Pastor: A Shocking Twenty-Five Percent Of Alabama Evangelicals Supported Moore
Read Time:3 Minute, 17 Second
by Mark Bear
While I realize we all feel great about Doug Jones winning the state of Alabama, I would be remiss to not point out something highly disturbing to me as a professed, licensed and ordained minister in one of the most conservative of denominations in evangelical circles: Southern Baptist.
The total population of Alabama is approximately 4,863,000 people and 55% of those people attend church on a weekly basis. Weekly is an important marker for those of us who minister, because when one attends on a “weekly basis,” that person is considered a “regular.”
Fifty-five percent of 4,863,000 people places the number of citizens of Alabama attending church on a weekly basis at approximately 2,600,000 citizens attending “weekly.” Still, 650,000 plus voted FOR Roy Moore, this despite his highly questionable past, the several allegations, the banning from the Mall due to his proclivity to seek young females out at those venues, his belief that days were better “when we had slavery,” his wife’s comment that “they are not Anti-Semitic because their accountant is a Jew,” and do I need to go on?
Doing the math, this means approximately TWENTY-FIVE percent of regular “weekly church attendees,” believed it was a-okay to send that man to Washington. Nearly ONE-QUARTER or one out of every four people in church which is about THREE out of every TEN, considered it okay.
Question: How? What are these pastors teaching their flocks that led them to believe this was okay? What is it that is their focus? Politics from the pulpit? Surely seems so.
As a man who spent twenty-five years of my life in ministry full-time I am beyond disillusionment. It means the Church is FAILING miserably with their OWN MEMBERS. It means we need to quit going out “and winning the world for Jesus,” until we get our own darned House in order. We need to cease telling other people how “they must live in order to be considered good Christian soldiers,” because we have demonstrated clearly that we are unable to walk our talk. And this is highly disturbing to a man like myself. Very disturbing.
Related: Christianity Today Magazine: Christians Clear Losers In Alabama Election
In the Book we tell the world we place our trust in, and believe, Paul instructs his student in Ministry with the following words: “Preach the word, in season and out of season.” (2 Timothy 4:2). The generally accepted hermeneutical interpretation of this passage is as follows; “Preach the word when convenient and not,” meaning it matters little whether you get to keep your job as Senior Pastor, you preach against the very behavior Roy Moore is alleged to have engaged in.
However, it seems to me that those of us in the faith community had better come to terms with the fact that whether we are or are not living in the last days, one thing is for certain which was also told by Paul in that same book in the next verse, 2 Timothy 4:3, the entire reason he instructs Timothy to preach whether convenient or not. He says,
“For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.”
And it is THIS which I believe is occurring across the landscape within churches. Pastors are being chosen not because of their skill at ministry but more out of an agreement with the local politics of the community. This is NO way to change a community, let alone a world.
I would really love for you to connect with me on Facebook so we can hold this administration to account. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter as well. Remember there is strength in numbers.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0
Mark. I respect your beliefs and your writing but, with all due respect, you need to get out more. I lot of my younger days I spent around my grandmother who was a good Christian in every way, but being out amongst the fools who call themselves Christian I am not surprised by their hypocrisy. In fact I have had disagreements with many people who call themselves Christians on the fact that one cannot be a political person and a Christian at the same time, and they damned sure cannot be a Republican.
“Truly, this was the sin of your sister Sodom: pride, a full measure of food, and the comforts of wealth in peace, were seen in her and her daughters, and she gave no help to the poor or to those in need.”-Ezekiel 16:49
I’m puzzled why anyone should need courage to openly state their beliefs.
I’m always stating mine and I’m a complete coward!
It’s a sad world that makes it so….
You’re a good man doc. I could say that’s the mark of the man but that would be an atrocious pun so I won’t…..er….
Oops? 😀
Mark (my husband of 33 years) has never been afraid to admit that he is an ordained Pastor. He continues to write in order to educate the public about the things he feels need to be addressed about Politics and Religion.
Keep writing, Mark.
In Titus 1: 7-8 the Bible describes a good leader. “Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”
Believers should think about this description when choosing who we will politically support.
Hello Susan,
You are too kind. You, of all people know every single one of my weaknesses and still you maintain that I am the best preacher you have ever had. I am humbled beyond pale.
You also know that I have never been intimidated into not preaching what I perceived to be the Word to those of faith. Never. You saw the churches where I had death threats issued to me due to my simply preaching the truth, and yet, despite this, we find ourselves where we are due to a void of sorts.
You know well and good that this message or article is not geared to those who do not wish to be part of the faith community but to those who boldly assert that they are, doing so in such a way as though it makes them better than another. You also know it doesn’t, does it?
Thanks for standing by my side so faithfully these past 33 plus years. I hope I am granted several more to be with you for I have been blessed beyond measure with you by my side, and I always have believed that it is you that got the wrong end of the deal.
Finally, I love the verse you cite for us in the faith community to remember when electing people into office. They are general attributes but essential to being at least a leader that can effectively operate within his or her sphere. Thanks for chiming in.
Why is it shocking to some that a bunch of con men were able to pull the wool over the eyes of the extremist Talibangelicals in Alabama? I must be missing something here.
Hi Jess,
I think – and I speak only from personal experience and opinion here – that the reason there is a bit of shock from guys like myself is due to the Church not always being this way. Once Reagan became President and Falwell co-opted the faith community with politics, all was lost.
I liken the entire experience to two different people seeing a person they both know in the process of death. The person who sees the person dying on a daily basis, cannot see the dramatic changes for they appear subtle. The person who has not visited in years, sees the dramatic difference in the health of that person that they walk away shocked. I think this is about the best explanation I can provide you and fear it still may be insufficient.
Thanks for reading my work. I truly do appreciate you.
Ha! Once again you make a good point Jess 🙂
I get tired of being right all the time Mike. I just wish my dad had lived to see the day I used my head for more than hat stand more often 🙂
Ha! My mother used to tell me the same thing Jess.
@ ALL,
I would be honored to have you join my network of connections on Facebook. I can be located at Mark Bear on Facebook, and if you look at my other articles you will find the link. There is strength in numbers and we must band together if we are going to prevent this administration from running away with our nation, and we can accomplish this best by traveling the same road. We may not always agree, but you will find me more than agreeable on most issues. Best of luck to all and I hope to see you soon. Just send along a friend request.
My comment is quite long but I hope it will be accepted. I originally posted it on Mark Bear’s page but understand it has been removed from there to here. Here is my post. Mark Bear, I agree with you completely. But we have seen this from the moment that Donald Trump began his run for the Presidency. The big name preachers such as Dr. Jeffress of 1st Baptist in Dallas, Texas, Dr. Dobson, Pat Robertson, Franklin Graham, Jerry Falwell and so many others both in the TV Media as well as Church Pastors have been so vocal in the approval of Donald Trump and the Republican cause that every time one of them speaks, I look up to see if fire is going to fall from heaven. I am a lifelong Southern Baptist, accepted Jesus as my personal savior at a neighborhood Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1944 at the age of 10. I was fortunate to have a Godly mother and father as well as grandparents who were examples of how a Christian should act. My Dad died at a few months short of 96 years of age in 2007, and that night in the hospital, he was so restless, trying to get out of bed in spite of tubes and railings on the bed. I had spent the night at the hospital. I would get up and calm him down and tell him not to try to get up. He would argue that he needed to get up. The last time that night was about 5:30AM on a Sunday morning. I calmed him down again and told him he couldn’t get up. He vehemently told me, “But you don’t understand. I have to get up. I have to go.” The nurse came in and settled him down but in less than an hour he was gone. He had heard Jesus out in the halls of that hospital and if he had to, he was going to get out bed to go meet Him for his trip to heaven. As I said that was on Sunday Morning. He had not been able to go to Church for quite some time due to health issues and so he was there on time for the service being held by Jesus Himself that morning in heaven. This is one of the greatest memories of my life and I share that in order to say that it is not the one who speaks the loudest about what a great Christian they are as it is the one who constantly walks the walk with the Lord Himself and demonstrates by his or her love for their neighbor and for the lost as well who are actually the true Christians today. Jesus said that we would know them by their fruit. I hope that my tree is bearing fruit that will praise the name of Jesus. Thank you for continuing to speak out against false Christianity.
Hello Glenda,
Thank you for sharing something so personal with us. If nothing else, faith provides us with comfort during times like the one you describe. I am glad to be in fellowship with you as you assist in righting the ship in some way.
Given that almost 100% of the black voters voted for Moore (92% AA men and 97% AA women), the support for Moore can be laid primarily at the feet of white people who go to church (74% W men, 65% W women).
Time for the church to do some navel gazing.
You mean almost 100% of black voters voted for Jones right?
Yes! Dear Lord, my fingers went crazy!
Thank you!
Not for Moore for Jones!
You’ve a lot of courage to admit you’re a pastor Mark. These evangelicals are a gang of hypocrites. Glad I’m an Atheist.
The operative word is “courage,” Jerry. It takes a lot to come forward.
Jerry Girard,
I have been licensed and ordained for nearly twenty-five years. While I am no longer full-time serving, I do fill in if called upon. I have NO problem identifying as one for the simple reason that I am not trying to proselytize but hold the current crop of evangelicals to account. It is a responsibility I take seriously.
Your system of beliefs is your decision and I in no way would try to persuade you otherwise. I have held to the belief that it was never me who won people to the faith, but God. And that is the exact problem with the current crop: they do not have the faith they tell so many others they have for they neglect to consider if the God they worship wanted to get into contact with someone He would be able to do so, IF he possesses the attributes we have argued He has.
What has taken place however, is that the evangelicals allowed themselves to be co-opted by a political party, the very thing the Jesus we say we Believe in so much, was so against. It is in this spirit I wrote the piece. Thank you for chiming in as it is never popular to hold to the belief as a minister to speak the truth versus speak what is expedient. Thanks again!
PS. There was even a time when pastors were held in high regard for living lifestyles reflective of Christ. I dare say this is a rarity these days.