Religion has been playing a major role in the selection of a Republican candidate for president for the 2008 United States presidential race. The new frontrunner on the Republican side is former Arkansas Governor and Baptist preacher Mike Huckabee who has touted himself as a Christian leader. At the same time Mitt Romney who is a Mormon has lost some of his support because he is a member of the wrong Church.
In newer democracies, especially in the Middle East, would-be political leaders have to make their rounds to religious leaders asking them for endorsements. In more mature democracies the electorate is more independently minded and whilst religion informs people’s values and way of life religious affiliation has no bearing on who gets elected to public office. It is worrying therefore that this seems to be changing in the United States where religious affiliation has become the focus of the Republican campaign.
What really seems to be going here is that Churches in the United States have become active in political campaigns. Now whilst religious leaders have every right to express a political view it is against the law for tax exempt religious organizations to get involved with political campaigns and for good reason. When religious leaders are able to significantly influence who gets elected to the highest office in the land the president becomes beholden to those religious leaders. This gives unelected religious leaders incredible power and compromises the separation of Church and State as outlined in the First Amendment.
As a Jew and a member of a minority I am able to see the danger more clearly. History tells me to be weary when any religion gains real political power in a country. We Jews have been tormented too often in history by leaders who have discriminated against us because we were not members of their faith. But, even Evangelical Christians should be worried about this precedent. Today it may be the Evangelicals who are wielding this sort of power but in the future it may be another group.
It seems that members of other minorities also feel this danger. The most recent example of this is presidential hopeful Mitt Romney who is a member of the minority faith of Mormonism. In a recent landmark speech of the role of religion in politics he said, “A person should not be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because of his faith...If I am fortunate to become your president, I will serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause, and no one interest. A president must serve only the common cause of the people of the United States.”
The sense of urgency in his words reflects the immediate danger of a major party selecting and rejecting candidates based on their religion. The rise of religion as being important in the lives of many is something I of course welcome, however, as the Chief Rabbi of the UK Sir Jonathan Sacks once said, “Religion is like a flame, if used properly it warms; if misused it can destroy.”
All religious leaders who care about the future of humanity must do all they can to ensure that religion is used correctly and not misused as a tool for greater political power. This is especially important in the United States which has been a leader in the fight for religious rights and freedoms. I would hope that Christian leaders are able to see past the immediate political gains they may achieve and encourage their followers to do what is right for the greater good.
Rabbi Levi Brackman (www.levibrackman.com)
is executive director of Judaism in the Foothills (www.jitf.org).
His upcoming book, about Jewish Business Success, is set to be published in late 2008.
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