Progressive Clergy Take on the Religious Right in Ohio
While Americans United for Separation of Church and State and other eagle- eyed monitors have promised to report any overt transgressions that come to their attention, Rev. Eric Williams, a minister in the mainline United Church of Christ in Columbus, Ohio will hold a press conference on September 8th, announcing a plan to get progressive clergy to preach about the importance of separation of church and state on Sunday, September 21st. The United Church News reports
In response to a plan announced by the conservative Alliance Defense Fund to initiate a legal test of IRS limits on electoral political speech by at least 50 pastors on Sept. 28, a UCC church in Columbus, Ohio, is calling for at least 10 times that number to preach on the value of church-state separation on the Sunday prior. There will be a press conference to announce the campaign on Septebmer 8th in Columbus.
On Aug. 7, Williams sent a letter to clergy colleagues in Ohio, announcing a counter action. Williams is gathering supporters who will publicly ask the IRS to investigate the ADF, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based non-profit organization. As it happens, Williams was among the group of clergy who reported Ohio religious right leaders Rod Parsley and Russell Johnson and their respective churches to the IRS regarding apparent transgressions on behalf of then-GOP gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell (now on the staff of the Family Research Council.) This was, as far as I know, an unprecedented act on the part of local ministers who took the prudent and necessary steps to see that the law was appropriately enforced. Parsely and Johnson's overt partisanship cooled down considerably after that. Whether the current effort will discourage any Religious Right churches bent on violating the law on September 28th remains to be seen. But it is nevertheless a worthwhile effort in response to the bogus persecution narrative of the Religious Right.
Williams said he believes it's important that the UCC take a lead in educating the public about what churches can and can't do with regards to electoral politics. He charges the ADF is teaching falsehoods about church-state separation by insinuating that religious leaders are somehow being "muzzled" from discussing political issues. Great stuff. Finally, let's remind ourselves what the IRS says about these things.
"...all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office."
Progressive Clergy Take on the Religious Right in Ohio | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 hidden)
Progressive Clergy Take on the Religious Right in Ohio | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 hidden)
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