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Show 'Church people should stand out' rector of the St. Stephens Church in Washington V. L. Rev. Wendt claims churches spend too much time counting angels on the head of a pin" rather than working for a social Ch Ingiving his interpretation of the history of church and state he said churches used to "counsel the king." He said this has developed info "White House religion" where ministers from almost any religion is invited to preach to the President and his staff "These men 'counsel the king' but do not make any mention of political issues. They never give their thoughts on how government gov-ernment should change, they merely say what they are expected to say." He believes that church people should stand out. "Berngan stands out. Berrigan is not just part of a peace movement, though some people think of him that way," he said. "If Billy Graham and other preaches had preached what the Old Testament has taught us when the civil rights movement started, we would not now have this race problem sitting on our front porch." Rev. Wendt now feels he may have to go a step further than preaching political issues. "I'm not sure that this is not the year I should preach for McGovern. We have been told 'Preachers should not attach themselves to a candidate or political thought,' but how then do we create social change," he said. He stressed that he is not advocating the Democratic Party as a church policy or the word of God, but that he, as an authority au-thority on things God has said feels that one man becoming president will help the nation live up to God's plan better than another. Taxation of the church is another issue that Rev. Wendt is in favor of supporting. "If taxation is a good thing, a way for man to help his brother, then the church should be involved in this." He also feels a church working with politics should pay for this privilege. Rev. Wendt was the first speaker of the Coffee and Politics series which is held each Thursday at 9:55 in OSH 255, Hinckley Caucus Room. |