Last Saturday night, pastor Rick Warren hosted the "Saddleback Civil Forum." There he featured the two potential candidates for president this year, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain.
To my knowledge, this was the first time a live forum featuring presidential candidates has been broadcast from a church. As the Forum began, Warren said that he does believe in separation of church and state, but not separation of faith and politics.
One commentator, coming from a Catholic background, criticized the choice of a church setting for such an event stating that it would best have taken place in a fellowship hall. He did not believe that a place dedicated to worship should be used for any other purpose other than worship. He noted that the Vatican has outlawed the use of the sanctuary for even such things as concerts.
I can respect his view on the sanctity of space. He viewed the place of worship as holy and set apart for no other purpose other than worship. I had to ask myself about our use of the auditorium. How many events have we held there that have little connection with worship? I don't believe the church should become just another stage, but I am not sure I have always considered just how some view the platform of a church as holy ground.
On the other hand, there are those who view the church auditorium, sanctuary, worship center, or some other term just as any other available space. They see nothing particularly holy about a platform inside a church.
I was taught as a child that the church building is God's house. As such, it should be respected and not treated like someone's living room. Today, people come to worship on Sunday morning chatting on cell phones, bringing coffee or drinks inside, or dressing in such ways as to leave little to the imagination. I'm not sure that this is showing proper respect to a place dedicated to the worship of God.
Still, I do not believe that hosting candidates for president and asking them publicly for their views on a variety of issues, moral and political, is inappropriate for a church. As Warren said, "We do not believe in separation of faith and politics."
In or out of the church.
You are OK Dr. Holder. Seperation of Church and State is a term most often used by politicians to attempt to keep the church out of government. I do not see anything wrong with the church asking "candidates" for President questions that concern members. The candidates and the media also had plenty of opportunity to request a different forum and did not. I also felt that this was John McCains strongest showing and that he showed some guts and was strong in this showing. I feel that this is one reason Obama is lashing out today.
ReplyDeleteGood posts, I am very happy to see you writing again.
Miss you guys...
Bill