An Open Letter to Pastor Chan Chandler

The separation between church and state is not always a fine line. In the past week, a bizarre story out of North Carolina serves to underscore that fact.

At the East Waynesville Baptist Church last Monday night, nine church members were expelled for not supporting George W. Bush in the last election. A Washington Post article reports that prior to last November's election, Pastor Chan Chandler told his congregation "that anyone who planned to vote for Democratic Sen. John Kerry should either leave the church or repent..."

To Pastor Chandler, I say this:

1. Respect the voter. Last I heard we had a secret ballot in this country. How I vote is none of your business. And if I choose to tell you how I voted, live with it.
2. There is no such thing as a Republican Church or a Democrat Church (nor do we have red churches and blue churches - unless they happen to be painted that way purely for aesthetic purposes.
3. If you want to be political, run for office.
4. Remember the Gospel. Your political views are likely influenced by the Gospel message. Fine. Preach it. Then sit back and let the members of your church vote how they want. If they vote differently than you, love them anyway.
5. Repent. None of us are perfect, and certainly not me. I write to you in the spirit of of the message of Matthew 18:15-17. A decision rendered in the voting booth is not yours to judge.

I won't tell you outright how I voted last November. If you read through this page, I think you can figure it out, and I think you can figure out that we're not too far apart in our political views. But what you did is way over the top, and way wrong. It is un-American and not Christ-like in the least.

My prayers are with you Pastor Chan. I pray that you truly can love your neighbors as yourself.