{"id":2089921,"date":"2023-11-04T11:05:03","date_gmt":"2023-11-04T15:05:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/every-ohio-pastor-has-a-duty-to-urge-his-congregants-to-vote-no-on-issue-1\/"},"modified":"2023-11-04T11:06:13","modified_gmt":"2023-11-04T15:06:13","slug":"every-ohio-pastor-has-a-duty-to-urge-his-congregants-to-vote-no-on-issue-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/every-ohio-pastor-has-a-duty-to-urge-his-congregants-to-vote-no-on-issue-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Ohio pastors must encourage their congregants to vote against Issue 1."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fevery-ohio-pastor-has-a-duty-to-urge-his-congregants-to-vote-no-on-issue-1%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2089921&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohiosos.gov\/globalassets\/ballotboard\/2023\/certified-language-9-21-ballot-board.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Issue 1<\/a> \u200c on Ohioan\u2019s\u200b ballots Tuesday\u2064 is a brazen yet cunning attempt to \u200dremove all power to regulate abortion from the people\u2019s elected \u200crepresentatives.<\/p>\n<p>The pro-abortion movement in Ohio \u2064lost on the \u200dmerits in\u2063 the legislature. Now, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cincinnati.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2023\/10\/26\/ohio-issue-1-abortion-proponents-raise-more-out-of-state-money-flows\/71326310007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fueled by millions of\u2064 dollars from out-of-state special interests<\/a>, it \u2063is pushing \u200cto\u2062 amend \u2062the Ohio Constitution\u2062 with this <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/11\/03\/proponents-of-ohios-abortion-amendment-dont-want-you-to-know-how-barbaric-it-is\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">deceitfully-worded<\/a> ballot\u200b initiative.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Despite what proponents of Issue 1 claim in misleading advertising, if Issue 1 passes, abortionists will\u200b argue that its broad language guarantees taxpayer-funded abortion <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/benflowersoh\/status\/1720593164900221138?s=42\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">up to the moment of birth<\/a>, including abortions sought by minors without parental consent. This law \u200cis deeply at odds with the moral convictions\u2062 of\u200b Ohioans, \u200bwho <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/10\/26\/poll-less-than-1-4-of-ohioans-support-the-unlimited-abortion-outlined-in-issue-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">overwhelmingly favor<\/a> at least <em>some<\/em> restrictions on abortion.<\/p>\n<p>Current polling \u200bindicates a close race. In \u200cmy view,\u200d the scales will \u200bnot\u2064 be tipped by legal\u200b gamesmanship, special interests, out-of-state\u200d money, or deceitful\u200b ads. The \u2063power to defeat this barbaric initiative lies\u200d squarely with the leaders of Ohio\u2019s local\u200c churches.<\/p>\n<h2>Ohio\u2019s Church Leaders Hold the Keys to Victory<\/h2>\n<p>Ohio\u200c pastors influence a\u2063 vast number of people. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/religion\/religious-landscape-study\/compare\/attendance-at-religious-services\/by\/state\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Thirty-eight\u200c percent of Ohioans<\/a> \u2062 attend \u2064church at least \u200conce per\u2062 week. That\u2019s roughly 4.4 million potential Ohio\u200c voters.<\/p>\n<p>Pastoral influence runs broad and deep. Weekly churchgoers trust \u200btheir pastor\u2019s spiritual guidance and look to the pulpit for advice \u200dand direction. \u200cCongregants often view their pastor as\u200c the primary source of moral \u200dauthority in\u2063 life \u200d\u2014 including on the issue of\u2063 abortion.<\/p>\n<h3>Ohio pastors have the power to make a difference<\/h3>\n<p>Pastors and priests could command tremendous\u2064 political \u200cpower by simply making their congregations aware of Issue 1,\u2064 teaching the Biblical position \u2062on abortion, and directing their\u2063 congregations to go vote no. This is constitutionally protected by the First Amendment, and seems like\u2063 the \u2063obvious\u2063 thing to do, but \u200dit is \u200bnot happening at \u200dscale.<\/p>\n<p>So\u2063 why is \u2062this shaping up to be\u2064 a close vote? \u200cDo Christians believe that abortion is wrong? With their numbers, could they not \u200dsingle-handedly defeat the Issue? The answer in theory\u200d is,\u200c of course, yes. Christians believe that abortion is the\u2063 taking\u200c of an innocent human\u2064 life and repugnant to the nature\u200c and law of God. They also \u200bhave the numbers, to the tune of 4.4 \u2064million, to put down the \u200cIssue.<\/p>\n<p>But there is a disconnect. Many church\u200c leaders \u2062have chosen not to spur their people \u2063to political action and are reluctant to take a firm and \u2062vocal stand on \u200bpolitical issues like abortion. They\u200b have largely shied away from wading\u2062 into their congregation\u2019s political decisions.\u2062 They\u200b may\u200b address the morality of issues like abortion but will not go so far \u200das to instruct their \u200bcongregants\u2019 vote,\u200d for example.<\/p>\n<p>With the \u200cbest of intentions, the current generation of \u2062church \u200bleaders avoids politics and difficult \u2063cultural issues primarily in an effort not \u200cto \u2062deter unbelievers \u2062from hearing \u2063the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With\u200c this approach to ministry,\u200c winsomeness is commonly elevated as the chief virtue. Abrasive truths about righteous \u200cChristian living \u200coften become \u2062softened\u200d or ignored in favor packaging the Gospel in a way the world finds palatable.<\/p>\n<p>This approach to ministry, however, presents Christians as\u2064 people who are not serious about their principles, \u200boften undermining the power of conviction that\u2064 draws people to church. And softening conviction comes \u200cat the\u200b expense \u2063of the \u200cedification of the believing church \u2014 who knows the Gospel \u2062but needs to be trained\u200b in the comprehensive\u200d biblical \u2062worldview necessary\u2062 for a robust\u200b Christian\u200b life.<\/p>\n<h3>Church leaders must fulfill their duty<\/h3>\n<p>Our\u2062 church \u2064leaders cannot neglect to preach the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Acts%2020&#038;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">whole\u200d counsel of God<\/a>. \u2064That includes\u200b instructing their congregants in the way \u200dthey ought\u2064 to engage government, politics, culture, and voting \u2014 subjects upon which even \u2062a little \u200binvestigation reveals clear \u200bbiblical prescriptions.<\/p>\n<p>Such instruction is consistent with historical Protestant political and social thought, which\u2063 rightly understands \u2062that Christian influence in the \u200cpublic square helps to\u200d ensure that the government and \u200dculture \u2063make\u2063 choices in accordance with the will of God, and not the \u2062will of themselves. \u200dAnd practically speaking, it is an effective way to inspire action \u2063in a significant portion of the electorate to achieve desired political outcomes, in this\u200d case, the protection of the unborn.<\/p>\n<h2>An Admonition\u200c to \u2064Church Leaders<\/h2>\n<p>The Gospel is powerful. When an unbeliever repents of his or her \u200dsin and \u200bevil deeds and confesses the need for righteousness through\u200c faith\u2062 in Christ alone, the heart\u2063 is \u200dchanged \u2062forever. This\u200d change can \u2064produce great fruit: it can stop a mother from aborting \u2062her child; it can stop a father from coercing\u200b an abortion; \u200cit can stop\u200b an abortionist from\u2062 continuing his\u200b work. \u2063But that change will not\u200d alone defeat Issue \u20621 and destroy\u2062 the oppressive\u200b system of evil that actively works to destroy lives of countless babies, mothers, and families.<\/p>\n<p>The abortion movement is not swayed by the heart\u2062 change of \u2062one\u200c individual, \u2062as powerful as that may be. It \u2064will not stop until it is made to\u2062 stop. Victory \u200brequires \u2062the power of the state in the hands of the righteous to halt\u200c the proliferation of the evil acts of man.\u2063 Indeed, that is precisely\u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=romans%2013&#038;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">God\u2019s intent \u2062for government<\/a> \u2014 to restrain and punish evil while upholding goodness. Righteous\u2062 people must advocate that the state prudently\u2064 wield that \u200bpower to destroy \u200bthe work of the Devil.<\/p>\n<p>In achieving \u2064that end \u200din \u2062the battle \u2064against \u2063abortion and Issue 1, no one wields greater influence than\u2064 the local \u2062church\u2064 pastor. \u200dHe \u2062is utterly \u2063indispensable in this \u200dfight\u200b \u2014 and the babies \u200dof\u2063 this state cannot afford for \u200bhim to sit \u200bon\u200b the sidelines. \u200cCongregations must be \u2062made \u2062aware of what Issue \u20641 actually does and\u2064 be admonished to stand \u200dfor life at\u2063 the ballot box. This is not only a permissible exercise of pastoral authority, but\u2063 a good \u200dthing in the\u200b eyes of God, who is glorified \u2062when \u2064the righteous prevail.<\/p>\n<p>It is an abdication of duty\u200d for a\u200c pastor to on one hand rightly condemn abortion as an abomination to \u2062God, yet on\u2063 the other refuse to\u2064 instruct \u2064his congregation to take\u200b the one action that, collectively, would stop the abomination. Go vote \u200bno on Issue 1.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2>What does it mean to live a transformed\u200c life in Jesus Christ?<\/h2>\n<p><span>It is a total change by\u200d the renewing of \u200dthe mind. It is a complete change for the \u2063better. A complete change for the better is not conforming, but rather transforming; being changed into a new creation. And puts their faith in Jesus Christ, they are transformed from darkness to light. However, this transformation is not limited to an\u200c individual&#8217;s personal life; it extends to every aspect\u2064 of their\u2064 life, including their political engagement\u200c and societal influence.<\/p>\n<p>Church leaders have a responsibility to teach \u2064and equip their congregations to live out\u2063 their faith in all areas of life, including their involvement \u200cin politics. This includes addressing issues like abortion, which is not only a pressing moral issue but also a political battleground.<\/p>\n<p>The upcoming vote on Issue 1\u2064 in Ohio\u2064 is a critical moment for the protection of the unborn. If \u200dpassed, this initiative would strip elected representatives of their power to regulate abortion, allowing for taxpayer-funded abortions\u2063 up to the moment of\u200b birth. This is not \u2062in line with the values and convictions of\u200d the majority of Ohioans, who support at least some restrictions on\u200d abortion.<\/p>\n<p>Given the significant influence that Ohio pastors\u2064 hold over their congregations, they have the power to make a real difference in the outcome of this vote. By educating their congregations about the deceitful nature of Issue 1 and teaching the Biblical position on abortion, church leaders can mobilize their members to vote against this initiative.<\/p>\n<p>However, some church leaders have \u2064been hesitant to \u2064engage\u200d in\u2064 political matters, fearing that it \u2062may deter unbelievers \u2063from hearing the Gospel. While it\u200d is important to share the Gospel in a \u200bwinsome and approachable manner, this should not\u2062 come\u200c at the expense \u2063of addressing \u200bimportant\u200c moral and political issues.<\/p>\n<p>The Gospel itself is a deeply political message, as it declares\u2063 that \u2062Jesus Christ is Lord over \u200call, including the realms of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Issue 1 on Ohioan&#8217;s ballots aims to strip elected representatives of their power to regulate abortion. Despite losing in the legislature, the pro-abortion movement is now using substantial funds from out-of-state special interests to push for an amendment to the Ohio Constitution. It is a bold and strategic move.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2534,"featured_media":2089922,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2089921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2089921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2534"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2089921"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2089921\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2089922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2089921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2089921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2089921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}