“Project Fair Play Initiative” Sparks Rather Interesting Response from Minister

COLUMBIA, SC - It’s no secret that my state loves Jesus. In fact, they know him quite well. They know him so well that sometimes they know how he would vote if he were alive today, or even what license plate he would have on his car (see the “I Believe” SC license plate controversy).

It’s also no secret that Jesus holds a huge stake in our elections, not just in South Carolina, but also in all of America. With the huge evangelical voting bloc, Jesus maintains his grasp on us thousands of years later through his workhorse – the religious institutions of America. These institutions have the power to sculpt the minds of millions on a weekly basis. Great majorities of each congregation play close attention to what each religious leader has to say. Their words are backed with divine inspiration, and even their convictions and political persuasions are warranted by God.

Cognizant of these dangers, I knew it was necessary to do my part to ensure that our religious leaders did not endorse a candidate from the pulpit in this election, despite recent challenges to the IRS law from right wing groups like the Alliance Defense Fund. The IRS tax laws barring the endorsement of candidates from religious leaders at the pulpit remains one the most sacred vestiges of the secular character of our government. Without them, we would be one step closer to an American theocracy.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State has the perfect tool for working to uphold the just position of pulpit neutrality. It’s called the “Project Fair Play Initiative.” A great resource for any secular student group, the AU initiative includes a letter from Rev. Barry Lynn decrying illegal pulpit activity, a FAQ in which religious leaders can consult on the issue, and most important, a way to report violations so that they can be dealt with professionally.

I organized a Project Fair Play Initiative in my community of Columbia with the help of my secular student group, the Pastafarians at the University of South Carolina. We worked on a group statement together and combined it with a statement from the local AU Columbia Chapter President. We included our statements with the FAQ and sent 65 letters to all of our local religious leaders with stamps donated by all the members. In addition to being a fun meeting activity, it was a great way to let religious leaders know that we care and that we are watching.

I wish I could say that this was a happy ending, but one reply I received startled me, reminding me that our continued efforts are needed. One religious leader informed me that I was “promoting propaganda,” that our efforts were a “misguided and misinformed attempt to re-write history,” and that the First Amendment “does not mandate a ‘separation between church and state.’” Furthermore, he said that Thomas Jefferson’s words regarding separation were just “commentary” and “it does not matter what Jefferson said about the constitution.”

Here is the scary part – He gives the AU Columbia Chapter President some “words of advice,” since he is also a local Unitarian minister. He said, “You have the right to your opinions of course.  Now here is mine - your comments about ministers staying neutral is an impossibility if a minister is going to stand true to God and His Word.”

If this is not evidence of the work that needs to be done, I don’t know what is!

I want to encourage all SSA affiliates to participate in a Project Fair Play Initiative of their own. It’s not too late to tell our religious leaders that we will not stand for politicking from the pulpit.

Where secular group leaders can go to do this - They can go to Americans United for Separation of Church and State's website: www.au.org or go to projectfairplay.org to get the resources I used in our initiative. Secular groups are also encouraged to collaborate with any local or state AU chapters in their efforts.