{"id":2100811,"date":"2023-11-16T13:45:18","date_gmt":"2023-11-16T18:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/che-ahn-pastors-and-politics-giving-the-church-a-backbone\/"},"modified":"2023-11-16T13:49:47","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T18:49:47","slug":"che-ahn-pastors-and-politics-giving-the-church-a-backbone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/che-ahn-pastors-and-politics-giving-the-church-a-backbone\/","title":{"rendered":"Ch\u00e9 Ahn: Pastors and Politics? Giving the Church a Backbone"},"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\">20<\/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%2Fche-ahn-pastors-and-politics-giving-the-church-a-backbone%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=2100811&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--><h2>Where Was the Church on Election Day?<\/h2>\n<p>Another Election Day came and went,\u200d but the question we should all be asking is: Where was the church?<\/p>\n<p>Every election cycle is significant, yet some hold greater sway than others. Despite this being an off-year election, Nov. 7 \u200dhad unfortunate repercussions in certain pockets of our nation.<\/p>\n<p>The state of Ohio, which voted red in\u200b the\u2063 last two elections, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/watch-women-shriek-celebration-right-murder-children-voted-law\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">passed\u200c Issue 1<\/a> cementing abortion into\u200d the state constitution. \u200cOhio has joined\u2063 the \u2063ranks of California and five other states\u200d that have bolstered pro-abortion legislation since the historic overturning of Roe \u2063v. Wade in June 2022.<\/p>\n<p>If voter turnout was noticeably \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Health\/wireStory\/ohio-lone-state-deciding-abortion-rights-question-tuesday-104680009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">robust<\/a>\u201d this election, what does\u200c that mean\u200c for the Christian constituents of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Virginia \u2014\u2062 all of which \u2063favored non-conservatives in the recent vote?<\/p>\n<p>It clearly means the church has been\u2062 asleep and \u200dsilent, especially during\u200c elections.<\/p>\n<p>While everyday\u2063 Christians have an important \u200cpart to\u200d play in this \u200dequation, I believe the responsibility lies primarily on the shoulders of church leaders (myself included).<\/p>\n<p>Within the past decade, all indications show that conservative\u2063 pastors are less and \u2063less\u200b likely to tackle political issues in a public setting. By and large, this \u200ddecision is based on the fear that people \u2062will leave the church, and with them their tithes and offerings.<\/p>\n<p>To\u200c be sure, a \u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barna.com\/research\/lead-election-season\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">study<\/a> \u2064 by Dr. George Barna\u2064 found that the majority \u200bof \u200cchurch leaders attributed their reluctance to speak\u2064 candidly on social and moral issues to pressure from within\u200b the church, not outside\u2064 the church.<\/p>\n<p>The pastors of America \u2062need a holy \u200cdose of conviction and courage, two necessary ingredients not only to voice the truth but to stiffen \u200cthe spines of others.<\/p>\n<p>The late great Billy Graham wrote\u200b the following <a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/newspapers?nid=757&#038;dat=19641029&#038;id=rIcwAAAAIBAJ&#038;sjid=lEQDAAAAIBAJ&#038;pg=6379,1764784\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">words<\/a> four months \u2062prior to the 1964 presidential election: \u201cThe world today, it seems to me, suffers not \u200conly from a lack of convictions, but also\u2063 from our timidity in expressing those convictions we\u2064 do have.\u201d It\u200b is astonishing how germane these words are \u200dto our present time.<\/p>\n<p>Graham continues,\u200b \u201cIn the\u2062 face\u2062 of all\u2064 kinds of conditions screaming to \u2062be \u2063rectified\u201d \u2014\u2064 today that could be summed up by the \u2063radical left agenda decomposing \u200btraditional Judeo-Christian values \u2014 \u201ctoo many of\u200b us find ourselves afflicted with moral\u2063 laryngitis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As\u2063 the title of Dr. Michael Brown\u2019s recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Silencing-Lambs-Ominous-Culture-Overcome\/dp\/1629999849\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">book<\/a> aptly puts \u2062it, \u200dwe are\u200b witnessing \u201cthe silencing of the\u200b lambs.\u201d If\u200c we do not speak up and act now, we run the risk of seeing moral cowardice and passivity spread throughout more\u2063 of\u200c the church.<\/p>\n<p>In a time\u200d of moral decadence, strong leaders must arise to champion strong values. We must have both \u2063pastors and church members engaged in the political process to vote for candidates\u2064 with biblical worldviews who will help to turn our culture around.<\/p>\n<p>The priorities of\u200b conscientious Christian voters should revolve around the non-negotiables: pro-life,\u200c pro-family\u2064 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-administration-really-wants-to-force-nurses-to-murder-children-even-though-it-terrorizes-their-souls\/\" title=\"Biden Administration REALLY WANTS TO Force Nurses To Murder Children EVEN THOUGH It Terrorizes Their Souls\">pro-religious freedom<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Looking back just one year \u200bago, we cannot\u2062 take the landmark SCOTUS \u200dcase <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/op-ed-historic-pro-life-milestone-remind-christians-elections-matter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dobbs v. Jackson<\/a> for granted. What seemed impossible \u2014 the toppling of the menacing giant that was Roe v. Wade \u2014 became a reality in our generation.<\/p>\n<p>A major victory was won, but the \u2064battle continues. We must do all that we can to maintain the territory that came through Dobbs, and to build on that momentum.<\/p>\n<p>As church leaders, we need to \u2063<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/che-ahn-pastors-and-politics-giving-the-church-a-backbone\/\" title=\"Ch\u00e9 Ahn: Pastors and Politics? Giving the Church a Backbone\">relentlessly preach \u200bbiblical values<\/a> to change\u200b and reform our culture.<\/p>\n<p>Today is the day of reckoning \u200c\u2014 the \u200bday to draw the line in the sand. Will you take a stand, plant your feet in the soil of an authentic biblical\u200b worldview, and speak the \u2062truth in love?<\/p>\n<h3>Source:<\/h3>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/che-ahn-pastors-politics-giving-church-backbone\/\">Ch\u00e9 Ahn: Pastors and Politics? Giving the Church a Backbone<\/a> appeared on \u2063 <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\">The Western Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Why is it important for\u2063 church leaders to address social and \u200bpolitical issues in addition to spiritual matters?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u200c Y \u200bChristians remain \u200bsilent. We must remember that silence is not neutrality; \u2063it is a choice to align ourselves with the \u200bprevailing culture, even if that culture conflicts with our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-hawley-says-biden-abortion-policies-are-an-insult\/\" title=\"Sen. Hawley says Biden abortion policies are an insult\">deeply held beliefs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As church leaders, \u2063we have a responsibility to not only teach and\u200b guide our congregations in spiritual matters but also to apply biblical principles to \u200bthe\u200d social and political\u200b issues \u2062of our\u200d time. We \u200bcannot shy away from \u2064these discussions simply because they may be uncomfortable\u200b or unpopular.<\/p>\n<p>When we look to the life\u200c and \u200bministry \u200bof Jesus, we see a Savior who\u2062 was deeply\u200b concerned with the well-being of society. He confronted unjust systems, challenged oppressive \u200cleaders, \u2064and spoke out against hypocrisy and\u200d greed. Jesus did not shy away from political and social issues; rather, he engaged with them and\u2064 called for justice and righteousness.<\/p>\n<p>Church \u200dleaders must follow this example\u2064 and address the pressing\u200c issues \u200dof our time \u2013 issues such\u200c as abortion, \u2064religious freedom,\u2062 racial injustice, and poverty. These are not political issues; they \u2064are moral issues\u2063 that directly impact the \u2064lives \u2062and well-being of individuals created in the \u200dimage of God. As such, they\u200b deserve our\u2062 attention and action.<\/p>\n<p>In doing so,\u200c we must remember that our\u200c role as church leaders is not to endorse\u2062 or promote a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantis-explains-two-actions-hed-take-to-lower-inflation\/\" title=\"DeSantis outlines two steps to combat inflation.\">specific political \u200bparty<\/a> or candidate. \u200cOur role is to provide biblical guidance and principles\u200d that can inform the decisions and actions\u200b of our congregations. We must equip our members to\u2064 think critically,\u2064 pray earnestly, and vote responsibly.<\/p>\n<p>When \u200cthe church is silent, it fails to be a voice for the voiceless. It \u2063fails to\u2063 be a \u2064light in \u200bthe darkness. It fails in its\u2062 mission to love and serve the\u2063 world. As church leaders, \u2063we cannot \u200callow fear or complacency to keep us from fulfilling our calling.<\/p>\n<p>So, \u200cwhere was the church on Election Day? It was in our sanctuaries, \u2064our\u2064 pulpits, and our pews. It was \u200cin our prayers and our\u2064 conversations.\u200c It was\u2062 in our engagement \u2063with \u2062the\u2063 world around us. But it must be more than that. It must be a powerful force for justice, truth, and\u200d compassion.<\/p>\n<p>As we reflect\u200d on this election and\u2064 prepare for\u2063 the next, let us\u200c not be silent. Let us \u200bbe bold in our proclamation of the Gospel\u2063 and in our pursuit of righteousness.\u200c Let us be a church that\u2063 is engaged, informed, and\u2063 actively working for\u200b the well-being of society.<\/p>\n<p>As the Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 5:15-16, &#8220;Be \u200dvery careful, then, how you\u200c live\u2014not as \u200dunwise \u2062but as\u200b wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.&#8221;\u2063 Indeed, the days are evil, but we serve a God who is greater.<\/p>\n<p>May the church rise up and \u200bfulfill\u200c its calling\u2062 on Election Day and every day, for the glory of God and the good of our nation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Another Election Day came and went, but the question we should all be asking is: Where was the church? Every election cycle is significant, yet some hold greater sway than others. Despite this being an off-year election, Nov. 7 had unfortunate repercussions in certain pockets of our nation. The state of Ohio, which voted red<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2173,"featured_media":2100812,"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":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2100811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"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\/2100811","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\/2173"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2100811"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2100811\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2100812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2100811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2100811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2100811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}