Religion and politics must mix

Some people are saying that religion should not be mixed with politics. I say religion should be deeply involved in politics.

We Americans hold dear the separation of church and state, but that constitutional mandate is widely misunderstood. The purpose of the establishment clause is to keep government out of our churches. It is not meant to keep religion out of the affairs of the state.

Churches are barred from participating in partisan politics, not by the Constitution, but by regulations of the Internal Revenue Service. Churches have 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status as not-for-profit corporations. Churches along with all other tax exempt not-for-profit corporations are barred from endorsing candidates and from taking actions to affect legislation. Churches that dabble in partisan politics, endorsement of candidates, and legislative activity do not violate the U.S. Constitution. They violate IRS regulations. Churches must be very careful not to violate IRS regulations. If they do, they may lose their tax-exempt status.

In the United States religion and politics may be an imperfect union, but it an absolutely necessary involvement.

When a person runs for public office, the citizenry has a right to know all about the candidate. The United States is one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world. Not only are we religiously diverse, many of us are very religious. Along with that reality, we insist that people have a right NOT to be religious. Our Constitution bans religious tests for candidates. The U.S. Constitution protects everyone … Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Atheists and Christians of all stripes can run for public office.

A person’s religion is a vital part of who she/he is. The citizenry has a right to know what makes a candidate tick.

We have a right to examine candidates’ vital moral core. We are remiss if we do not make those examinations. In the process, we have a right to look at the candidate’s church affiliations, the messages their preachers preach and the moral codes they promote.

If a candidate has no religion, that candidate cannot be barred from running because the Constitution does not allow us to have a religious test for candidates. However, the citizenry has a responsibility to examine candidates, who have no religion, and ask how they establish standards and values.

It is essential always to inquire about a candidate’s religious views. Inevitably the religious views of an elected official will impact public policy. Religion must not be pushed out of the public square because of terrible misunderstanding of the meaning of separation of church and state.

When Jack Kennedy ran for president in 1960 some people felt it unfair to examine his Roman Catholic faith and to raise questions about the impact of his faith on his governance. I contend that his faith was fair game.

Mit Romney felt pressured by those who raised questions about his Mormon faith relationship. He gave a major address to explain his faith and to assure the nation that his faith would not negatively impact his service as president of the United States. Once again, I say his faith was fair game and should have been a major topic of discussion had he received the Republican nomination.

When the light of examination hit Dr. Jeremiah Wright, I did not cry “foul!” Wright was Barak Obama’s pastor. Obama eventually was compelled to remove himself from his Chicago church home. This is America!

And now Sarah Palin arrives on the world’s center stage. Ms. Palin has every right to be running for the vice presidency of the United States. She has every right to belong to a church of her choice. She has every right to hold her religious beliefs dearly. She has every right to make life decisions on the basis of her religious beliefs.

Just now there are almost innumerable reporters from the Lower 48 and from Hawaii here in the Matanuska Valley. Reporters from all over the world have inundated our northern outpost. They want to know who Sarah Palin is. They want to know about her history and her values. They want to know how she will make decisions on the national and international stages. Their search is welcome and legitimate.

In the process of examination of Sarah Palin, no reporter should avoid her religious beliefs, the churches that nurture her, and the sermons that are preached at those churches.

This is America. Religion is welcome in our public square. When a person chooses to run for public office, his/her faith is no longer a private matter.

The Rev. Howard Bess is pastor emeritus of the Church of the Covenant, an American Baptist church in Palmer, Alaska. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.