Repealing the Johnson Amendment: legal and ecclesiological problems

[Fish and Bread]

Link:

Repealing the Johnson Amendment: legal and ecclesiological problems

 

[Martinius]

It would be a royal mess. If that law is reversed, then our churches and parishes should rightfully lose their tax exemption. What if they had to pay taxes on their income and their property? A lot of them would struggle, smaller ones might fold.

Do you want to hear political harangues in a homily? Not me. That would be the day I would turn around, walk out, and not return.

In some faiths and churches, political commentary might not be an issue, because all the members think mostly alike. But in a Catholic parish? Oh my, there is a wide spectrum of political views. Political statements made by priests or in printed materials or on a website would divide a parish. It would be a disaster.

 

[Fantine]

Interesting article showing there would be many more implications we hadn't thought of. And it's true there are lots of non-profits that aren't religious (with more to come if the amendment is repealed).

I remember when (off the radar) a local Catholic Church's pastor told all his staff--paid and volunteer--that they had to sign a loyalty oath that they would only support "pro-life" candidates--and then he stuck a big sign for Bush/Cheney in the rectory yard.

Their organist quit and went to a larger parish that had lost its organist. Other volunteer staff quit as well. When the priest was transferred the organist went back--because the stairs to the choir loft at the larger church were too much for him.

So yes, I can picture lots of dissension.

 

[Fish and Bread]

I remember when (off the radar) a local Catholic Church's pastor told all his staff--paid and volunteer--that they had to sign a loyalty oath that they would only support "pro-life" candidates--and then he stuck a big sign for Bush/Cheney in the rectory yard.

I would have gone to the bishop and then, if the bishop failed to take action, to the press. Unacceptable.

Hopefully the era of that kind of stuff is drawing to a close, though. Pope Francis has been very adamant that he does not want that type of politicking. I think the bishops are getting the message, and will likely be receptive to complaints about priests along those lines going on forward. At least, I'd like to think so.

One issue is that some clerics who are similar to the priest in that parish are biding their time and laying low, figuring that the next Pope will be more to their liking, which is certainly understandable from their perspective, but of concern to me.

While there are some things out there where I may have double standards about faith and politics depending on who's issues are being advanced, this is definitely not one of those things. I don't agree with doctrinal loyalty oaths for staff or teachers, and I don't agree with priests and bishops telling people who they must vote for, on pain of damnation or firing from their position, or whatever. It's not right. And it still wouldn't be right even if the issue was something on the left like universal health care and forcing people to support candidates who support it (i.e. Democrats), with the priest sticking up a Gore-Lieberman sign or a Kerry-Edwards sign instead of abortion and Bush-Cheney. Even as a Democrat, I can recognize that.

I think we learned from experience in the middle ages, the Church shouldn't be that directly involved in selecting political leaders. If those experiences weren't enough, all the Austrian Cardinals signing a letter welcoming the Nazis to Australia with the salutation "Heil Hitler" at the end should be another sign that the Church should be careful when it comes to politicking. Vatican II and the Vatican Secretary of State I think recognized that to some degree when they stopped advocating for officially Catholic countries with Catholic leadership and adopted a more open democratic pluralistic stance.

I am not saying that the Church should not take stands on the issues, but I think it should be careful not to tell people who to vote for or to closely associate themselves with specific politicians or political parties. They should also not pull a Cardinal Burke circa 2004 and tell people who vote for pro-choice candidates (or for any candidates) that are in mortal sin and are going to hell if they don't repent- something even Cardinal Ratzinger had to correct, because it has so outrageous and such a grave misuse of Cardinal Burke's position. But Cardinal Burke has been sidelined for stunts like that. We're finally seeing the Church hit back and say it is not the eternal damnation threatening wing of the Republican get out of the vote effort- something that was horrific and beneath the Church's dignity.

The Church should welcome the continuing presence of the Johnson amendment, and hold itself to even higher standards than the law does on these matters. Reducing the Church to a Political Action Committee is a crime against God IMO.

 

[FireDragon76]

Do you want to hear political harangues in a homily? Not me. That would be the day I would turn around, walk out, and not return.

Yup. The religious right are just selling their inheritance for a bowl of porridge if they buy into this one.

There are already too many Christian communities that are political in their focus, our churches are divided too much by worldly politics. This would just make it worse.