Evangelicals reject pastors who bless politicians
Trinidad Vásquez, MANAGUA, Nicaragua, October 9, 2006
Baptist professor and theologian Carlos Villagra, commented that it is shameful that certain Evangelical leaders Taxi Heathrow Airport appear on the political scene blessing electoral formulas, and what is worse, that religious organizations are handing over to the state an obligation that belongs to those same denominations, when they ask that their retired pastors be given social security.
"It is shameful to me that some Evangelical leaders are pastors waving banners in favor of certain parties, because when you receive a favor, some prerogative will be jeopardized and it is disgraceful that some churches and leaders are already so involved,” the theologian told the morning newspaper The New Daily, on Sunday, October 1.
"The attitude on the part of the pastors should be one of being critical, because, as it turns out, within each of the different confessions the membership have differing ideologies. There are certain pastors who keep very close to the candidates because they are in tune with their personal interests, and they forget that they are to be critical,” said Villagra.
In another part of the interview, Villagra stated that, "A serious and responsible organization will assume responsibility for its retired pastors’ social security, and there are some candidates who have already promised to accept these petitions should they win, which indicates that it is a way of deceiving those poor religious persons who believe that that way the problem will be solved.”
Given this attitude of petitioning, leaders of the traditional churches and the Christian universities are trying to reactivate the Evangelical Bloc, which rejects such nuisance politicking. Pastor Saturnino Cerrato, President of the Assembly of God Church, one of the largest of the country, said that they are praying and fasting for the elections to take place peacefully on November 5 and that the candidates who are elected be so by the will of God.
When asked about the pastors who have petitioned the candidates of the Sandinista and Liberal parties for help for the churches, Cerrato responded that he did not know the motives those pastors had. He clarified that, “As church pastors we need to be careful that we not be directly affiliated with any one party, because within the churches there are members who represent all political ideas.”
This week the second work session of leaders of the Nicaraguan Evangelical Alliance, the National Council of Evangelical Pastors of Nicaragua, the
Professor William González, President of the UENIC, lamented that the call to the march on the National Day of the Bible did not have much of a gathering. It is estimated that only about 2,000 persons turned out, according to statements made by some pastors who have criticized that the event was at some point used as a political platform.
Home
Top