Endorsement
A few weeks ago Brian McLaren announced his endorsement of Barack Obama on his blog. He is endorsing the candidate for the Matthew 25 network and as a private citizen.
Around that same time Brian was writing several posts with his thoughts on faith and politics. Much of what he was saying led me to believe he was apprehensive to endorse a candidate…clearly I midunderstood him.
I think Emergent or emerging people (including myself) are changing the tide of how Christians are known to vote (going from Republican to independent or Democrat). This I have no problem with. The idea that God belongs to a party is wrong and unwarranted. However, this same group has largely spoken about the need to not align with a party or a specific candidate. Brian McLaren is one of the key leaders of this group of people and I’m troubled by this endorsement. Brian said this about endorsement:
“I read a post by a good friend. He suggested we should advise everybody and endorse nobody. I’m quite certain that my friend meant, by the word endorse, ‘blindly, uncritically, and without reservation express support for.’ And, of course, with that I would fully agree.”
- Let me say this. I have immense respect for Brian, and I completely agree with much of what he says regarding politics and Christianity. But I disagree with him on this. I think if everyone else agreed with his above statement, then endorsement could be a great thing. But, I do not think most people view it that way. Endorse should never be without reservation, yet most people view it as such. Now McLaren has aligned himself alongside Obama as close as any other Christian leader.
- McLaren has also stated that his endorsement is his own as a private citizen. I think that If endorsement was simply for ourselves, then why endorse publicly? As a well known author, previous pastor, and Christian leader, it is true that his endorsement is his alone, but his endorsement holds a lot of clout by those who listen intently to what he has to say.
I don’t want my blog or any post to be one that is ripping a part a person. My goal isn’t to disagree with Brian, but to dialogue about how we as Christ followers should (or not) endorse candidates and vote.
So while I have said in the Seattle Times that I’m leaning towards Obama, I will not be announcing my decision on this blog or anywhere else outside of my close friends (and if I’m honest I really don’t want to choose between these 2 guys).
Your thoughts? Should we endorse or no?
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Tyler Braun.
I don’t really know – great question. If we do so I think we need to do it with a great awareness of the responsibility we must hold in doing so. I’m not sure I want to be responsible for swaying someone. Perhaps sometimes there would be a clear candidate that we knew well enough to do it without reservation, but how often will that happen? Good food for thought.
And I’m right there with you. Not sure I want to vote for either candidate much less endorse them. I think I’d be afraid I would endorse someone and then they would do something incredibly stupid. My dad voted for Clinton both times. He became increasingly embarassed that he had done so. And he didn’t even endorse, just let us know who he voted for. I would be much more leary of posting it……..
Tyler,
I heard McLaren at the Willow Arts Conference. As I left the room, I said to my friends “I feel like I just left the Democratic National Convention”. I wasn’t impressed at all … his speech didn’t seem to belong at a worship arts conference.
I dunno, I’m old fashioned, Southern .. I just can’t understand why so many Christians are endorsing a candidate who, from what I can see and read, simply isn’t a Christ-follower.
I mean, yeah – I agree, the charisma is there, and the “call for change” is there, but I don’t get it. I know that God is in control, and that our trust shouldn’t be in congress or an elected official, but it’s hard for me to willingly entrust the leadership of our great country to someone who isn’t a Christ-follower.
I could be wrong, I’ve just seen interviews where he clearly said that Jesus Christ wasn’t necessarily the “only way” to God. My wife says she saw an interview where he thought elementary school students should have sex ed … I didn’t see that myself. Oh well, everybody has their freedom of choice, that’s what makes America awesome.
As for McLaren, my decision to tune him out just gets bigger and bigger.
Tyler,
This is sticky and not at all neat. Christians (and everyone else) need to be more open about political issues. WHY we like or dislike a candidate. Where we stand on issues and what is informing our vote.
Saying, “Don’t talk about politics – it just causes fights,” is retarded.
Being ignorant voters doesn’t make sense.
I admire Fred for having some solid facts and reasons behind his thoughts.
With that said, it’s pretty lame of McClaren to be so off topic. If you’re going to push a political agenda at a worship conference make it relevant – Do it in a way so that people walk away saying, “Wow, the most I learned about worship all weekend was when McClaren talked about Obama.”
Alright Guys and Gals….my thoughts.
Here is my post on what Brian said at the Willow Arts Conference:
http://manofdepravity.com/2008/06/11/mclaren-shook-me-up/
I do not think he had any political agenda (obviously his Obama endorsement doesn’t help my thought here though) when he spoke at Willow. I think this is probably the main problem with how people view anything “emerging”. We see it as a political agenda rather than a Biblical agenda. I think it is a Biblical agenda.
Fred I get that you are from the South, old fashioned, etc…but I would just encourage you to look back through what I wrote about what Brian said that day. I think he spoke straight to the artist.
Artists have a huge issue with playing music and church music while also producing change. He talked a lot about what artists can do to reach a hurting world beyond just singing a song. So I don’t think he was off topic that day at all.
As for Obama not being a Christian…you could easily say McCain isn’t a Christian. When you say he stands for unChristian things, I wonder what you are refering to. Obviously his stance on abortion is a red flag for believers, but I would say that McCain’s stance on the Iraq War is a bit of one too.
Anyway, I can certainly understand your viewpoints Fred and Billy. You are my brothers and you guys are awesome, even if we see things a little differently here.
Now…let’s talk about endorsement
Wrong or right?
Tyler,
What?! You want us to stay on topic? (lol – right on man, I’d expect the same on my blog.)
I would say, “Yes, endorse, as small part of a larger strategy.”
The Bible is right about all things. If politicians followed Biblical principles we’d all be better off. We need to get more biblical adgenda into mainstream politics. We do this the same way any miniority get its adgenda heard – by being vocal.
Overall though I guess I’m more concerned with a conversation about issues and less about canditates. We need to be talking and listening issues with people. If that then translates into “Yes, that issue is important and this candidate has this track record voting in regards to that issue” then I think endorments works.
Blind endorment doesn’t work.
Saying, “I endorse Obama” is blind. (It doesn’t matter that you’ve thought and digested, you don’t communicate that with this statment.)
Saying, “I endorse Obama becuase…” is more on track.
If people walk away with the issue in their head you’ve done a good job, If people walk away with no more than a Candidate’s name, then you have done poorly.
McLaren did say on his blog that he intends to right 5 posts on reasons he is endorsing Obama.
What you said makes a lot of sense Billy. Nice work.
Love him or hate him, McClaren clearly has had a politically liberal agenda in his ministry past as clearly written about in his books and now is no exception. For this, there is nothing bad to say since he has been transparent about that.
Supporting Obama is not a bad thing, per se. It is just clear that this leader is political. This is nothing new for evangelicals other than it being a liberal candidate. This really isn’t news otherwise. It is just that evangelicals are finally realizing they have been duped and are thinking more objectively. Am I less a Christian if I vote Libertarian? What is a conscience for after all?
Kudos to Rick Warren, who in contrast however, is not endorsing a candidate, but endorsing that Christians think with his interview of both candidates at Saddbleback sometime this month. Brian should take a lesson from Rick about this, but then again he has an actual political agenda it seems. Brian McClaren wants you think–but think like he thinks. He assumes in that quote that people blindly endorse and are not thinking because they are not conservatives in thought, but just by knee-jerk reaction. Give Christians more credit than that!
Rich…you just brought it! Jim Rome says “have an opinion and don’t suck” and that described what you wrote. I love how you confront both sides of this. Great job man.
Brian’s last named is spelled McLaren, fyi.
to me, an endorsment is simply an opinion. now, we may be christians, but we’re also americans and we should vote and be able voice who we like.
as a pastor, i think you’re aware of my “preaching from the pulpit” view…i don’t think that is right.
but let’s look at the fact that men like mcclaren, pat robertson, james dobson and others have a following…so as ministry heads their opinion will probably carry. and that, my friends, is playing the game of politics, nothing more.
as an individual citizen/christian…it makes no difference at all.
oh, and by the way, should they do it? their role is usually different than pastors….
pastors? publically…no….
ministry heads? i don’t think it matters much.,
I have spellling problums, Tyller… sorry. But I’ve got rhythm at least.
Ash- I think my biggest point here is that he has advocated for the need to not align with a party but by his endorsement I think he is opening himself up to doing that very thing. I guess I disagree a little that a citizen’s endorsement makes no difference. Everyone has influence, so to think that endorsement is simply your own seems a little naive to me.
Rich- Yes you definitely do have rhythm. No worries on the spelling…just about everyone has misspelled it.
I agree with you.
naive? c’mon, tyler. i’m not saying that our vote doesn’t matter. it does when i go to the polls. what i am saying is that i’m not a public figure in the christian world and if i say i like a candidate…it’s not going to affect joe shmoe. but someone who clearly has a following will affect people. but they will only affect the crowd that already follows them. i doubt they will influence new recruits. pastors have to be careful so that they are not endorsing from the pulpit….b/c that is preaching politics. that is something i have seen first hand….and i do not think it is right and rarely turns out well for them.
I am unsure if leaders of large congregations should endorese anybody. However, political viewpoints from both sides should be presented in an articulate manner, then discussed as they pertain to scripture.
That being said, Tyler, your equation of war to abortion is theologically unsound. War and self defense are justified extensivley in the OT and certainly not condemned in the NT. ABortion, the taking of innocent lives, is certainly not justified in His word, and in Duet we see that the taking of innocent blood is puinishable by death:
That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.
11 But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:
12 Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
That being said, how does a Christian support Obama, who was opposed to an act that would ban LIVE BIRTH Abortion, not too mention his statement to Planned parenthood that his first act as president would be to sign the “Freedom of Choice” act, which essentially eliminates any governement (state or federal) to interfere with abortion. Transcript and video:
http://lauraetch.googlepages.com/barackobamabeforeplannedparenthoodaction
http://www.imoneinamillion.com/
This is striaght from Planned parenthood, who is paid $300,000,000 a year in tax dollars to participate in the murder of 4400 babies EACH DAY in the USA. And Obama wants to make it easier. IN worldy terms, how does one prioritize the Iraq war deathcount versus 2,000,000 babies EACH year for a total of 40-50 million since Roe v Wade? The only greater genocide I know of is the Chinese by Japan.
Bret-
Again…I’d like to stay on topic. We can discuss what pro life means another time. With that said, in times of war innocent lives are lost, people who are not fighting in the war. Obviously those numbers do not equal the numbers of abortions, but in terms of innocent killing it is the same. That was my point, sorry I didn’t expand on that. I understand just war theory and OT wars and such. I would only challenge you on one point. The same God wrote the OT and NT and so we should take into consideration the verses on peace just as much as we consider the stories of war in the OT.
Im sorry for straying and look forward to the topic on pro -life. And will reply to your challenge on a future post, so as not to stray again. But we are in concurrence I beleive, that endorsements may be ill fitting for church leaders and leave me asking “why”?, especially when scipture isnt used too justify, which I see a lot of these days.
Grace and Peace.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqo_ntSTGyo&feature=related