Repealing Johnson Amendment would harm religion in America By Luke Perry

The repeal of the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits churches from endorsing or opposing political candidates, would be a devastating blow to American religion, which flourishes because state governments ended colonial norms of religious establishment.

Religious freedom is hurt, not helped, by more direct entanglement of religious leaders in the political process. America is much more religious than Europe because political and religious power was fused there for so long. When people tired of monarchs, and demanded new governments, they tired of religious leaders, and lost faith.

Photo by Madeline Heim/The Winona Daily New

The desire for repeal comes from white evangelicals who after Roe v. Wade shifted from avoiding politics because it was corrupt to building themselves into a powerful political force. They now want their religious organizations to conduct political advocacy. This freedom already exists. They just need to revoke their religiously based tax-exempt status so society doesn’t subsidize this advocacy through tax breaks.

Like most things, this is about power and money, not principle. President Trump is perhaps the least religious president in American history. He doesn’t understand how greed will destroy religious vitality, the very thing his supporters hold dear.

Luke Perry is Chair and Associate Professor of Government at Utica College