FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:John Gehring
Senior Writer
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good
Phone: (202) 429-9683
E-Mail: jgehring@catholicsinalliance.org

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Faith Transcends Primary Politics: Believers Ask Candidates to Respect Religion's Role

Catholic, Evangelical, and Mainline Leaders Identify Three Principles to Protect Religion on the Campaign Trail

Washington, DC- Catholic and Protestant scholars, pastors and social justice leaders today warned that divisive religious rhetoric from presidential candidates and relentless scrutiny of candidates' faith undermines the proper role religion can play in public life.

While emphasizing the importance of religion in promoting the common good, over two dozen Christian intellectuals, theologians and clergy asked the candidates to affirm that there is no religious test for office or a single faith that that has an exclusive claim to moral values.

"We are troubled to see candidates pressed to pronounce the nature of their religious beliefs, asked if they believe every word of the Bible, forced to fend off warnings by a few religious authorities about reception of sacraments, compelled to confront derogatory and false allegations of radical Muslim childhood education, and faced with prejudicial analyses of their denominational doctrines," the leaders write in the statement, Keeping Faith: Principles to Protect Religion on the Campaign Trail.

The Catholic, Evangelical, and mainline Protestant leaders called on candidates to affirm three principles to protect religion on the campaign trail: 1) avoid using religious or doctrinal differences to marginalize or disparage each other; 2) acknowledge that no single faith has an exclusive claim to moral values; and 3) recognize that policy positions should reflect the best interests of all citizens regardless of religious belief.

Democratic and Republican candidates have courted religious voters with extensive faith-based outreach efforts, and people of faith will be a critical factor in the South Carolina primaries held on Jan. 19 and Jan. 26.

"Religion is an indispensable source of spiritual and ethical wisdom that can help us promote the common good and speak to the moral dimensions of our critical policy challenges, but it should never become a political weapon to divide us," said Alexia Kelley, Executive Director of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good.

The text of the statement and complete list of signatories, available online here, follows:

Keeping Faith: Principles to Protect Religion on the Campaign Trail

The role of religion in public life is a pivotal and contested question this election year. Republican and Democratic candidates alike have drawn on Biblical language and highlighted the importance of faith to articulate their personal and political values. As believers, we will always stand up for religious expression and the importance of religion for America, but we are troubled by some current trends in political campaigns.

Religion forms virtues vital to democratic citizenship. Religion calls citizens to transcend self-interest in service to others-to those in need, to neighbor, to community, to country and to the world. Religion promotes fundamental moral values necessary for civilized public life-honor and honesty, charity and justice. Religion has brought hope and liberty to America's powerless and disenfranchised, and its teachings have inspired our country's most admirable achievements.

Yet in this year's presidential campaign, we are troubled to see candidates pressed to pronounce the nature of their religious beliefs, asked if they believe every word of the Bible, forced to fend off warnings by a few religious authorities about reception of sacraments, compelled to confront derogatory and false allegations of radical Muslim childhood education, and faced with prejudicial analyses of their denominational doctrines.

Exclusionary religious rhetoric by candidates and constant scrutiny of the minutiae of their faiths undermine religion's valuable role in public life. It also runs contrary to the unique American commitment to both religious freedom and non-establishment of religion. History is replete with examples of religion compromised by its collusion with power, and the role of religion in the current campaign raises concern that it is once again being misused.

As citizens of many faiths united in efforts to reinvigorate religion's role in the public square, we are convinced that the greatest protection for that role is clear and unambiguous support for both religious expression and non-establishment of religion. Following Article VI of the U. S. Constitution and the First Amendment, we identify three basic principles.

• No person should be expected to leave their faith at the door when operating in the public square. But it is inappropriate to use religious or doctrinal differences to marginalize or disparage candidates, by either comparison or assertion. No religious test may be applied to candidates for public office - not by the law, not by candidates, not by campaigns.
• Candidates for public office should welcome the contributions that religion brings to society. But just as government may not endorse or favor a religious faith, candidates for public office are obliged, in their official capacity, to acknowledge that no faith can lay exclusive claim to the moral values that enrich our public life.
• Just as government policies must be in service to the nation and not to any religious faith, the same holds true for candidates' positions on policies. While it is appropriate for candidates to connect their faith to their policy positions, their positions on policy must respect all citizens regardless of religious belief.

As the 2008 campaign charges forward, we call upon all candidates, regardless of whether or not or how often they choose to talk about religion, to protect it. We call upon all candidates to join us in affirming these principles.

 

Stephen Schneck Director, Life Cycle Institute Catholic University of America Lisa Sowell Cahill J. Donald Monan Professor of Theology Boston College Rev. Les Schmidt U.S. Catholic Bishops' Liaison Catholic Committee of the South Dr. Randall Balmer Professor of American Religious History Barnard College, Columbia University Brian McLaren Author and Founding Pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church Spencerville, MD. Sr. Simone Campbell, SSS Executive Director NETWORK, A Catholic Social Justice Lobby Rev. Joseph Darby Senior Pastor Morris Brown AME Church Charleston, SC Rev. Don Flowers Senior Pastor Providence Baptist Church Charleston, SC Dr. Baxter M. Wynn Minister of Pastoral Care First Baptist Church Greenville, SC Rev. Jennifer Butler Executive Director Faith in Public Life Richard Gaillardetz Professor of Catholic Studies The University of Toledo Rev. Jennifer Kottler Executive Director Let Justice Roll Alexia Kelley Executive Director Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good Chris Korzen Executive Director Catholics United Rev. Dr. Paul de Vries President New York Divinity School Board Member, National Association of Evangelicals

Rev. Fred L. Thelen Pastor Christo Rey Church Lansing, MI Rev. Tim Ahrens Senior Pastor First Congregational Church Columbus, OH Rev. David Hollenbach, S.J. Center for Human Rights and International Justice Theology Department Boston College J. Brent Walker Executive Director Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty Sr. Sharon Dillon, SSJ-TOSF Executive Director Franciscan Mission Service of North American Rev. Derrick Harkins Senior Pastor, Nineteenth St. Baptist Church Washington, DC Board of Directors, World Relief Dr. Glen Stassen Lewis B. Smedes Professor of Christian Ethics Fuller Theological Seminary Rev. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite President Chicago Theological Seminary Marie Dennis Director Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns Rev. Stephen Copley Senior Pastor First United Methodist Church North Little Rock, Ark. Sr. Mary Waskowiak, RSM President The Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Dr. Ken Brooker Langston Director, Disciples Justice Action Network (Disciples of Christ) Coordinator, Disciples Center for Public Witness Diana Butler Bass Author, speaker on American Religion James Hug, SJ President Center of Concern

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