YOU CAN'T BE A CHRISTIAN AND BE A DEMOCRAT???

To prove just how brazen the Religious Reich has become, there is a Baptist church in Waynesville, North Carolina that has truly crossed the line.

According to this report in the Asheville Citizen-Times, nine members of East Waynesville Baptist Church had their memberships revoked during a recent deacons meeting which turned into an impromptu business meeting.

Pastor Chan Chandler has been preaching sermons since October against abortion and homosexuality, exhorting the congregation to support President Bush and the Republicans. During one such sermon, Chandler told worshipers that if they supported John Kerry or the Democrats they should either "repent" at the alter or leave the church. After the nine members were excommunicated, 40 others left the congregation in protest.

Here is the video report from Asheville television station WLOS, thanks to DemBloggers.

Although to a lesser extent, this type of behaviour is not unusual, and happens much closer to home.

Thanks to Florida Politics for the reminder that during the Terri Schiavo case Judge George Greer's pastor at Calvary Baptist Church of Clearwater asked him to reconsider his membership there because of his decisions to remove Mrs. Schiavo's feeding tube. Judge Greer submitted his resignation of church membership within days.

Such actions by people who claim to be Christians should be challenged forcefully whenever and wherever it occurs.

UPDATE: According to this story via Fox News, the pastor is now claiming that the entire incident was a case of "a great misunderstanding".

Several members who said they had been kicked out went to services Sunday, as did lawyers for the pastor and the ousted members.

Chandler said he and his wife have received calls from around the nation — some of them threatening — since his politics in the pulpit made national news.

His actions also drew criticism from other Baptist clergymen in this town about 125 miles northwest of Charlotte.

Personally, if it were me, I would never had entered that building again. There are many churches that would make them welcome, regardless of their political beliefs.

He's probably backing away now, not only due to the national coverage this story has received, but some people have likely mentioned that he definately crossed the line and put the church's tax exemption at serious risk.