Iowa Church Bulletin Insert: Government Becomes ‘Corrupted’ Without Christians In It (WITH VIDEOS)

Bob Vander Plaats on vacation in Florence (image from Vander Plaats' Facebook)
Bob Vander Plaats on vacation in Florence (image from Vander Plaats’ Facebook)

Churchgoers across Iowa this weekend may find a surprise in their church bulletin. One of Iowa’s most prominent religious right activists has persuaded pastors across the state to place inserts in their bulletins urging their flocks to take part in Monday’s caucuses. Otherwise, there’s a chance that the government could become “corrupted” for want of a Christian presence.

The insert comes courtesy of The Family Leader, a Christian conservative group aligned with Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. Its president and CEO, Bob Vander Plaats, has endorsed Ted Cruz for president. Vander Plaats long been reckoned as the leader of the Iowa GOP’s social conservative wing. Given that the Iowa GOP primary electorate is heavily influenced by the religious right, Vander Plaats’ endorsement is a highly sought-after prize. Indeed, it is widely believed that Vander Plaats’ backing helped push Mike Huckabee to victory in Iowa in 2008, and helped push Rick Santorum to victory in 2012.

Vander Plaats and The Family Leader have mounted a full-court press to get as many Christian conservatives as possible to the caucuses, starting with this video:

They have also encouraged pastors to place an insert in their church bulletin reminding them of the importance of the caucus. Read it here. It lists three reasons to take part. The first reason is very telling. As The Family Leader sees it, our leaders are “ministers of God.” For that reason, government could “easily become corrupted” unless Christians are involved in it. Additionally, the caucus is the best way that Iowans can “insist we have a leader of Christian worldview.” Vander Plaats argues that the parties’ hand will be forced “if Christians flooded the caucuses.”

Greg Baker, the head of The Family Leader’s church outreach operations, sent a letter to dozens of pastors urging them to remind their flocks of the importance of taking part in the caucuses. The letter stresses that the church bulletin insert, along with the rest of this effort, is completely within IRS guidelines because–at least on paper–it’s nonpartisan. However, as we all know by now, it is an article of faith on the religious right that you can’t be a Christian and a Democrat. If anyone believes this effort is really nonpartisan, there’s a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you.

Even by religious right standards, Vander Plaats is a piece of work. Progress Iowa recorded Vander Plaats speaking at a 2014 conference in which he argued that government is an institution of God. Watch here.

Vander Plaats has also argued that since the Constitution is an extension of the Bible, the Supreme Court touched off a “constitutional crisis” by ruling in favor of marriage equality, since that ruling runs counter to “the document that predates the Constitution.” He has also suggested that God might take his hand off this country after a Wiccan group was allowed to offer prayers at the Iowa state capitol.

But perhaps its most embarrassing and idiotic moment came in 2011. It rolled out a “Marriage Vow,” which committed any presidential candidate who signed it to opposing marriage equality. However, its preamble suggested that as horrible as slavery was, kids who were born into slavery were more likely to be raised in a two-parent family. When Michele Bachmann, one of the original signers, took a well-deserved reaming once this paragraph came to light. Vander Plaats was forced to say that this statement had been “misconstructed.” I repeat what I said on Daily Kos at the time:

“A ‘misconstruction’?  A ‘misconstruction’?  You suggest that even as blacks grew up without freedom or human dignity, they at least had two parents–and you call that just a “misconstruction”?  Sorry, but as a black myself, I find this ‘apology’ almost as insulting as the original statement.”

It says a lot about Vander Plaats that the original, unedited Marriage Vow is still available on his Website. Seen in this light, it would also say a lot about any pastor who allows this insert in his church bulletin.

Darrell is a 30-something graduate of the University of North Carolina who considers himself a journalist of the old school. An attempt to turn him into a member of the religious right in college only succeeded in turning him into the religious right's worst nightmare--a charismatic Christian who is an unapologetic liberal. His desire to stand up for those who have been scared into silence only increased when he survived an abusive three-year marriage. You may know him on Daily Kos as Christian Dem in NC. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook. Click here to buy Darrell a Mello Yello.