The post below was published on the Orthodox Christian Network where I publish a blog a month
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When I comment on current affairs, even if I am careful not to mention any political party or affiliation, I am more and more often challenged with the statement that I am engaging in politics. I have noted that other clergy and, yes, even our own OCN (Orthodox Christian Network) are beginning to encounter that challenge more and more. Inevitably, because bishops, priests, and deacons preach, teach, and talk about reaching out to those less fortunate or speak about life issues or actively engage in social ministry of some type or even lead some marches (such as Metropolitan Jonah who is strongly involved in pro-life activities), this type of challenge is becoming a regular part of our lives. “Father, you are engaging in politics and you should not do so. You should just preach the Gospel.”
To add spice to this discussion, you should know that at least one of our Orthodox jurisdictions in America has specifically instructed its priests to not engage in politics. I suspect that I know what they meant, but, given the current climate in the USA, I can see how that restriction could be misinterpreted and misused. You see, the accusation of a religious person being involved inappropriately in politics is a very old and dangerous one. Let me take you back through some events documented in the Holy Scriptures and let you see for yourself.
The foremost event was the trial of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Look back at the Scripture. In the Gospels, it is recorded that Pontius Pilate did not agree to the crucifixion of Our Lord until it was pointed out to him that the Sanhedrin would report Pilate to Caesar for not executing a person who claimed to be a king. “We have no king but Caesar” was the cry that sent Our Lord to his doom. His cousin, John the Forerunner, was executed for an act that had political overtones, the condemnation of a ruler for violating Jewish law by marrying his brother’s wife. This happened in the Old Testament as well.
The Prophet Jeremiah was accused of treason. Let me give you a long quote from the Book of Jeremiah:
“This is what the Lord says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, ‘The Babylonians will surely leave us.’ They will not! Even if you were to defeat the entire Babylonian army that is attacking you and only wounded men were left in their tents, they would come out and burn this city down.”
After the Babylonian army had withdrawn from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army, Jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the territory of Benjamin to get his share of the property among the people there. But when he reached the Benjamin Gate, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, arrested him and said, “You are deserting to the Babylonians!”
“That’s not true!” Jeremiah said. “I am not deserting to the Babylonians.” But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary, which they had made into a prison.
Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained a long time.
The accusation of engaging in politics and/or the accusation of treason has a long history. It is one of Satan’s dearest tricks. Accuse a prophet or a pastor or a priest or a bishop or Our Lord Jesus Christ of politics/treason and you can silence him. That silence accomplishes Satan’s purpose because it prevents God’s voice from being spoken into a situation.
On 26 March 1965, Time magazine published a photograph of Archbishop Iakovos of blessed memory marching on the Selma march along with Martin Luther King and to his immediate right. He was at that time primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. By his action, he put the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese firmly on the side of changing the existing “Jim Crow” laws as being a violation of Christian belief. Needless to say, he, too, was accused of engaging in politics rather than simply speaking God’s truth into a practical and, yes, political situation. Nowadays he is simply seen as a hierarch who walked in the steps of the saints.
Other Orthodox hierarchs, priests, deacons, and lay people have engaged in actions which have political import. And they were right to do so. Yet many of them faced, and continue to face, the accusation of engaging inappropriately in politics. It is a charge that was successful in imprisoning Jeremiah, murdering John the Forerunner, and sending Our Lord to an unjust death. And it is a charge that continues to be successfully used to this day.
You only need to read today’s Christian magazines, journals, and blogs to see how often the charge of engaging in politics is used to try to silence or disrespect the views of a hierarch, priest, or deacon (or of a non-Orthodox Christian who is trying to say that something is wrong). But, unless such a person is advocating a particular candidate, or even perhaps a particular party to the exclusion of all other parties, then it is unlikely that the person is engaging in politics. That is what I believe that the jurisdiction that forbids politics to its clergy is trying to say. And they are correct when they say that. I fully support that jurisdiction in forbidding their clergy to engage in politics.
But, let us be careful lest we try to stretch what that jurisdiction has said to mean that clergy may not say anything that is offensive politically to some Orthodox Christian. Hierarchs, priests, deacons, subdeacons, readers, etc., are not called to make all feel better. We are called to be God’s voice to his Creation. Does that mean that we are always correct? No, it does not! Some weeks, I would settle for feeling like I am 50% correct. But, it does mean that we attempt to speak faithfully, knowing that we may be accused of wrongful behavior in order to neutralize our words.
So, let us choose to lay aside the accusation of politics, unless the person is engaging in the obvious support of one particular political party or one particular political candidate to the exclusion of all others. Let us choose to listen to that clergyman or layperson, refusing to entertain in our minds any suspicion of politics or accusation of inappropriate behavior. Only then will we have a hope of hearing God’s word to his Creation. The clergyman or layperson may not be correct, but we will never be sure until such a time as we refuse to accuse and take the time to listen.
“But, unless such a person is advocating a particular candidate, or even perhaps a particular party to the exclusion of all other parties, then it is unlikely that the person is engaging in politics.”
Well, but, alas. What’s troubling for me is that indeed, many Orthodox clergy are getting quite partisan, and focused on promoting or defeating certain politicians, and are preaching and writing (online) about it, a lot. That they are “engaging in the obvious support of [or, I would add, opposition to] one particular political party or one particular political candidate to the exclusion of all others,” and that I think they are usually aligning themselves with the most rich and powerful, is what’s so depressing and aggravating. So your post makes sense, but I fear that your exceptions are a lot more common than you imply.
By the way, why don’t you just tell us which jurisdiction you’re talking about, which has told its clergy not to engage in politics? Is it such a secret? You’re carefully not identifying it, and I don’t see why. If it’s their policy, why would it be secret?
I guess I’m being awfully morose. Sorry. I should say that in spite of my negative observations, I do appreciate your argument and think you’re pretty much right. I guess what bothers me is that so many politically vocal clergy now aren’t giving their support to the most vulnerable and the downtrodden, but rather to the politicians who devote most of their energies to making the way ever more broad and comfortable for the rich.
You make some very good points. The reason I do not wish to name the jurisdiction is precisely that it has too many priests that have taken the attitude that concerns you.
A good persecution, genuine persecution would do a lot to cleanse the soul of a sadly politicized church that thinks it is suppose to wag the tail of the government. Curse you Constantine!
Let us curse no one.
Constantine ushered in an era which was probably inevitable and necessary.
That era has passed. Everybody is still adjusting.
Yes…you are right no cursing but certainly believe that he did a great disservice to the church leading her to believe that she should rule over the governments of the earth here and now. Of course it was not just Constantine. Our old Adam wants to dominate and we still fight this tendency to want to rule here and now.