Well...Jesus was...a-political, in a way, and a revoultionary in a bigger way...

Any church that tells its members how to vote isn't a church at all - it's a political organization... Don't get me started...

Having said that - EVERY church member should be involved in the political process. We should vote for the candidates according to our conscience and even run for office...

But I don't think that any of us should presume to speak for God in the political process. The Bible is pretty clear about one thing: Republicans need to recognize that God put Clinton in the White House and Democrats need to recognize that God put George Bush in the White House (Romans 13).

I will respectfully disagree with you, Michael, when you write:

People who are opposed to gay marriage have a strong scriptural backing. I think that they twist the scripture, that wether it is a sin or not those sinners are still people - loved by God and legally they should be allowed to marry.

I'm not sure what "un-twisted" Scriptures support gay-marriage? I'll need some enightenment... So, sin is okay because we're loved by God? I'm pretty sure that Jesus would have said no thank you to the cross if that really were the case? So, if you're insisting that it is not sin...well, we're opening that can of worms again...which is okay with me...

Having said all of that, I support the idea that our government should probably recognize homosexual couples equal to hetrosexual (non-married) couples... Really, what's the difference? Tax breaks (if any exist), insurance benefits, property settlements, etc. THAT, I support - it's a human rights issue. But gay marriage, I don't support. I'm not being hypocritical. Marriage is not just a legal status - but it is a spirtual status as well. If the government wants to create a legal status for homosexuals to...be a legal couple...fine. But, don't force that on the church, thank you very much. I will fight with every breath in my body to see that people are treated with justice and dignity - but I won't back down on sin just because society wants me to.

You want a less than clear sin issue? What if a man wants to marry his biological mother? Or a father his daughter (say he's 50 and she's 30)? Is it legal? Is it sin? "Everything is permissible" Paul wrote...but not everything is beneficial (I Corinthians 6 & 10 - where he talks about being mastered by food and lust). Can we do whatever we want? Yep - does that make it right?

But, back to politics (one of the three things you're never supposed to discuss at a dinner party):

Here's one of my favorite comments on the church and politics:

Derek Webb

A King & A Kingdom

(vs. 1) who's your brother, who's your sister

you just walked past him

i think you missed her

as we're all migrating

to the place where our father lives

'cause we married in to a family of immigrants

(chorus) my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man

my first allegiance is not to democracy or blood

it's to a king & a kingdom

(vs. 2) there are two great lies that i've heard:

the day you eat of the fruit of that tree,

you will not surely die and that Jesus Christ

was a white, middle-class republican

and if you wanna be saved you have to learn to be like Him

(chorus)

(bridge) but nothing unifies like a common enemy

and we've got one, sure as hell

but he may be living in your house

he may be raising up your kids

he may be sleeping with your wife

oh no, he may not look like you think