The Problem of Communion: Is Politics Ever Grounds for Breaking Communion?

With church organizations supporting the Invasion and "protests", the question must be asked.

A highly respected bishop once more or less told me that excommunication over politics is never appropriate. But is that so? Can political disagreement ever be grounds to break communion or to excommunicate?

Such excommunications have occurred often in church history. In the Middle Ages, popes often excommunicated emperors and kings over secular political disputes. In 19th Century America, several denominations split over slavery and the Civil War. Some of these splits later healed, but not all. And the mainline Presbyterian Church took over a hundred years to be reunited, for better or for worse (but mostly worse).

We can look back and disagree with these breaks in communion. But very few would disagree with Bonhoeffer breaking communion with the main German Lutheran church over cooperation with the Nazi regime. And I think the Church of England was right to discipline clergy involved in the British National Party some years ago although I deplore C of E clerics supporting Marxism and Globalism with that church’s blessing. Keir Starmer is not the only one who is Two Tier.

Much less significant is my leaving the mainline Presbyterian Church in the late 80’s which was in part due to their activism for abortion and for the foreign policy agenda of the Soviet Union. And I still contend such evil activism under church auspices is grounds for breaking communion. I include the promotion of toxic ideologies such as Critical Theory and associated agendas as communion breakers.

It will not surprise that this post is prompted by the invaders and traitors acting out in Los Angeles and elsewhere across the nation. Yes, the Invasion and the need to deport at least most illegals is not just another political issue that we can agree to disagree on in the church.

Oh, I can live with a church or minister staying out of this fight. But siding with the invaders is another matter. It really is treasonous, undermining our nation is so many ways — our culture, education, safety, economy, elections and more. It therefore is not a mere political issue. The invaders and traitors and the Globalists behind them are at war with the West, although some are dupes in so doing. A church or clerics supporting them in this war is no more acceptable than a church or clerics supporting the Nazis during WW2 or the Communists during the Cold War.

One may say that we should break communion only over theological matters. And I’m sympathetic with that thinking. But St. Paul specifically broke communion over gross immorality (1 Corinth 5) and even urged breaking fellowship over willful indolence (2 Thess. 3:6-12). And historically the church has viewed treason as a profound sin. It is not for nothing that Dante had the lowest circle of Hell consisting of traitors, particularly Judas Iscariot and Brutus.

And the church has a noble history of repelling invaders, especially those from hostile cultures. We rightly revere the Christian men who drove the Muslim invaders out of Spain during the long Reconquista and who stopped the Muslim invaders at Vienna. The West desperately needs such manly perseverance today. Yet we should instead feed and house invaders and let them stay as long as they please and bring their families over, too, instead of deporting them? What cowardice and treason that is! I will not be in communion with such betrayers and dhimmis! And, yes, I will denounce them!

But there are times I feel rather lonely in so doing. Whether misguided or malicious, there is hardly a large denomination that has not been involved in assisting the Invasion. The Roman Catholics through Catholic Charities and other agencies have long assisted mass illegal immigration, and the frequent pronouncements of popes and bishops have even vilified those who oppose open borders. Leo’s Pentecost homily at St. Peter’s Square is only the latest example if a relatively mind one, mentioning open borders in some form NINE times and calling out “the exclusionary mindset that, tragically, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms.”

The mainline Protestant denominations have also been all in on open borders. The supposedly evangelical World Relief has been a huge player - and hugely rewarded with tax dollars - in assisting the Invasion. And my Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) has also supported it if in pockets and certain dioceses. (Looking at you, C4SO.)

Speaking of which, it will be interesting to find out what “Christian” agencies are partners of the No Kings protests on Saturday. I and *someone* else intend to be on that.

So if I were to seek a church jurisdiction that is even completely neutral on this issue, my choices might be narrow indeed. I won’t require that for communion. Otherwise, I would have to leave ACNA yesterday.

But I am willing to be in the minority in breaking communion with churches and supposed Christian ministers that are all in on open borders. Faithfulness requires being willing to be somewhat lonely, as we see in Scripture and any number of times in church history. And the Confessing Church in Nazi Germany was a minority as were those who stood up and opposed the Protestant mainline’s support of Communism during the Cold War.

So if I am in the minority, if I even seem an oddball crank on this, so be it. Those who use church auspices to support the Invasion of my country are not my brothers and sisters in Christ. They are the enemy within. Yes, I am to love my enemies, but they are still my enemies. And I will not pretend otherwise. Treason against America is not a Christian ministry. The treason of supporting the Invasion and its occupation is not something we can agree to disagree on.

So, to return to the original question, yes, some political issues are important enough and some political stands are evil enough that they are communion breakers. It’s sad when that happens. But — and yes I am disagreeing with the aforementioned good bishop in part — politics is not some special category that we must not ever break communion over. Communion can be broken over all sorts of persistent willful evil in theology, morality and practice. Politics is not exempt.

And the treason of assisting the Invasion and occupation cries out for excommunication and worse.