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Article: Politics in the pulpit: what would Jefferson do?
- Article from:
- Church & State
- Article date:
- October 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Americans United for Separation of Church and State. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Pulpit-based politicking is nothing new in the United States--and neither is controversy over it.
Thomas Jefferson commented on the phenomenon 189 years ago. Not surprisingly, Jefferson, always a strong advocate of church-state separation, didn't think much of pastors who delivered politically charged sermons, In fact, he believed they were guilty of breach of contract.
Jefferson had been asked to comment on a series of sermons published by a pastor named Alexander McLeod about the recently concluded War of 1812. Jefferson agreed with McLeod's support for the war but took issue with the religious leader's decision to base so many sermons on it.
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