House Health Committee. Please contact your Senator and House Member and ask them to support the Smoke-Free bills!
7. Obviously missing from this list of bills that we are monitoring are any pro-gambling bills. SB234, by Sen. Bryan Taylor, has passed out of committee, but is still in the Senate. This bill would increase the penalties for possession of illegal gambling devices in the state.
There are a number of other bills that ALCAP is tracking, but this will give you an idea of what is happening in the Alabama Legislature. As I stated in an earlier alert, and as you can see in this list of bills, we have much for which to be thankful! However, it is apparent that we are losing the battle for the minds and hearts of people when it comes to the issue of alcohol. My prayer is that Christians (and, especially, preachers) will again take a stand against the proliferation and liberalization of this addictive and destructive drug!
ALCAP LEGISLATIVE RECAP
Dr. Joseph C. Godfrey, Executive Director
April 19, 2011
I’ve read, with interest, various editorials in several regional papers and blogs in which individuals complain, “The names have changed and the faces have changed, but nothing has really changed in Montgomery since the November 2010 elections!”
Well, those who write such statements don’t have a clue! Things have changed dramatically in Montgomery! For example, we are tracking several pro-life bills as they make their way through the Legislature. In the past, we could only hope to “sneak through” one or two pro-life bills each session and most years those bills died in committee without ever being debated on the floor of the House or Senate. Another example is in the obvious absence of pro-gambling bills. In the past, pro-gambling bills monopolized the agendas for the House and Senate throughout each session. Now, there is not a single pro-gambling bill on the agenda! Trust me—it’s a new day in Montgomery!
Having said that, I must admit that when it comes to pro-alcohol bills, nothing has changed. Legislators who ran as family-values oriented candidates do not seem to recognize the connection between alcohol and the destruction of individual lives and the break-up of homes and families. Almost every alcohol-expansion bill has sailed through various committees and/or the two chambers. When we talk with legislators about the negative aspects of alcohol, they argue that “it’s good for business,” or “my constituents are wanting this.”
I am writing to ask you and other believers you know who care about restricting this addictive drug (ethyl alcohol) in order to protect families and communities to contact your House Member and Senator! Call on them to stop passing all of the alcohol-expansion bills now moving through the State Legislature!
Let me list for you some of the more “dangerous” bills:
HB86 by Rep. Joe Hubbard (D-Montgomery), also called the “Brewpub Bill,” and its companion bill in the Senate (SB192) would allow brewpubs in any county and/or municipality that is wet. Currently they can only establish a brewpub in historical districts, which limits them to larger cities. This bill also would allow brewpubs to bottle/can their beer and sell it to wholesalers where it can be marketed in grocery stores and convenience stores.
HB136 by Rep. Mike Ball (R-Madison) would allow State Parks which are located in wet counties and/or municipalities to sell alcoholic beverages on Sunday if the residents approve such action in a special referendum. At first, the bill stated that such a referendum could be held annually, but during a public hearing, I was able to get an amendment that would require a two-year period between votes. A small victory in the face of a terrible bill! State parks should be for the enjoyment of families and alcoholic beverages are “anti-family”!
HB266 by Rep. Mac McCutcheon (R-Capshaw), also called the “Homebrew Bill,” would allow individuals to brew up to 100 gallons (per year, per household) of beer, mead, wine or cider at home without a license and transport up to 10 gallons (for “tasting events” and “competitions”). How can this be regulated? How can this be controlled? It CANNOT!!! People used to call this “bootlegging” and now there is a group that wants to legalize it!
HB281 by Rep. Bill Roberts (R-Jasper) would allow wet-dry votes to be called without having to wait for a general election. A judge ruled that because the original law was vague, this could be done anyway, but this law clarifies that matter. Originally, the law was written to allow wet-dry votes every 90 days, but after this was pointed out to the sponsor, he quickly agreed to change it back to the original 2-year wait period between referenda. (The department where bills are drafted will often “slip things in” without the sponsoring legislator’s knowledge and this may have happened in this case.) Of course, we would rather see this law clarified so as to require counties and municipalities to wait for general elections in order to hold a wet-dry vote.
HB408 (perhaps the most dangerous pro-alcohol bill of all!) by Rep. Oliver Robinson (D-Birmingham) would allow beer containers to increase from 16 oz. to 25.4 oz. The House Economic Development and Tourism Committee voted last week to carry over a decision on this bill to the “call of the chair.” I suggest people contact Chairman, Rep. Barry Mask, and ask him to let this terrible bill die in his committee!
SB345 by Sen. Roger Bedford would allow community development districts within dry counties to sell alcoholic beverages. This is an attempt to circumvent the will of the people! If the citizens of a dry county vote to stay dry and some “community developer” comes in and wants to sell alcoholic beverages, this bill says he/she can do so, in spite of what the citizens of the county say!
There are several bills allowing draft/keg beer sales in certain locales and local bills allowing a vote for Sunday alcohol sales (for example, Northport—HB66—which has already passed and been enacted; ALCAP offers to assist those of you in Northport as you plan for this referendum).
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR HOUSE AND SENATE MEMBERS AND ASK THEM TO OPPOSE THESE PRO-ALCOHOL BILLS!!! THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!
ALCAP LEGISLATIVE RECAP
Dr. Joseph C. Godfrey, Executive Director
March 30, 2011
I want to give you an update on the activities of the Alabama Legislature, especially concerning HB281 that would reduce the period of time between wet-dry votes in municipalities from 720 days (about 2 years) to 90 days (conceivably 4 times each year). After meeting with the sponsor of HB281, Rep. Bill Roberts from Jasper, I discovered that his intent for the bill was simply to clarify the language in the current law concerning municipal options. The courts had already ruled that a wet-dry special election could be called and that municipalities did not have to wait for a general election to have such a vote. This bill was intended to codify that ruling in the law itself. Rep. Roberts did not realize that the number of days between elections had been changed until I pointed it out to him. (Herein is a great example of a lesson I learned from my predecessor, Dr. Ireland—sometimes non-legislative personnel, who help draft the bills, will slip in little changes unintentionally, or possibly intentionally, hoping no one notices.) Rep. Roberts quickly agreed that this was not a change he wanted to make in the law and he offered in committee an amendment to his own bill. The House County & Municipal Government Committee gave the amended version of the bill a favorable report (meaning that it will now go to the floor of the full House for debate with the 2-year wait between referenda still intact). ALCAP does not necessarily favor passage of the bill and we would like to see a bill that repeals the law allowing municipalities of only 1,000 population within dry counties to have wet-dry referenda. However, in this case, we feel that we were successful in stopping “Big Alcohol” from being able to hold wet-dry votes as often as four times each year.
ALCAP had called for a public hearing on two bills (HB86 and HB266) in the House Economic Development and Tourism (ED&T) Committee. HB266 would allow individuals to brew their own beer, mead, cider or wine at home (referred to as, “home brew”) and transport it to competitive events or “tasting” events. This bill was taken off the agenda for the meeting and will possibly come up at later meeting, at which time ALCAP will again call for a public hearing in order to speak out against the bill.
HB86, if passed, would allow “brew pubs” to put their beers in containers and sell them off-premises. When local brew pubs first called for a law to allow them to brew their beer and sell it, they insisted that they simply wanted to sell it on-premises. Of course, once they got what they wanted, they decided they wanted more. This is always the way the pro-alcohol forces operate! They are never satisfied with what they have! They want more alcohol per container, more locations where it is sold, more days on which it can be sold and now, with this bill, more varieties to sell! Contact your House member and ask him/her to put a stop to any of these bills that will expand the availability of alcohol in any way! Enough is enough!!!
As it turned out, the ED&T Committee did not have a quorum and carried over HB86 to a later meeting. ALCAP will call for another public hearing when the bill comes up again.
Regarding pro-life legislation, ALCAP has been working with several other organizations through the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition to get a variety of bills introduced and passed during the 2011 Regular Session. In the past, all we could hope for was to “sneak” a single pro-life bill through the legislature, but most often, we were unsuccessful at getting any significant pro-life legislation passed. This year, I am happy to report that we have several very important pro-life bills that we are monitoring! Today, the Senate Health Committee gave a favorable report to two pro-life bills: SB46 by Sen. Cam Ward of Alabaster, which protects health-care providers from having to perform abortions if such action is contrary to their personal and religious convictions (called, “The Health Care Rights of Conscience Act”); and SB201 by Sen. Greg Reed of Jasper, which prevents group insurers from paying for abortions. According to this latter bill, if a group insurer wants to cover an abortion, they must offer it as a “rider” and the individuals who want that insurance must pay extra for that coverage. Both SB46 and SB201 were given a favorable report by the Senate Health Committee and will now go to the full Senate for debate.
The most significant pro-life bill introduced so far in this session is SB301. This bill (referred to as the “Personhood Bill”) calls for a Constitutional Amendment to be voted on by the citizens of Alabama, identifying a human life as beginning at conception. A companion bill is expected to be introduced in the House very soon. Pray that one of these Personhood Bills will be passed and that we will become one of the first states (if not, THE first state) in the country to pass such an amendment!
On another note, SB282 by Sen. Greg Reed, also received a favorable report from the Senate Health Committee and will go to the Senate for debate. This bill protects religious/church-based ministries that house and care for individuals who are trying to recover from alcohol and/or other drug addictions from government regulations and interference that could end up causing these facilities to shut down. Currently, organizations such as the Jimmy Hale Mission, the Foundry, Teen Challenge and similar ministries throughout the state are at risk if the State Mental Health Department or some other agency decides they want to require medical staff, etc. at each facility. These ministries are church supported and do not have the resources to provide the level of treatment that the state could require. This bill will simply allow these ministries to carry on the kind of Christian service they have been providing for decades and protect them from government regulations.
Thank you for your prayers and financial support. Because of your support, ALCAP is able to monitor the state legislature and keep an eye out for the issues that matter to the faith community!
KEEPING YOU INFORMED
From Governor Bob Riley
December 1, 2010 Governor Riley Calls Special Session to Pass Toughest Anti-Corruption Laws in the Country
Measures will fight public corruption and change state forever
MONTGOMERY - Governor Bob Riley called a special session of the Legislature beginning December 8 to pass anti-corruption reforms that will give Alabama the toughest ethics laws in the country. Among the package of reforms designed to fight public corruption are bills that will -- for the first time in the history of Alabama -- require:
• full disclosure of spending by lobbyists on all public officials and public employees;
• an end to unlimited gift-giving by lobbyists and others to public officials and public employees;
• a ban on pass-through pork spending;
• subpoena power for the Alabama Ethics Commission;
• the outlawing of all transfers between political action committees;
• the end of “double dipping” by legislators;
• mandatory ethics training for elected officials and public employees at all levels of government; and
• creation of an online, searchable database of lobbyists’ disclosure reports so citizens can see who is trying to influence their elected leaders and how.
Throughout his two terms in office, Governor Riley has pushed for passage of these reforms to bring more accountability and transparency to state government. But each year, the Legislature failed to pass them.
Last month’s election results that gave Republicans their first majority in the Legislature in more than 100 years should have sent a “resounding message” to politicians that citizens are “sick and tired and embarrassed” of “the corrupt political culture that hurts our state,” Governor Riley said. “Thanks to last month’s elections, we have an historic opportunity to not only reform this corrupt political culture but end it. The opportunity to enact real reforms has never been better and the need has never been greater,” the Governor said.
Governor Riley said he’s spoken with many legislators who are eager to pass anti-corruption reforms during a special session and with Governor-elect Robert Bentley, who he said “supports an immediate special session to pass the reforms that will forever change the political culture of our state.” The Governor said he strongly appreciates the support and leadership provided by the new Republican majority and Governor-elect Bentley. “They have worked very hard to get us to this point today. The leaders have worked with other legislators on crafting these reforms and gaining support for them, and they’ve requested that I include these reforms in the call for the special session,” said Governor Riley.
Governor Riley said the need for a special session is critical because the momentum for tough reforms may not last. “Delay does nothing but allow the special interests to continue with business as usual. If we wait until the regular session begins in March to even begin discussing these reforms, we would have accomplished nothing but give the special interests a three-month head start on concocting ways to kill reforms -- and, believe me, they’ve already started. Delay gives them three more months to hide campaign contributions through PAC-to-PAC transfers. It gives them three more months to deploy their armies of lobbyists to try to influence legislators over drinks, dinner and rounds of golf,” said Governor Riley. “We dare not wait any longer. If we do, we’ll squander this historic opportunity to finally put an endto a broken and corrupting political system that gives the special interests too much power.”
Governor Riley is putting fact sheets of the reform measures and the actual bills online so Alabamians have the chance to review all the legislation before it is introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate. That information is available at www.governor.alabama.gov.
To receive all the latest news from the Governor’s office, go online to http://www.governor.alabama.gov.
You can also follow the Governor on Twitter at http://twitter.com/GovernorRiley.
The following article entitled, "Is That Legal?" was taken from the ivotevalues.com website. It provides pertinent information concerning what churches and pastors can and cannot do in order to maintain a local church's tax-exempt status.
Is That Legal?Good question! Many are confused about what is and what is not legal given the IRS restrictions on political activity by tax-exempt organizations. While it is impossible to lay out a definitive list of do’s and don’ts since the IRS interprets what is and isn't legal, the resource below is offered for general guidelines: Churches may do the following:
Churches may not do the following:
Pastors may do the following:
Pastors may not do the following:
*Churches and other 501(c)(3) organizations may support or oppose legislation so long as such activity comprises an insubstantial part of the overall operation. 501(c)(4) organizations may support or oppose legislation without any limitations. **A church or any other 501(c)(3) organization may without limitation support or oppose legislation that directly affects the organizational structure and operation. For example, a church may without limitation oppose legislation attempting to repeal the tax exempt status of the church. Adapted from resources provided by: Jay Sekulow, American Center for Law and Justice; www.aclj.org.
The following statement came from the Focus on the Family's "Pastor's Weekly Briefing," dated October 4, 2007:
"This week, a coalition of five Christian organizations released a joint letter to help educate pastors and churches on how to speak on issues relevant to the 2008 elections while staying within the lawful boundaries set for nonprofit organizations. Focus on the Family — along with the Family Research Council, Alliance Defense Fund, Concerned Women for America, and the James Madison Center for Free Speech — is encouraging pastors and churches to become acquainted with their free-speech rights, and to not be intimidated by threats from liberal watchdog groups." [Click here to read the letter.] The following article originally appeared in the Baptist Messenger, a publication of the Oklahoma Baptist Convention, and was later adapted by the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention for one of their publications. It is reprinted here by permission of both the ERLC and the Baptist Messenger.
VIEWPOINT: Cowardly Clergyman?- May 13, 2008 - 6 Since when does a church or its pastor have to remain silent when addressing moral and social issues from a biblical worldview? There is no shortage on those who would like to squelch the voice of the church, especially during a political season. Now is not the time for the church and its pastor to turn passive with regard to addressing critical social and moral issues from the pulpit. The pastor must speak with conviction based on the authority of the Scripture, not with results from the latest opinion poll. The pastor must challenge his congregation with the truth of God’s Word without regard to the views and opinions of political parties or candidates. The pastor must do all he can to provide insight to moral and social issues based on God’s Word. Shying away from or avoiding certain issues for fear of offending a particular political candidate or political party member is acting as a cowardly clergyman. Pastors have every right to preach on moral and social issues and to encourage their congregations to become active in civic affairs. Pastors should never endorse a candidate on behalf of the church. Nor should they use church funds or services to contribute directly to candidates or political committees. The pastor should never distribute materials on church premises that favor any one candidate or political party. However, the pastor does have the right to address moral and social issues being addressed by candidates and political parties. The church has every right to encourage members to voice their opinions in favor or against legislative issues. A church should never endorse or oppose a political candidate or make contributions to a Political Action Committee. Nor should churches conduct fundraising for political candidates. However, the church is an excellent place for the community to learn more about the political process and legislative issues. Unfortunately, too many churches and pastors are standing on the sidelines allowing those with a secular worldview to dominate public affairs and critical legislation. Our silence has been perceived as agreement. We must clear our throats and be heard without concession. We are not skating on thin ice when it comes to taking a stand regarding moral and social issues. We must not be intimidated by those who desire to silence the church. We are called to proclaim the truth. May Joshua 1:9 serve as our guide as we seek to address the moral and social issues of our day. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” May the Lord find us strong and courageous as together we seek to make a difference within our culture. It is time to speak up, pastor. Take a stand with God’s Word as your guide! Churches, stand with your pastor as he proclaims the truth of God’s Word with regard to sensitive social and moral issues of the day. Church members, beware of allowing your political persuasions to compromise your biblical convictions. Know where candidates stand on the issues and support those who share your values as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. This editorial is adapted and reprinted with permission from the April 10, 2008 Oklahoma Baptist Messenger. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission works to educate Americans about the importance of voting, among many other moral and social issues we face in today’s society. To learn more about this important issue, please visit our Web site at iVoteValues.com. |
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