thank you John for a good laugh as well as saying something that I could not avoid running into on Nov. 5th, everywhere and anywhere there were people. Especially the one-issueism, man, we are deathly afraid of dealing with nuance because nuance leads to postmodernism and postmodernism leads to, well, you know...couples slow dancing. :)

grace and peace

Under Messianism--I saw many yard signs that consisted of just two things--an image of Obama's face and the word "hope".
I pray for this man daily, because that is a terrible burden to carry--one that only Christ can handle. On this point, both supporters and non-supporters of Mr. Obama must agree.
God help our nation.

excellent post, john.

url didn't print a comment i sent about the james dobson 2012 letter - i was pretty irate that CT didn't take him to task for what i considered a non-constructive, evangelical-demeaning article.

this election, in my opinion, revealed us to be a very shallow group. i thought it was ugly how it turned near the end.
john's statement about talk radio is especially relevant - to me, there is no more divisive element in america today. they are a bunch of magpies sitting on a fence wire claiming the sky is falling and contributing not one iota to moving america out of the mess it's in.

and the old someone-needs-to-point-out-our-sin angle really doesn't wash - when God spoke through the prophets, he sent one person with one message at one time. the very fact that there are a ton of naysaying voices echoing similar shrill rants (you mean like the one you're writing, mike?) should make you consider if your message is really 'from God'.

personally, i find our new president quite inspiring - and i've never really said that about anyone who's not the leader of jethro tull before. i think he will make a great president. he came across very solid in his first news conference. give him a chance.

mike rucker
fairburn, georgia, usa

But Augustine did have a son from his concubine. Perhaps that IS why he believed in original sin via sex?

James

I would add You're-Going-To-Hell-If-You-Vote-For-That-Guy-ism. (A corollary of The-Nation-Is-Going-To-Hell-If- etc.)

If the church actually voted humbly and repentantly, the parties would have to restructure themselves to pander to the new voting bloc, and present themselves as Kingdom-minded. Never underestimate the ability of the power-hungry to adapt to circumstances.

Selective Scripturization is my quote of the day.

Yes, Augustine did have a son, Adeodatus ("gift of God") whom he loved very much and who, tragically, predeceased Augustine. And the unnamed woman with whom he had Adeodatus is better understood as his common law wife than his concubine. It's evident in the Confessions that Augustine loved her very much as well.

Anyway, great post, John. Good reminders.

Thanks for the post. I'm guilty of episodism in terms of the level of my political junkiness.

As for "messianism," this one is interesting because this year the joke to associate with Obama is the messianic joke. But the principle audience for this publication generally votes Republican and is usually "messianic" about any candidate that seems to shore up their evangelical credentials well: Bush in 2000, Palin in 2008. Perhaps the conviction point related to "messianism" for Republican-voting evangelicals is the "alarmism" category (and the bogey-man element) and/or the one from an earlier comment, "you're-going-to-hell-if-you-vote-for-that-guy-ism."

Good article-made me smile and nod in agreement with many of your thoughts-my hope is that at some point we as Christ Followers will get back to business that we are left here for-the physical representatives of Jesus to a world that desperately need Him-I am reminded of what the writer of Chronicles wrote to the Israelites-that the problem was that they were not living right and that they needed to change-repent-seek God-then He would engage the problems of the nation-I don't think the formula has changed-people that don't follow Christ will act like people who are not filled with His Spirit-don't let them discourage you but instead-examine yourself-repent of your failures then engage them in a spiritual arena using spirital weapons-prayer-the word of God-service without an agenda-the rest is God's to manage and change-we need to make sure we are following after Him-not inviting Him to follow after us

Good post. On "One Issue-ism" does one issue issue ever rule? Like the definition but I think there are times when one issue would rule and be the deciding factor. In this election too many Christians said abortion is just one issue and shouldn't be a deciding factor. Sorry, if you think abortion is murder it is a deciding factor - one issue. If you say it isn't the murder of a child then hey, it's just one issue.

I, too, pray for Obama. Messiahs have an alarming tendancy to get crucified!

Home run, John! And your bat was covered with glitter.

This is why I don't want a campaign sign in my yard!

Best post I've read all day..and I've read a lot. Great stuff.

Being but 24, I meet (and know) a lot of people who don't understand that 'episodism' is a sin. That is matters to know what is happening around you, that you may be really busy at school, that you may really, really love your facebook page, but that there's so much more at stake. We (Canada) recently had a federal election, and when people in my age group started ranting about how much they hated our (re-elected) PM, their only answer to my question of "why?" was, "because he's friendly with the U.S." Bringing up issues that demonstrate the importance of good relations with the States fell on deaf ears and shrugged shoulders, because the people I tried to debate with just weren't informed, even at the most basic levels. Hating Harper for no other reason than his being on good terms with Bush (and not even knowing in what ways he was on good terms, or what benefits or detriments it had) speaks of people who get their news from "The Daily Show" - if they get it at all.

I've plugged it before in this space, even though I don't have any relation to the author, and I'll plug it again know: "Habits of the Mind" by James W. Sire is an excellent, philosophically strong yet accessible read about why it is a sin for Christians to ignore intellectual pursuits.

I have to say that I agree with the person who commented that "there are times when one issue would rule and the the deciding factor in this election." I have to say that I fell into that category when the issue of abortion must be confronted. A president (or any other leader) who doesn't value human life as represented in the unborn certainly is not going to value human life at any stage. I do pray for Mr. Obama, however, and I hope that evangelicals will lift him up before God in prayer daily as he takes on the monumentous responsibility of leading this nation in very difficult times. We are to be "salt nad light", witnesses of God's grace and mercy in a lost world. He will indeed take care of the rest.

Why is it that talk radio gets all the flack for generating divisiveness and hate speech? Much of the comments I hear coming out of the mouths of senators is just as divisive and venemous. And what about televsion personalities like Keith Olbermann, Bill Maher, and the cast of The View? The political left should remove the planks from their own eyes in order to see clearly enough to criticize talk radio.

Thanks for this. I really enjoyed it. That thing about the Bible being a really big book: you nailed it.

John--This is such a very, very good post. Each one of your "Seven Deadly Sins" needs to be remembered by American Christians as we seek to keep perspective on the political landscape.

I strongly believe that we need to be praying for unity in the church now more than ever. We must and it essential that we come to the understanding that believers are both republican and democrat. We must believe that our commoness is in that of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. As believers our life isn't about politics but it is ALL about Jesus. No matter what happens in our life God will always be for us and as scripture says no one can be against us. I think when you as pastors and ministers we should be preaching Jesus from our pulpits and not politics. When we preach politics in church then we can expect members to be offened and even leave. So my prayer and challenge for all pastors and ministers is to preach Jesus making his message applicable to all people in this 21st century. God be with us! Thank you so very much for dealing with this important topic. I think this needs to be addressed. Keep up the fantastic work you do with blog and newletter. I have been so blessed by reading it.

I have read many news Articles describing the celebrations taking place in American churches over the weekend. They celebrated because of their political victory. Why, in light of the above post and comments, is that OK?

Thankyou John - a good one
When I read it I kept saying to myself "I wish that I'd said that - but I will".

As an Australian who has followed the American election and prayed for a Godly outcome without telling God which candidate therefore had to be elected.

I was pleased to see such a helpful and balanced article in CT. Many Australians appreciate CT but get very annoyed with its trendyism at the time of an election. Perhaps elections bring out the worst in American Conservative Christians.

I particularly find it hard to grasp how each election conservative American Christians seem to find some far fetched evidence that the Republican party candidate is definitely a card carrying evangelical Christian and the other candidate just couldn't be or he would not be a Democrat.

I remember when the last election was on and i wrote to a number of dear Christian friends in the USA to ask how they were so certain that Bush was a consistent Christian - each told me of one piece of evidence - his own testimony that as a teenager he had prayed the sinners prayer.

Good that he did - but there should be more than that plus membership of the Republicn party before one starts regarding him as God sent.

PS when i say "God bless America' it is a sincere prayer for all of you from one who is well aware of our debt to America in so many areas.
Graeme

A former-Mennonite-turned-athiest friend of mine was complaining in her blog last night about "conversion attempts" and I thought it interesting that many of your points about the Evangelical approach to politics from her point of view apply to the Evangelical approach to evangelism too, especially the last three.

Do you think the philosophical leanings that lead to abortion are also present on the right, influencing other policies?

If that is true, no matter what party we vote for, we are voting for a philosophy that produces all sorts of evils, undermining the Kingdom of God.

Also, if it is true, then it is our obligation to confront the philosophy (ies) that undermine a Christian world, rather than putting so much energy into politics.

I think the opposite of Messianism would be "Anti-Christ"ism. We can't just assume that whoever comes into office that doesn't stand for the same things we do is the anit-Christ and that the end of the world is approaching.

The primary reason that Ortberg mentioned the Seven Deadly ones is because of the fact the Original Sin is true and those Seven cannot be stopped, diminished or even slowed down unless and until the Holy Spirit intervenes.

I am a therapist who was taught by secular humanists that we counselors were supposed to be messianic in our healing abilities. All we needed to do was learn more, get better techniques and manage the transferrence of our patients better. Then we could actually heal them.

It did not take me my entire practice of forty years to conclude that the teachers are themselves suffering from a Messianic Complex. Research shows that ordinary lay people are as effective as a person with a Masters and more effective than those with a Doctorate. How humbling. No wonder that research has been buried.

We also know that ordinary Christians are the most effective evangelists, worship leaders, teachers and ministers in general. No wonder that truth from scripture is covered up. Nobody would place the Pastor on a pedestal if they believed he was human.

The Obama as Messiah was pretty scary to me because many dictators started out as nice guys who became larger than life to the masses. That is pretty heady stuff. I hope he can handle it because the press and masses certainly can not handle it.

I am a recovering Pastor...I admit it...so I'm probably not qualified to speak coherently on any subject...but I came across this blog and thought it might be fun to jump in... I voted for B.O. in the election and will probably go to hell now (according to my friends). I even bought a "Christians for Obama '08" bumpersticker, but I was afraid to put it on my car and go to church because I thought my car might get "keyed". When I was ordering the bumpersticker, I thought it interesting that the one right next to it was "Jesus, protect me from your followers". So I have 2 points. #1 - Abortion is not a political issue, it is a spiritual issue. We have laws against murder, yet people are killed every day. Passing an anti-abortion law (or electing an anti-abortion president) won't change a thing. Winning someone for Christ and having God change their heart WILL change something. So maybe the Church should DO what the Church was called to DO, advance the Kingdom of God. #2. Jesus said that the world would know that we're Christians "by our love", yet I confess that being a closet supporter of Obama has put me on the "you are of the Devil" end of several conversations with Christians. We need to turn our hearts back to the Love of God expressed in His Son and ask God to help us see the world through His eyes and act accordingly. If we don't, the Church will become increasingly powerless and irrelevant to this world.

I would agree that Christians have been very effective in letting the world know what we are agaisnt; we haven't been very effective in letting them know what we are for.
However, I find scripture has a lot to say about national righteousness, which is not imputed but based upon public policies. Christians should engage the culture in the marketplace with the truth. We should also vote for candidates who will lead us towards righteous policies thus bringing the blessings of God. Scripture tells us in Proverbs when the righteous rule people rejoice...there is a blessing for righteous rulers.
Of course, all this must be done in Christ-like love which tends to be missing these days.

I agree the real change comes from within the heart; however, if laws do not matter then let's throw them all out the door!

Abortion is a spiritual issue but the government has made it a political issue by taking our tax money and paying for something we believe to be wrong. Do we have a choice in the matter - no!

Christians do need to be salt and light in this world and one way to do it is to stand for what is godly and vote for those who will best represent morals and values because whether we like it or not - they are OUR voice!

we should find out from GOD how he feels about abortion, over money issues and the economy

It is tempting to ask...God's Angels, Pastors,Deacons, etc..."whose side are you on, Democrats or Republicans?" Are you with B.O are you with J.M? I wonder if the God's Angels, Pastors,Deacons, will say a Joshua 5:14-15). "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?" 15 The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.
….Instead we had ‘sandals on’ went ahead and trashed either candidate while putting holding the Christian banner publicly… we had ‘sandals on’ as we firmly held to our views and watching and saying AMEN to those pundits who appealed to us ‘sandals held views’…and after Nov 4th. …we have come short of saying God endorsed my candidate…as we dogmatically present Rom 13 to those who have been entrusted to us. May God have mercy on us.

Thanks John Ortberg's for Lessons from the Election!

Not all fairy tales begin with: "Once upon a time"; many begin with: "If I am elected..."

Keeping this one for reference when I get my group going. Fantastic material.

Oh, and "anti-Christ" translated means "not Christ". Anytime we start replacing Christ in our own lives -- focusing on self -- we become the AntiChrist. Be very careful when throwing around that term. It's not [always] someone else.

Too much of what is being written about a Christian's responsibility toward government is either very ambiguous or it is simply unbiblical.

Romans 13 gives us a great deal of clear insight into how to approach the government and elections. First, it says we are to be in subjection to the governing authorities whether they are Democrats or Republicans or some other political party. That precludes rebellion if our candidate does not win. Of course, Acts 4:18-20 makes it clear that subjection to our government must end when it tells us to disobey God.

Romans 13 then says that all authorities are established by God. That means that whoever is elected is in their position because of God's choice so that means we should not complain about those in power. Instead we are to pray for them (I Tim. 2:1-4)and specifically that they would come to saving faith in Christ and that they would allow religious freedom.

We also know from the Bible that God allows evil men to rule nations. As Christians, we should not be shaken by evil rulers.

Romans 13:3-5 then says that government is to do two things: praise those that do good and punish those who do evil. This should be our criteria for voting. The question to ask is, "Who is the candidate that is most likely to praise what is good and punish what is evil?" In order to answer this we have to look at God's definition of good and evil. Since the New Testament makes it clear that government's role is not to infringe on man's relationship to God, we know that government is to merely regulate man's relationship with man.

The last 6 commandments in Exodus 20 outline how man is to treat man. These verses give excellent guidance on choosing a candidate. How does the candidate view parent-child relationships? Does he stand against murder (e.g. abortion, euthanasia)? Does he promote abstinence before marriage and recognize homosexuality as a harmful lifestyle? Does he understand the evil of powerful men using their knowledge and position to oppress the poor and to steal from them? Does he believe in taking money from those who have more (just because they have more) and giving it to those who have less (just because they have less)? Man calls it socialism, the Bible would call it stealing. Does he/she hate deception? Does he/she insist on honesty in his/her staff and in his/her political campaign?

These realities should be our guides in choosing a candidate because God decides what is good and evil-not man.

Finally, Romans 13:7 says that we are to pay for the support of the government in carrying out its duties and we are to be respectful to whomever God places in authority.

On the subject of selective Scripturisation, I remember leading a small group at an international consultation on Bible Use some years ago. In the group were two Philippinas, one Protestant and the other Catholic. Talking about the Aquino revolution the Protestant said, 'The Pastors told us that Romans 13 was the text for the moment and we should respect the government.' The Catholic said, 'Our priests told us that Revelation 13 was the text, and that the government was demonic and should be resisted.'
It is all too easy to find in Scripture what we choose.

Re: Augustine's woman

There is no point trying to conform St Augustine's concubinage to our modern Christian sensibilities. Call her what you will, she was what she was. The fact that he divorced her despite many years of true affection for her hardly puts a better face on things. Still less that he threw her over for a teenie-bopper.

Ironic, isn't it? Had Augustine NOT divorced his rightful wife and married a Girl Scout to advance his career, we may never have heard of him, let alone held him to be a Saint and a Doctor of the Church.

The lesson: follow the way of Christ, not the way of the world nor the advice of your mother.

Wow. That was miles off the subject, but more interesting at least.

John: I got this link days ago, but just now read it--after last night's small group discussion on this very topic! One of our newer and quieter members sat through most of the kvetching and finally in a lull, said, "But isn't politics really about power?" Of course, with our group, that triggered another volley of opinion! :)

The inclusion of "one issuism" is usually an euphemism for the issue of abortion. I'm not aware of any other issues that so galvinize evangelicals that they make it their sole issue in voting. If it is the case that abortion is being referred to then its inclusion in a list of evangelical political sins is offside, because there is an excellent and very strong and persuasive case that can, and has been, made that abortion is a single issue worthy of being the one reason for casting a vote.

Good counsel in the article. I make no apology, however, for supporting a candidate whose intentions are to uphold biblical mandates concerning marriage and life, and encouraging others to also consider those issues to be more important than economic policies. That doesn't require demonizing or deifying either candidate. I am very disappointed in the lack of moral conviction displayed by self-proclaimed Christians in America, that their voting was not strongly reflective of their support for leaders who would use their influence to protect life and support the sanctity of marriage. Without having a pious or demeaning spirit, I don't see how this decision for Bible believing Christians isn't a "no brainer". Neither candidate is the savior or the devil, but each had a very different compass by which they take guidance.

Just finished up the previous comment but forgot to say the bumper sticker is really great...causes one to question and want to stop and ask your son about it. What would he say?
Also, just also want to say that I believe the growing trend in some of the more liberal (non Bible believing) churches (actually one I attend) that there doesn't seem to be a belief in "original sin" and there is little mention of the word sin. Only when we say the Lord's Prayer we do use the words "forgive us our sins". That's about it on the mention of sin.

This article makes it sound like it doesn't really matter who gets elected -- since God is in control of the universe, we can just sit back & let Him worry about it, right? I completely disagree. I am tired of being castigated for standing up for life & the moral foundations upon which this country was founded. Just because Obama was elected does not mean that he was God's choice. God lets us make our choices & then we get to live with the results. Of course God is sovreign & able to carry out his grand plan no matter who gets elected. But in the next 4 years I expect to see the military & our national defenses reduced, all restrictions on abortion struck down, and gay marriage legalized nationwide. Somehow you want me to believe that this is all well & good?? Sorry John, I just don't appreciate your snide remarks about talk radio or your pious remarks about Christians being "humble & repentant" (???) about the results of the election. For too many years Christians sat by "humbly" and now killing babies is legal, and praying in school is illegal. I will pray for our government, but I will also work to elect a better person in the next election. The fact that Obama encourages & accepts his current status as "the messiah" is just plain dangerous. Reminds me of some men who did a great deal of damage in decades & centuries past. And if you are going to cast stones at talk radio, perhaps you should also mention the lies & character asasination of conservatives & Christians that happens on TV on an ongoing basis.

I am deeply concerned that a Christian leader like Mr Ortberg takes such a neutral & politicaly correct view on the election. Not only is our country in an economic decline, we are in a moral decline that is far more dangerous -- it will eventually cause our nation to crumble from within. We had better wake up & pray & work for what is right. The most important thing is to share the Good News about Jesus, but we also have to take a stand for the sanctity of life & marriage & family.

However, as I read through the article and took a peak at comments; myself, being a legal immigrant of 52+ years and having joined the Republican party as a staunch conservative Christian, in as much as I was a Christian already since I was born, now I am 81 years old, I wish to say something completely different than all that is said! I suppose that, nobody will find fault on my part for soon, trying to learn everything as to why and for what purpose this Nation was, under God's guidance ripped out from a brutal Empire? So far so good? Scripture is clear that God puts in kings and also takes them out! Yes, when I compare what is all about America today as a nation, at home and all over the world, I have to conclude that America is right back as a brutal and abusive Empire, and making Christianity look like evil. In the homeland, the traditional Biblical home on a downward spiral, as divorce leaves millions of children in limbo to grow up, as only God really knows what most end up to be. Now more America women live with no man than do! More married couples want no children than do! Abortion still murdering thousands a year! Now ever younger ladies become fiery politicians and even many become warriors in faraway pieces of sand leaving young babies, in truth caring for themselves, not as God would have it! Daycare centers become mother to millions ever younger babies, like it was done in the Soviet Union, but now the case, but previously furiosly condemned by America. Than finally the question: Is the above behavior any better within Christians versus the secular community,in this land under God? In closing the Founding Fathers would weep were they to rise!

I want to say there are many issues that we should be looking at when voting. God obviously isn't a one issue God, but I do think killing the unborn is a pretty basic human rights and justice issue. Where are the Christians in this country? I am not talking about the "pack" of evangelicals. Just where are the hearts of those who claim to worship God in Spirit and Truth? It just isn't that complicated when one seeks the Kingdom of God first. I do not look forward to a Kingdom of God and some sort of superficial peace on earth without the King of Glory. Abortion is not a human right in or out of the Kingdom. Justice is not putting bandages on our sinfulness, but helping people through the circumstances of life. Let's not distort the words, love, compassion and understanding. Let's overcome evil with good and not do evil to correct our sins, or mistakes if the word sin is too harsh. Trying to correct things without God's perspective leads to a deeper hole of evil and corruption in many more ways.

Carl Nelson commented on Nov. 17 "we have laws against murder, yet people are killed every day." Carl, but if we DIDN'T have laws against murder, MORE people would be killed every day. That is a tired, overused reason for keeping abortion legal. The fact is--if we had laws against abortion, FEWER babies (not "no babies", but "fewer babies")would be killed every day. Could that simple fact be any clearer?

A follow up to "J's comment" on Nov. 20. Including abortion in "one issuism" is also MY "one issue" with your article, John. If the current conservative majority on the Supreme Court (Kennedy, Thomas, Scalia, Roberts, and Alito) gets an opportunity to-and then actually does-overturn Roe v. Wade, and then the abortion issue becomes a matter of individual state law, instead of federal (Supreme) court mandate, for the first time in my life(I am 40) I will be able to give both parties a fair shake in the presidential election--instead of just the one with pro-life in the party platform. My conscience has always prohibited me from voting for a candidate who identifies himself as pro-choice(definition: supports a womans' right to choose to kill her unborn child-even 3 to 4 months after conception. Sorry, I just can't do it. Call me a one-issuer. So be it.

"- Abortion is not a political issue, it is a spiritual issue. We have laws against murder, yet people are killed every day"-Carl,a CT reader

If we replace abortion with slavery or desegregation would you still agree with the statement? Are you also going to say that since people are murdered everyday we might as well make murder legal? Sadly, most people, Christians included look to the present law as their guide. As in its legal so it must be right. I have Christian friends who say that God does not regard people as human until they are out of the womb. I am sure that they would say the opposite were it not for Roe vs Wade. American opposition to abortion and belief that it is wrong has decreased over the years. I believe one reason is because people accept the law of the land.

I also have Christian friends who say abortion should not be a poltical issue or should not be taken into account when voting someone into office. I'm sorry but whoever we vote into office has far reaching consequences for the US and the rest of the world. Already there is talk of Obama repealing Bush restrictions on funding abortion/abortion groups overseas. As an African I am horrified at the thought that so called 'western ideals' of 'pro-choice' will now forced upon unsuspecting people in developing countries.My tax dollars will be going to fund groups who are determined to increase abortions in developing countries. Africa has enough issues we don't need to import the US and Europe's culture of death. Just remember that these so called 'one issues' have far reaching consequences beyond the US and electing a pro or anti abortion president DOES MATTER.

This is a shallow article, but popular because it criticizes and makes fun of certain people. The key issue in all elections, and all matters of life, is to live and make decisions according to the teachings of the Bible. The author, like many other "evangelical leaders", have shied away from the issue of a Biblical worldview.

Mention of “original sin” and “one issue-ism” in this article was serendipitous.

On “original sin” Oswald Chambers wrote, “The Bible does not say that God punished the human race for one man’s sin, but that the nature of sin, namely, my claim to my right to myself, entered into the human race through one man...the nature of self-realization which leads us to say, ‘I am my own god.’”

On “one issue-ism” of abortion (killing each year 1,600,000 innocent human beings within their mothers), by claiming that the being is “part” of the mother so as to sustain the oft-repeated slogan that the mother may kill or authorize the killing of the being within her “because she is free to do as she wishes with her own body”, isn’t this smack of saying “I am my own god”?

For Christians, the basic issue on that election was crystal clear.

the varied points of view simply reveal humankind's finite understanding of the world he or she moves about. curiously, by the providence of GOD, i survived attempts of my late Mom to terminate her abortion. i was a four month old foetus. the disclosure of my late Mom, three years before she passed away, dissipated my long held view that the womb is the "safest place in the world". by GOD's mercy and grace, i survived leukemia. i was told in Summer 1996 that i may still enjoy the fireworks of the new year, but after that there is no guarantee i would live beyond eleven months. curiously, it was my lead doctor who died of heart attack. i turned out to become a patient without a doctor. overcoming terminal ailment affirmed that the LORD is Lord of all. hence, in the grand scheme of things, i am not worried whoever is elected president of the Uninted States. after all, it is NOT/NOT the U.S. President "who calls the shots".

Thank god for men like you, if only the socalled political activists ministers can see the damage they are doing to the church.
Keep the good work.