Faith groups to Congress: Do not politicize our houses of worship

A broad section of America’s faith community is delivering a message loud and clear today: we don’t want and we don’t need a change in the tax law to pursue our mission. As soon as the church joins at the hip with a particular candidate or party, its prophetic witness – its ability to speak truth to power and not risk being co-opted by the government – is hindered.

The prohibition on partisan politics has strengthened the autonomy and religious freedom of houses of worship and people of faith. Separation of church and state means that in this country – in ways too rare elsewhere – people of all religious traditions have the ability to follow the teachings of their scripture. We strongly oppose any effort to undermine or repeal this crucial legal protection that makes our nation stronger.

Repealing the Johnson Amendment puts pulpits up for sale to partisan interests. It’s easy to imagine the local church council saying to the pastor, “We might as well take their money; you already agree with their position.” At that point, the sin of simony has been committed, and the Holy Spirit will not countenance it. Neither will the people of God in due time.

One wall in America that we people of faith are proud of is the one that separates church and state. The American Muslim community watches with dismay the use of religion by politicians in many countries and feels ​horrified​ by its disastrous consequences for all. ​In America, this wall has protected us from politicizing our houses of worship and prevented our pulpits from being dragged on to the political stump.  

​The role of faith is to inspire us with a sense of values and build alliances with others to stand for justice, peace and equity. It energizes us against hate and discrimination and promotes love and respect for the other​.

​We urge our  lawmakers to make sure that this healthy relationship between faith and politics is reinforced  for a healthy pluralist, prosperous, democratic America.

Does the U.S. really need more politics in civil society? Congress should resist this effort to fix what is not broken. America has a vibrant civil society, in which every point of view on political issues large and small has opportunities for expression. There is no reason to fix what is not broken.

The church should truly be a sanctuary from political party division. In our gathered religious life, we pray and worship together; we celebrate and grieve together; and we study theology … thinking about how God is at work in our lives and in our community. By avoiding the endorsement of political candidates or parties, religious leaders allow the church pews to be a place for all who come seeking spiritual study, guidance, and fellowship. Although ministers do and should speak to issues that reflect on faith and justice, the mandate of not endorsing candidates and parties is essential to keeping our churches faithfully dedicated to God and God alone.

Clergy in this country have a powerful role to play in advocating for public policy positions. Nothing in the Johnson Amendment prevents that. What the amendment does do is prevent our tax-exempt houses of worship from being used for strictly partisan purposes – this is no different than any other tax-exempt charitable organization.

Faith guides us through our lives; it gives us strength, but also provides refuge. In allowing spiritual leaders to endorse political candidates, an element of that refuge is taken away. We need our places of worship to remain strongholds for our faith, not divisive platforms for pushing through political agendas.  

Not only does overturning the Johnson Amendment make our pulpits political, it also puts the social services of many Catholic institutions and churches at risk by endangering their tax status. Innocent people who need these services the most will suffer as a result.

Partisan politics have no place in our pulpits. In fact, it’s the absence of that very thing — partisan politics — that gives us the power to speak with moral authority on issues of the day.

Repealing the Johnson Amendment would be like Citizens United with an altar call. Pulpits don’t need to be for sale to the highest bidder. Churches can already exercise their First Amendment free speech rights.

The church’s calling is to be a pillar and bulwark of truth not a political action committee. Weakening or eliminating protections in current law compromises our ability to be fulfill this calling.

The Johnson Amendment protects nonprofit organizations, ensuring that they will not be co-opted by partisan politics or used for political expedience, thus assuring the integrity of their work. For these reasons, Women of Reform Judaism opposes the repeal of this important provision of the tax code.

The Evergreen Baptist Association was founded on the principles of freedom, respect and diversity. The Johnson Amendment is supportive of these values.

The Johnson Amendment is so important to our country as we seek to live together in religious diversity and harmony. It is also important to religious communities to keep them focused on their primary purpose and to not get distracted by the politics of the day. AWAB stands firm with all good people of faith supporting this historically important legislation of over sixty years ago.

The Johnson Amendment gives synagogues, churches and mosques the space to speak with moral authority and vision without partisan politics taking over the pulpit. A strong democracy depends on this kind of separation and clarity.

The Alliance of Baptists strongly opposes efforts to weaken bedrock U.S. constitutional protections of religious liberty, including the separation of church and state. A congregation’s prophetic integrity is weakened when it engages in factional partisan politics. We call on congressional leaders to protect existing law, safeguarding churches from the influence of external political forces, strengthening their independence and capacity for being objective spiritual and societal agents of change.

One of the worst things that could happen to the ministry of our congregations would be for churches to begin endorsing candidates. Churches are to be places where people come together for worship and ministry.  Partisan politics would divide congregations and place local pastors in impossible situations. This change would be extremely destructive for our ministry.