The Role of the Church in the Politics of Religion

I was gobsmacked when I picked up Elder Hamillah, he'd come over from New Zealand to visit Adelaide and Romney had just lost the election. He said, well Neville, we're off the leash now, we're okay. We can start publicly being involved and getting you working for us officially on this same-sex marriage stuff. And that's where this American church thing comes in at several levels. Why could we not be seen as being independent and just have the church look after us as an Australian church? The way a church spends its money and power says a lot about that church. It calls into question its validity as a religion that claims to follow Christ.