PASTORS AND POLITICS. Rev. Caio Fabio By Rev. Caio Fabio-----Original Message-----From: Juliano Pope Sent: quinta-feira, 8 de julho de 2004 18:26To: contato@caiofabio.comSubject: PASTORES POLÍTICOS. O QUE VOCÊ ACHA?Pastor Caio,May the Grace and peace of the Lord Jesus be with you!A year of elections is now approaching, and as expected, several Pastors will run for political posts.The church I attend is nominating a Pastor for a political post.What do you think of Pastors in Politics? Should pastors as “priests”, run for political offices? Why, in most cases, not to say in all cases, only Pastors may run for political offices and not a person they trust ? (a church member or a worker )I believe that we need people committed with God to be light and salt in the Government. But why only pastors? Why only them?May God bless you richly in the name of Jesus. Hugs, Juliano_ ________________________________________________________ Answer: My friend and brother: Jesus Reigns!God’s Kingdom is not of this world and it is not visibly among us. God’s Kingdom is inside us. Long ago I clearly stated my public opinion on this issue. Initially, let me make clear that a pastor is not a “priest” as the word was understood in the Old Testament; rather, he is like any other brother in Christ. The meaning of this word, due to people’s ignorance and bad intentions of several pastors, is being rebuilt in disagreement with the Word’s teaching. Anything beyond this is fallacy. It’s the old Catholicism seducing the “reformed conscience” to adhere to the old order. Concerning pastors - it is rather convenient because it grants them an authoritative and manipulating power – as we can see all around. In the second place, let me say that the "church" has long lost the pretext that "salt-presence” and “light-presence“ are necessary in the political scenery". Saying that will surely prompt laughter.This was the speech in the 60’s and 70’s. From then on, we have watched what evangelicals can do in politics and it is awful, it is really awful, it is dreadfully horrible. Let us not be self-deceived, the evangelical presence in wherever it may be, doesn’t necessarily mean a qualitative shift. The third thing I want to say is that if the evangelical salt had flavor, the best place to enjoy it would be in the church’s fellowship, where in fact, it doesn’t taste like salt but like absint and where light is nothing but black light. It’s right the opposite. In most cases, evangelicals have proved to be as corrupt or more corrupt than the others. Not to mention that they are narrow-minded scoundrels, opportunists, agents of trivial interests, moralists destitute of ethical and conscience quality. In the present political picture, there are evangelicals in all steps of power, but their presence has meant nothing other than shame, inefficiency and flattering. They are incapable of re-examining themselves and unable to providing lucidity to anything. Except for 2 or 3 senators and maybe 4 congressmen, some state delegates and some councilmen, the others are birds of the same feather from whom one should always keep a distance. So, in reply to your answer, I would say the following: 1. No pastor should run for a political post as a pastor, and much less in the name of God. Whoever wants to run for a such an investiture, should do it in the name of your own conscience as an individual, never in the name of the church and much less in the name of God. It is like ideologising God and the church. The end of it is blasphemous and degenerate. 2. Most pastors running for political offices are likely to be those opportunists who have concluded that the church is the best electoral ward that ever existed. They’re like wolves taking advantage of the flock’s naivety. 3. If I were to blame anyone for the present corruption at church, I would put 30% of that blame on the involvement of the church with the most sordid way of dabbling in politics – there are pastors ordering the assassination of a brother to take over the post. And it didn´t happen only twice, but several times—, using and abusing God’s name in a disgusting and nasty way.I would also blame 40% of the present chaos in faith on the neo-Pentecostal churches, which are trading houses, real den of robbers, exploiters, and wolves in sheep´s clothing. They are eager for power and their spirit is worse than an unbeliever’s soul. Undoubtedly, others are to blame: The apostles of the inherited curse, positive confession, Christian neuro-linguistics , theology of prosperity, emphasis on numerical growth at any price; the spirit of marketing and entrepreneurship who have entered church and corrupted its soul.4. I wouldn’t vote for a candidate just because he claims to be a believer. To count on my vote, he has to claim to be a citizen, stands for good ideas and be able to show coherence as part of his decision to join the political career. Thus, I am not against Christians in Politics, but I am vehemently against the use of the church to reach this goal. 5. Today, this is nothing but a great disgusting thing. If Jesus were to enter at one of these churches, he would drive out the corruption brokers with a whip.Honestly, I don’t feel like expanding this theme since I have written several books on this matter with much clearness, pertinence and depth. Not to mention a huge variety of articles which I have written to magazines and newspapers in the past 25 years. Here goes just a worn-out outline. May God bless you!In Him, who called us to His Kingdom and glory, Caio Translated by Wanda de melo