RedRockSedona

East Waynesville Baptist Church has just kicked out all its Democratic members.

The East Waynesville Baptist Church in North Carolina essentially kicked out its Democratic members. Nine members were "excommunicated" and 40 other members of the 405 member church resigned in protest.

The minister, Chan Chandler, is around 31 years old. Apparently, he told the members of the church that if they voted for John Kerry or were Democrats, they were against the church. They had a choice to "repent" their sin or leave.

Clips come from a post at dailyKos

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Yesterday evening I had read this on two progressive blogs buzzflash and dailykos and thought wow! OK?!

I am not some naive person who believes in every blog entry she reads so I waited.

I have just seen it on the news clip below and I am simply stunned.

And while I believe that any group that wishes to remain private should be allowed to deny service to anyone no matter how heinous I may find it...I like wise believe with such privilege comes the responsibility of full tax burden. I think this Church crosses that line where it should not be a recipient of tax exemption

mh67511

That's pretty crazy and doesn't make sense. How in the world does he know who is/isn't a Democrat?

Milt Palacio

This church should lose its tax-exempt status and be denounced. Will it happen? Probably not unless there is a media circus (there won't be).

Hopefully more people will begin to realize that many churches nowadays are being used as tools of Republican propaganda and hate-mongering.

I never thought stuff like this would happen in this country in my lifetime, but it is.

GrhmLz

Okay, I guess I wouldn't have stood a chance in that church!
Oh, well.

It doesn't make much sense to me why this pastor kicked all "Democrats" out of what is suppose to be a "house of God." Political Party affiliation is not always a guarantee/indicator of how a person will vote in an election. For example, I'm a registered Democrat but I didn't vote for John Kerry in this past presidental election because I didn't like the candidate or what he stood for. I listen to the issues at hand and then vote accordingly. If this pastor is under the misleading belief that all Democrats consist of individuals who promote "the ways of evil" by biblical standards and that all Republicans "lead the righteous way to the kingdom of heaven" he is in need of a reality check. I know that Republicans are normally associated with the notion of being more right-winged and conservative especially when it comes to issues of religion; however, that's not the case in my state. For example, my state just passed "civil unions" into legislation and a REPUBLICAN Governor signed it into law. Also, there were only three legislators that voted against the bill and two of them were DEMOCRATS. Which means that just about all of the Republican party favored civil unions along with the rest of the Democratic party! So when it comes to matters of the religious faith, I would like to know where this pastor got the misguided idea that only or all DEMOCRATS will vote on issues that go against the faith?

Timeo

That just reaffirms what a lot of us know already, that the church is an intolerant organization that uses black and white rhetoric to coerce and force people to change so that it fits their definition of what is good and bad.

Miss_Priss

North Carolina?

I live in southern Virginia, about 20 minutes away from the border, and to hear this about an area pretty close to me shocks the crap out of me...

A baptist church excommunicated someone

This all seems very stupid to me. What I despise about religion is when it becomes exclusive. Also, what does being a REpublican have to do do with being a good christian or a democrat a bad one?

If you really think about it, Jesus was not a conservative (in his day) and if you really compare Republicans and Democrats, it's obvious that Jesus was much closer to the Democratic mentalities than Republican. If only for his focus on helping those less fortunate...

I love it when stupid people only make themselves look dumber. They might as well tatoo imbecile on their foreheads.

Lexis

I cannot quite believe this guy actually did this. It hardly holds up the idea of living in a free society when you're excluded from your church for voting.

mh67511

Well, thinking that churches are like this one is pretty black and white too. There are thouands of churches out there and not all churches are like this, in fact I'd say most aren't.

GrhmLz

I agree. It isn't fair to stereotype every single church organization because of one pastor in a church somewhere. Of course, that's what the media often suceeds in doing. Which is to sensationalize one event so that it blown out of proportion in people's minds to be the NORM everywhere. Generally, that is not the case at all.

GrhmLz

Sorry, but I disagree with this. People that follow the belief system that "the church is an intolerant organiztion that uses black and White rhetoric to coerce and force people to change so that it fits their definition of what is good and bad..." aren't being forced to join any church organization. In my experience, most people that are members of these churches are there because they want to be and they believe in the "black and white rhetoric" as you chose to word it. I know that nobody has forced by hand in attending church and believing in the doctrine. That was my choice. Therefore, if people choose to believe by choice there is no way they are being coerced and forced into anything. That is the purpose of having church organiztions. It brings together a group of people that share the same beliefs.

ceilirose

This should be bigger news than it is coming on the heels of Judge Greer (from the Schiavo case) being excommunicated from his church and those who tried to get Kerry excommunicated last year. Unfortunately the media thinks we're more interested in The Runaway Bride's sex life or lack of it.

Kudos to those 40 people who resigned from this church in protest along with the Democrats. I wonder if the leaders of the Baptist Church will take any steps in this case and if a threat of losing their tax exempt status could even materialize.

Semmer

Is this because John Kerry is Catholic or a Democrat? i'm confused. That is very odd of any church to do.

Miss_Priss

And that should of course also extend to political ideals What the church did (in essence) was condemn the individals to hell by excommunicating them. At least that is my understanding of excommunicating. I have never seen or heard of anyone in my area being excommunicated for anything. Honestly I thought that was more of a catholic thing to do.

Regardless, they did all this because they didn't have the same beliefs as the preacher...holy crap, when did church become a tyranny?
my pastor would be pissed.

GrhmLz

Of course, but just remember it works both ways!

No, the church didn't condemn anyone to hell. This Pastor did which goes against the teachings to begin with. That doesn't justify condemning every church organization that follows christian doctrine.

Normally, yes, "excommunication" is something that the Catholic church is known for doing. I haven't heard the term used in other christian denominations. This is the first time that I have.

The church is not a government controlled entity because of "separation of church and state." Also, to remove it's tax exempt status would violate this clause too. Even though we many not agree with it, the minister can do this if he so chooses. The people did the right thing by leaving if they did not agree with 'HIS" philosophy. This does not mean that the rest of the people did not share the same belief system that derives from the christian faith. I guess than they all just went there to take up pew space and stare at the pretty walls. Sorry, but I don't think that is the case.

RedRockSedona

If the excommunication wasn't bad enough now there is a bill H.R. 235 that will amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to protect the religious free exercise and free speech rights of churches and other houses of worship.

So basically the religious right wants its cake and to eat it too

I find it not just sickening but ironic too...I mean most of these bible thumpers believe in capital punishment and up holding the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution and yet the want to whittle down to the exemption of all others but those of their faith on matters concerning the 1st the 4th the 9th 10th and 14th...and probably a few more applicable ones I haven’t thought of yet.


But wait there is more Public schools within the midwest are working to have the Bible taught in public schools as part of the curriculum
It just gets worse doesn't it?