Press Release
Religion & Ethics Newsweekly - "2008 Election: What's Appropriate?"
2008 Election: What's Appropriate?
Cover Story, Original Broadcast Date: July 4, 2008 (Show #1144):
In the 2008 campaign season, both the Democrats and the Republicans are reaching out to people of faith in organized and unprecedented ways. Campaigns are seeking -- and repudiating -- clergy endorsements, while political activists are on the lookout for any scandals related to the candidates' spiritual connections. But houses of worship must also be careful about the separation of church and state. Churches and other religious groups that get a tax exemption may not get involved in the campaigns of individual candidates or engage in partisan politicking. Clergy may not endorse candidates from their pulpits, although they can make endorsements as private citizens. But there are several gray areas. And for many, the question is not just what's legal, but also, what's moral? Kim Lawton explores the challenges facing the presidential candidates and churches over the proper relationship between religion and politics. "Religious values have underpinned some of the key social movements like ending slavery, civil rights and so forth," observes Professor Clyde Wilcox of Georgetown University who believes religion can never be fully separated from politics. "A majority of Americans are religious. They've got values they use to judge politics by, and so how could you possibly pull those two apart?" But according to Reverend Welton Gaddy with the Interfaith Alliance, "I don't know anybody that has gone into this election cycle running for the Presidency of the United States whose major purpose was to advance the influence of religion in this nation. The goal is votes."
Featured (in alphabetical order):
Reverend C. Welton Gaddy, President, Interfaith Alliance
Reverend Louis Husser, Pastor, Crossgate Church, Robert, LA
Professor Douglas Kmiec, School of Law, Pepperdine University
Professor Clyde Wilcox, Department of Government, Georgetown University
In the 2008 campaign season, both the Democrats and the Republicans are reaching out to people of faith in organized and unprecedented ways. Campaigns are seeking -- and repudiating -- clergy endorsements, while political activists are on the lookout for any scandals related to the candidates' spiritual connections. But houses of worship must also be careful about the separation of church and state. Churches and other religious groups that get a tax exemption may not get involved in the campaigns of individual candidates or engage in partisan politicking. Clergy may not endorse candidates from their pulpits, although they can make endorsements as private citizens. But there are several gray areas. And for many, the question is not just what's legal, but also, what's moral? Kim Lawton explores the challenges facing the presidential candidates and churches over the proper relationship between religion and politics. "Religious values have underpinned some of the key social movements like ending slavery, civil rights and so forth," observes Professor Clyde Wilcox of Georgetown University who believes religion can never be fully separated from politics. "A majority of Americans are religious. They've got values they use to judge politics by, and so how could you possibly pull those two apart?" But according to Reverend Welton Gaddy with the Interfaith Alliance, "I don't know anybody that has gone into this election cycle running for the Presidency of the United States whose major purpose was to advance the influence of religion in this nation. The goal is votes."
Featured (in alphabetical order):
Reverend C. Welton Gaddy, President, Interfaith Alliance
Reverend Louis Husser, Pastor, Crossgate Church, Robert, LA
Professor Douglas Kmiec, School of Law, Pepperdine University
Professor Clyde Wilcox, Department of Government, Georgetown University