Southern Baptist Pastor Urges Clergy To Enter Political Arena

Southern Baptist Convention President and Pastor Willy Rice issued a direct challenge to clergy nationwide: they must enter the political arena as midterm elections approach. Some Christian leaders warn against bringing politics into the pulpit, yet Rice insists pastors have always held a central place in American history. He points out that members of the theological and political left mix faith with policy without hesitation. Evangelicals should do the same, he argues.

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"Should pastors engage in the political process? They absolutely should. Because there are many political issues that are, at their heart, theological issues and moral issues that strike at the very center of what we believe to be true and what we believe people need to know in order to flourish personally and as a culture." Rice said he thinks pastors must step up. Throughout American history, they have offered strong voices during key political moments.

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Rice lamented that many Christians have been pushed in recent decades to "be more quiet" and withdraw from the political process, driven by both external and internal forces. "Now, the interesting thing is that those on the theological and political left did not [withdraw], and they had no intention of doing so. And in fact, statistics show that people on the political and theological left are actually more politically engaged than those on the right," Rice said. He noted a vacuum formed during this time, a silence marked by a lack of Christian leaders leaning in.

Rice highlighted abortion, the definition of marriage, gender identity, and immigration as issues where Christians should feel compelled to vote in a certain way. "These issues are deeply, profoundly theological issues. They go back to the creation; they go back to Genesis 1 and 2. They go back to our understanding of what it means to be a human being, and our understanding of what God's creative purpose is for us as human beings," he said.

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Rice argued that Christians also face "manipulative" arguments regarding immigration. He admits the issue presents a "challenge" but insists enforcing America's laws is not wrong. "There is a value of compassion, a value of wanting to care for the least of these people who are poor and oppressed and wanting to help," Rice said, noting that Christians perform more charity than any other group in the U.S.

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"But there is also the importance of the rule of law," he continued. "The protection of people who are in this country. And what you've had is sometimes a very cynical use by some people in power of trying to manipulate Christians by saying, since you must demonstrate compassion, therefore you must embrace open immigration, or you must not insist on the enforcement of the the immigration laws." CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"That is very, very manipulative. No one would say that because you love people or care for people, you should leave the doors of your house unlocked, or you should open up the jail cells in your own community," he said.