……I cringed when I heard the subject of this week’s sermon in Church: the upcoming election. I am a staunch believer in the separation of Church and State. We are very clear in our Constitution’s First Amendment that there be a separation of Church and State. People often tend to impose their personal beliefs on our Country. We are not a Christian nation, any more than we are a Jewish or a Muslim nation. We are “one nation under God”, but who your God and your savior are is left to you to decide. That’s called freedom.
……. America was settled by those who fled the shackles of religion being imposed upon them in their mother country – England. Those who wrote the constitution were clear that the political arena and the church should remain separate. Thomas Jefferson, in fact wrote about a “wall of separation between Church and State.”
……Not only does the introduction of politics into the Church violate the Constitution, it violates IRS rules. The Church has a tax exempt status as a 501-C3 and the Diocese of San Francisco advises clergy to never “endorse or promote a candidate” because to do so would put the church’s tax exempt status at risk.
………John Kennedy, the first Catholic president, fought hard to convince the voters that he would adhere to the separation of Church and State. Voters were afraid that if they elected Kennedy the Pope would be running the Country.
, ……And, yet here we are with the Bishop and the Pope imposing their view on the Presidential election. We are a captive audience…… or are we. I consider simply walking out to protest this violation of our Constitution but decide to stay and hear the priest out. Cutting through the rhetoric, it is about abortion and in vitro fertilization etc. and the message is clear. There is no perfect candidate, so vote for the candidate that says he supports banning abortion…and although no name was mentioned, we all know that would be Trump.
…….I like to think that my eleven years in the Legislature gives me more insight than the average voter on this issue. I never had to cast my vote red or green on abortion on the House Floor. The leaders kept it from coming out of committee sparing their members from making the difficult vote. But I did cast my vote on informed consent, mandating a 48 hour waiting period and I voted for them though I knew neither was a simplistic issue. I also know that voters who cast their vote on one issue are doing the candidates, themselves and our nation a major disservice. While we are told “It’s the economy, stupid” I disagree, it’s not just the economy, it’s immigration and it’s how we treat our fellow humans. It’s the environment and how we are going to leave this country for our children and grandchildren.
…….When I cast my vote I want a President whose character, truthfulness and integrity will ensure that a repeat of the January 6 attack on our Democracy will not happen. I think churches who cross the line and preach politics from the pulpit sell their congregations short. Our nation was founded on the freedom to cast our vote for the candidate we deem to be best for our country without influence from any outside source and I think each one of us can do just that.
