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Blog Post

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Protect Johnson Amendment

14 Feb 2017
Emily
Ethical Action

The American Ethical Union strongly opposes the repeal of the Johnson Amendment of 1954. President Donald Trump declared his intention to rescind the Amendment at the National Breakfast on February 2, 2017.

The Johnson Amendment is appended to Internal Revenue regulations and forbids churches from participating in political campaigns, especially banning clergypersons from supporting political candidates from the pulpit. President Trump has vowed “to destroy” the provision on the grounds that it inhibits freedom of religion. Trump’s pledge has been met by strong approval from the conservative churches.

The American Ethical Union has had a long and robust history of support for church/state separation, which we affirm as the most secure arrangement by which to prevent establishing religion while preserving religious freedom. The rescinding of the Johnson Amendment will foster an excessive entanglement of religion and government which will cause great harm to both.

Rather than expand religious freedom, allowing churches to support political candidates will serve to greatly limit that freedom. The involvement of churches in political campaigns will divert religious congregations from their spiritual mission, while tending to promote and identifying political candidates as conveyors of religious values if not religious icons. This entanglement will also work to undermine the specific prophetic role of churches, which has historically critiqued and chastened excesses of secular power.

Moreover, support for political candidates will work to divide congregations, sow divisions in their governing boards, and set church members against their religious leaders. Support for political candidates will also foster a quid pro quo whereby political candidates and office holders will feel compelled to bestow favors on churches that support them thus undermining state neutrality toward the religions, again an essential component of religious freedom as envisioned by the Founders.

The most salient index of religious establishment is expressed through financial support of government for religion and vice-versa. In the Citizens United case of 2010, the Supreme Court validated financial donations as a medium of free speech. It will inevitably follow that the rescinding of the Johnson Amendment will quickly lead to the unregulated use of churches as funding sources for political candidates, thus, again, corrupting the religious mission of churches while distorting the financial power of political candidates in an environment which remains excessively influenced by money issuing from special interests.

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Today, as the nation continues to recover from an attempted white supremacist insurrection at our capitol, we are reflecting upon this quote from the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. #MLK #MLKDay #MLK2021 #king #martinlutherkingjr #today #EthicalCulture #ethics #2021 ... See MoreSee Less

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AEU Statement Regarding the Events of January 6thYesterday, we watched in shock and horror as a violent mob attacked the US Capitol, forcing their way inside and occupying areas of the building for hours in an attempt to disrupt the certification of electoral votes submitted by the states. By the end of the day, 4 people were dead, 52 members of the seditious mob were arrested, and 14 police officers were injured. It took the assistance of many additional federal law enforcement personnel and the National Guard to remove the attackers from the Capitol and clear the way for the Joint Congress to resume its work.Fortunately, the Joint Congress was resolute and refused to let the interruption derail our democracy, working through the night to certify the electoral vote counts for all of the states. However, this episode was an attack on democracy itself, instigated by a sitting president whose actions have severely undermined respect for and trust in the very system that put him in office. Mr. Trump has shown only contempt for the democratic process and is a danger to our country. People who are in a position to remove Mr. Trump from office ought to proceed in haste as this president has repeatedly shown readiness to incite violence and mayhem, and also continues to demonstrate an obsession with the electoral results to the seeming exclusion of other national concerns. Our democratic system of government must be protected from his influence.As Ethical Humanists, we are called upon to repudiate the anti-democratic tendencies that have gained an unwelcome foothold in public life. Our country will need us to elicit the best from one another and ourselves in the months and years to come.#Jan6 #ethicalhumanism ow.ly/uxes50D2Gzn ... See MoreSee Less

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Share your voice! The AEU is seeking volunteers to contribute to our World Human Rights Day Project. Learn more here: ow.ly/YGDC50CYYPL ... See MoreSee Less

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Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture's Ethics for Children program is pleased to invite you to our Celebrating Community family event Sunday, January 10th! Join us for a zoom afternoon of interactive fun featuring art, theatre, and games - all with a spotlight on community.ow.ly/Ybtw50D00VQ ... See MoreSee Less

Ethics for Children - Family Day ( Free)

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We invite you to a family event Celebrating Community! Join us for a zoom afternoon of interactive fun featuring art, theatre, and games.

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ethicalunion

Today, as the nation continues to recover from an Today, as the nation continues to recover from an attempted white supremacist insurrection at our capitol, we are reflecting upon this quote from the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. 

#MLK #MLKDay #MLK2021 #King #MartinLutherKingJr #Today #EthicalCulture #Ethics #2021
Yesterday, we watched in shock and horror as a vio Yesterday, we watched in shock and horror as a violent mob attacked the US Capitol, forcing their way inside and occupying areas of the building for hours in an attempt to disrupt the certification of electoral votes submitted by the states. By the end of the day, 4 people were dead, 52 members of the seditious mob were arrested, and 14 police officers were injured. It took the assistance of many additional federal law enforcement personnel and the National Guard to remove the attackers from the Capitol and clear the way for the Joint Congress to resume its work.

Fortunately, the Joint Congress was resolute and refused to let the interruption derail our democracy, working through the night to certify the electoral vote counts for all of the states. However, this episode was an attack on democracy itself, instigated by a sitting president whose actions have severely undermined respect for and trust in the very system that put him in office. 

Mr. Trump has shown only contempt for the democratic process and is a danger to our country.  People who are in a position to remove Mr. Trump from office ought to proceed in haste as this president has repeatedly shown readiness to incite violence and mayhem, and also continues to demonstrate an obsession with the electoral results to the seeming exclusion of other national concerns. Our democratic system of government must be protected from his influence.

As Ethical Humanists, we are called upon to repudiate the anti-democratic tendencies that have gained an unwelcome foothold in public life. Our country will need us to elicit the best from one another and ourselves in the months and years to come.

#Jan6 #EthicalHumanists #EthicalHumanism #Democracy
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