Political Sins

Both here and on the show we talked about the situation at the East Waynesville Baptist Church in western North Carolina in which some church members who voted for John kerry were asked to leave the church. The media was all over this story. Now, while I don't agree with booting someone out of a house of worship for political differances, I do see a galring double standard here.

Liberals can regularly use African-American churches to promote Democratic political candidates, with barely a peep from the media, but when a single minister in a small church in a rural area forces out members for voting for John Kerry, the national media cry in outrage.

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann devoted chunks of his Friday and Monday Countdown shows to the situation at the East Waynesville Baptist Church in western North Carolina. Monday's Good Morning America on ABC dedicated a sympathetic interview segment, in the first half hour, to a couple of the upset parishioners and CBS Evening News anchor Bob Schieffer found time for how "members of a Baptist Church say they have been expelled from the congregation because of an argument over how they voted in the last election." Reporter Jim Acosta solicited a condemnatory comment from left-wing activist Jim Wallis, whom CBS described on screen simply as a "church observer." ABC's World News Tonight also aired a story, but unlike on GMA or CBS, Jake Tapper at least pointed out how "last year, black preachers endorsed Kerry in churches across the country."

Worshipers say Pastor Chan Chandler has kicked out nine members of the congregation for not supporting his political views, and in the last presidential election he stated his position loud and clear. Pastor Chandler said, "The question then comes in the Baptist Church, how do I vote? Let me just say this right now, if you vote for John Kerry this year, you need to repent or resign. "

Let's get back to teaching moral absoultes and applying those everyday in our decisions. Not just on election day. If the congregation really understands the Word of God, there should be no need to think for them.