Politics and the Bimah: Where to Draw the Line
I have always appreciated when rabbis relate the weekly Torah portion to current events. Whether it’s food insecurity in the U.S. and the obligation to feed the poor, remembering the “ger” or stranger and protecting immigrants, or appointing judges and judging fairly, I feel that divrei Torah that address contemporary issues based on Torah values provide an important moral lens to view today’s political landscape by drawing on the teachings of our ancient text.
Today, though, I fear it may be more complicated. In 1954, the U.S. Congress approved an amendment by then Senator Lyndon Johnson. Known as the Johnson Act or Johnson Amendment, it has prohibited 501(c)(3) organizations, which includes charities and houses of worship, from engaging in any political campaign activity. A 501(c)(3) organization is defined as one “which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements) any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office” https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/charities-churches-and-politics.
However, just this summer, on July 7th, under the Trump Administration, the Internal Revenue Service filed a document suggesting that houses of worship can endorse candidates without losing their tax-exempt status. The rationale, according to the IRS tax agency, is that the endorsement would be considered like a family discussion rather than a matter of political campaigning.
Here’s where it gets sticky. First: What about the inviolable issue of separation of church and state as defined by the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment? In 1962, this was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in its ruling as unconstitutional school-sponsored prayer in schools (Until then, the Christian “Lord’s Prayer” was often routinely recited in public schools.) Just last month, the U.S. Appeals Court for the Fifth Circuit ruled unconstitutional the Louisiana law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in school classrooms, while Texas is now facing legal challenges for a similar law.
Second, with the prevalence of streaming technology during non-Orthodox Shabbat and holiday worship services, endorsement of a political candidate is no longer confined to a discussion with just those in-person worshippers but may be heard by virtual attendees around the world.
Whether it’s Israeli or U.S. politics, the synagogue is now mirroring today’s super-divisive outside world. According to the IRS, churches can now be as partisan as they want: Is that really healthy for our faith communities? Endorsing a candidate from the bimah is sure to exacerbate any preexisting conflicts and negatively impact the synagogue as a comfort zone.
Finally, I commend the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism for condemning the IRS decision to allow houses of worship to endorse political candidates, “threatening the congregation’s status as a place where all feel welcome,” and its call on Congress “to reverse this deeply misguided policy, which is not only dangerously divisive but also opens the door to significant abuse, undermining both the democratic process and the public’s trust in the integrity of our religious institutions…” (Full disclosure: I am not affiliated with the Reform movement.)
I strongly urge others to follow RAC’s lead. Otherwise, if we are committed to the separation of church and state and want to ensure that our congregations remain safe spiritual spaces, do we really want to risk introducing partisanship onto the bimah? Consider the consequences.
