Seventh Day Adventists and the Separation of Church and State

Now that noted Republican "house Negro" and Faux News darling Ben Carson has climbed into the Republican clown car, I think it is interesting that the official house organ of his church, the Seventh Day Adventists, has reiterated its stance on the separation of church and state.

They're for it. Which kind of puts them out of the mainstream when it comes to evangelical churches in this country:

The Adventist Church has a longstanding position of not supporting or opposing any candidate for elected office. This position is based both on our historical position of separation of church and state and the applicable federal law relating to the church’s tax-exempt status.
While individual church members are free to support or oppose any candidate for office as they see fit, it is crucial that the church as an institution remain neutral on all candidates for office. Care should be taken that the pulpit and all church property remain a neutral space when it comes to elections.Church employees must also exercise extreme care not to express views in their denominational capacity about any candidate for office, including Dr. Carson.
We also want to remind our church members, pastors, and administrators of the church’s official position on the separation of church and state. The church has worked diligently to protect the religious rights of all people of faith, no matter what their denominational affiliation.

Yes, that seems to me to be surprisingly reasonable and cogent, especially for a religion that holds that anybody who "breaks the Sabbath" -- works on a Saturday (the 7th day, get it?), for example -- is bound straight for hell. Well, not "hell" exactly, since they don't really believe in a literal hell. Just in the total annihilation of the spirit.

But naturally, as it so often happens, the real treats in this story are found in the comments section:

"This is almost uncalled for, this is common sense and to say it makes it sound like a majority of the church doesn't trust Ben Carson, which couldn't be further from the truth. He is a strong supporter of church/state separation." [oh really?]
"Did the church issue this warning when Mr. Obama was running for office? Didn't it apply then as well? Who is this statement for? Every SDA already knows this? Speculative and disappointing. They should have kept as silent on this as they did when Mr. Obama was running." [Obama was not a member of this church, so why should they have anything to say about his candidacy?]
"It's funny to me the churches stand on this. Isn't this being political in its self? Trying to sway the church members by intimidation. Although it's ok tho go against the bible and ordain women as pastors? I'm confused? Do we pick and choose which point we want to follow? As long as it is justified by the church?" [I think that's how religions work...]

And what about Ben Carson signing books on a Saturday? Is he going to hell annihilation for working on the Sabbath, or has God made a special dispensation for him so he can make money and become president?

The man's candidacy is a fucking joke. And, despite them coming out strongly for church-state separation, so is his culty church.