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One item in the news that’s really sticking in my craw has to do with mixing religion and politics. I won’t flog the horse of what’s happening in Holmen. There’s been plenty of coverage on that issue. I want to focus on a larger scale -- the scale of the presidential election.

No doubt you are aware of the verbal maelstrom taking place regarding Democratic hopeful Barack Obama’s former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Wright preaches his sermons with passion and vigor, but I find it objectionable, yea even reprehensible, what Wright preached from the pulpit regarding his electioneering for Obama for the presidency, his scathing anathema of the United States and his racially charged rhetoric in the context of the current election cycle.

One of the things drilled into my head when I was attending seminary was not to favor one political candidate over another from the pulpit. The reasoning was simple. First of all, a pastor’s job is to preach and teach from the Bible. A pastor should not campaign or endorse a political candidate from the pulpit because churches are nonprofit organizations and exempt from paying taxes.

If a pastor were to violate his congregation’s nonprofit and tax-exempt status, the IRS could come after the congregation and remove the church’s tax-exempt status. That’s not to say a pastor, as John Q. Private-Citizen, couldn’t endorse a political candidate. However, Wright abused his office by campaigning for Obama from the pulpit.

Wright also verbally abused our great country with his fiery remarks insinuating the United States brought HIV/AIDS, and 9/11 upon herself. Wright’s assertion that it shouldn’t be “God Bless America,” but “God (expletive) America,” and that it’s in the Bible couldn’t be more wrong.

If Wright wants America to be a better place, then it would be wise for him to pray that God would continue to bless America and preach that from his pulpit rather than throw his hands up in the air and motivate people through fear of divine retribution. At least Obama did the right thing and rejected Wright’s caustic comments regarding the United States.

In that same vein, it’s sad that Wright had to couch Obama’s campaign in terms of race, especially since Wright used the pulpit to do so. I agree with him that Hilary Clinton probably hasn’t had racial slurs spit at her while trying to position herself for the highest public office of our nation. However, it’s unfortunate a member of the clergy would play the race card to help a former member of his congregation gather votes for office. One would think the electorate of the United States would not base its vote on race, but on qualifications.

Rev. Wright, I ask of you to please do the right thing by repudiating your divisive statements and keep religion and politics separate.

Columnist Tim Gray, a West Salem resident, can be reached at tim.gray.matter@gmail.com.