What’s your candidate’s ‘FAT’ rating?

John Hatcher is pastor of Outreach International Center, 1091 South Jeff Davis Drive, Fayetteville, Georgia 30215. 770-719-0303

By John Hatcher
Contributing Writer

Everyone assumes all our political candidates just love fried chicken, sweet tea, and home made ice cream. And they probably do. We assume they love our great country and do not hesitate to salute the flag. We — especially those born and raised in the south — assume that these good folks who ask for our vote are church-going men and women. With our growing diversification even on the south side of Atlanta, we should also include the idea of synagogue and mosque going men and women.

However, the days of assuming are over. We need and should know how much and what kind of religion office-seekers have. There was a day that if you ran for office in Fayetteville, you were a member either of the Baptist church or the Methodist church. Everyone knew which church you attended and how good a church member you were.

We need to know not only a candidate’s political positions (even on moral issues), but we also need to know the candidate’s track record at church.

Presidential hopeful John Kerry’s track record at church has been coming to light. Some bishops have decided that if John Kerry comes to their parish churches, he should be refused communion because of his position on abortion which just happens to be in direct contradiction to the Roman Catholic Church.

What you have here is a candidate who declares in favor of sin and not only that, but who also encourages others to give support to the sin of abortion. Of course, they frame their argument as a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body. Just how good a Catholic is John Kerry? And for that matter, I’d like to know just how good a Methodist is President Bush.

Someone told me that God loves FAT believers: “F” is for faithful; “A” is for available; and, “T” is for teachable. Just how FAT are our local candidates for office? Do they attend church services regularly? Regularly for me as a pastor is just about every Sunday except when out of town or sick. If the candidate espouses a belief in the Bible as God’s authoritative word, then does he tithe his income to the local church? If a Christian believer will rob from God (failing to tithe), what’s to keep him from robbing the public purse? Mr. Candidate, are you faithful?

We should also know if the candidate is available to his church or place of worship. When the call goes out for volunteers, does he show up to or just make a habit of showing up Sunday mornings? Further, is he available to teach a Sunday School class of boys and girls, men and women if approached by pastor or committee?

I guarantee that if a man doesn’t have time for his church, he won’t have time for the electorate either, unless, of course, an election is around the corner. I just bet many of our politicians have been seen in church much more in recent months.

Then, we should know if the candidate has a teachable spirit. The Bible says clearly that “All scripture is inspired of God and profitable for teaching.”

Is it evident that our candidates are men and women who profit from a growing study and knowledge of Scripture? Perhaps if somebody would show the Bible’s value of human life inside or outside the womb, he would change his position. That is, if he were teachable. Do the candidates seek the counsel of their pastors, priests, and rabbis as to understand what the will of the Lord is?

Without equivocation I believe in the separation of church and state. The state has no business in the affairs of the church (as it were in England prompting the settlement of American colonies along the Atlantic seaboard).

I do not affirm a corruption of the separation clause, a corruption that interprets it to mean a separation of God and government.

I believe every interested voter has the right to know the genuineness of a candidate’s faith, reflected in his faithfulness to his church and its beliefs, his availability to his church’s call for help, and his willingness to listen and learn from the Word of God.

If you agree with me, why not cut out this column, mail it to the candidate, and ask him just much of a believer is he.

Is he FAT?

John Hatcher is pastor of Outreach International Center, 1091 South Jeff Davis Drive, Fayetteville, Georgia 30215. 770-719-0303