An election-eve email urging Pentecostal church members to vote for Scott Morrison because his opponents represented anti-Christian rhetoric was based on "factually dubious claims", a religious commentator says, claiming it presented a "narrow view of Christianity".

Pastor Ashley Evans of the Influencers Church in South Australia sent the email, warning that a vote for Labor or the Greens was "the next step in the assault against the Church, Christianity, and Christians in Australia".

"A vote for Labor and the Greens and anyone who represents anti-Christian rhetoric, policy positions or beliefs (these positions have been made in public forums), will undermine our nation, will cripple church schools' ability to teach faith in the way they do today, and threaten to silence Christians from sharing their faith with others," he wrote.

"The next steps after this will be to deem the Bible as hate speech."

By way of example, he cited the controversy surrounding rugby union star Israel Folau, whose contract was terminated for code of conduct breaches relating to social media posts, including one proclaiming hell awaited "drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars".

"As followers of Christ, this election comes down to a simple proposition of whether you and I believe in freedom of religion and our ability to practice it as we have done for generations," Pastor Evans wrote.

"Please pray for Scott Morrison and our Prime Minister as 2 Timothy tells us to and vote like your freedom depends on it."

Pastor Evans is the son of former Family First senator Andrew Evans, who was senior pastor at the church when it was known as the Paradise Assembly of God, prior to being elected to the SA Legislative Council in 2002.

Despite writing on behalf of the Paradise campus and being in Adelaide at the moment, Ashley Evans now lives in Atlanta where the Influencers Church has four campuses.

The church states on its website that it aims to have 200 congregations worldwide in 15 years and "raise 10,000 leaders" in six years.

Mr Morrison identifies as evangelical and Pentecostal and allowed television cameras to film him worshipping on Easter Sunday.

Pastor Ashley Evans said it was the first time he felt he needed to direct people's vote. ( Facebook: Influencers Church Paradise )

Freedom of views

Professor Marion Maddox, an expert on the intersection of religion and politics at Macquarie University, said Labor included many active Christians of varying denominations.

This included Senator Penny Wong and former party leader Bill Shorten, who, she said, had offered more support for Folau than the Prime Minister.

"Morrison criticised Folau's comments and said the decision was up to Rugby Australia, whereas Shorten said Folau was entitled to his views and shouldn't suffer an employment penalty for them," Professor Maddox said.

"So on that argument, the religious freedom campaigners should have been backing Labor."

She said neither Labor nor the Greens were driving an anti-Christian agenda, and that Pastor Evans' argument relied on a "very narrow and specific interpretation of what it means to be Christian".

"It is perfectly true that Christians, like other people, find themselves in situations of disagreement," Professor Maddox said.

"That is part of democracy.

"British New Testament theologian Candida Moss points out that applying the language of persecution to situations of disagreement has the effect of casting oneself as saintly, and the other party as evil, which limits the prospects of moving forward."

She also pointed to an essay she published in 2013 about Christians who had stood as Greens candidates as part of their "commitment" to the faith.

The Greens first held the balance of power in Tasmania through MP Reverend Lance Armstrong (Uniting Church), Professor Maddox said, while other elected Greens Christians included Jo Vallentine (Quakers), Christabel Chamarette (Anglican) and Michael Organ (Catholic).

A sign above a shopfront in Adelaide's south questions Israel Folau's sacking. ( ABC Radio Adelaide: Malcolm Sutton )

Uniting Church on the fence

Uniting Church of Australia president Dr Deidre Palmer said the denomination would never direct people on how to vote, pointing out there were Uniting Church MPs and senators among all the major parties and independents.

"From the beginning, the Uniting Church has been committed to social justice and acting compassionately in the world, so of course that involves politics because it shapes our society," she said.

"Each time there is a federal election, the Uniting Church issues documents and resources for our congregation members, but we don't tell them how to vote.

"We encourage them to think thoughtfully about what their passions are — which might have been the environment, refugees, every person in Australia having a fair go — and to engage their political candidate through the lens of that framework for justice and compassion."

Dr Palmer said the Bible passages she considered most relevant to elections was Luke 14 to 21.

"It's Jesus's declaration of his commitment to justice, good news for the poor, liberty for the captives, freedom for the oppressed — that's the text that I would use as the lens through which we engage any kind of political advocacy."

'Election like no other'

Scott Morrison says he makes a point of separating his faith from politics. ( AAP: Mick Tsikas )

In his email, Pastor Evans said it could have been "the most important letter to the church I've ever written and the stakes couldn't be higher", acknowledging that he had never before encouraged people to vote for a particular party.

"This election is like no other in history (and I use that phrase with great consideration) and will determine the outcome of religious liberty and freedom of speech in our nation," he wrote.

The ABC approached the Influencers Church for comment.

Mr Morrison's office said the Prime Minister was "not a spokesman for religion or people of faith", and pointed to comments he made during the election campaign.

"I don't mix my religion with politics or my faith with politics, and it's always been something that has informed how I live my life and how I seek to care for and support others," Mr Morrison said earlier this month.

He made the comments after some media agencies and Mr Shorten attempted to pit his faith against Australia's majority decision to favour same-sex marriage.

"It's law, and I'm glad that the change has now been made and people can get on with their lives, and that's what I'm happy about," he said.