The so-called "war on people of faith"

Crossposted at My Left Wing

John Green of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life served as moderator of Sunday's forum on Church and State in Ohio's Electoral Politics. I really didn't give much thought to the fact there was a moderator, but boy, did I appreciate there being a moderator to step in and move things along. Because as the program moved forward, things started to get, as Jon Stewart would say, "Awwwwwkward!"

Russell Johnson was talking about the "war against people of faith" when he switched gears and started addressing Eric Williams directly...

But, a lot of our folks on the religious left do not believe that the Bible is really true, do not believe in a bodily resurrection, do not believe in the tradition of marriage as I understand it, and they have that right to say that from their pulpit if they wish. And I will never ask the IRS to deprive you of your 501c3 because you disagree with me. I sense that the IRS is not here to somehow monitor what's going on at your pulpit or my pulpit. And I believe that just because we disagree on things, don't use the IRS to try to bully me. If you can't win in elections, if you can't win in the court of public opinion..."we'll go to the court and gather some sharp lawyers who can represent us well, and they'll craft something to try to take conservative Christians to court to intimidate them. And let's find one church that we can beat to a bloody pulp in a courtroom, and we'll make an example and intimidate churches all over the state to be quiet about life and marriage."

We will not be bullied and we will not be silenced, and we will shine. (Applause and cheers)

When it was again Eric Williams turn to speak, he addressed the "clear pattern of partisan political activity of a single candidate" who is a champion of many of the values that Johnson and his church hold. "That, in my mind, does not serve the community, because that, in my mind, is not the historic role of the church." Johnson responded:

How can you take us to court when you never even called me? The first time I read your name, Eric, was on the front page of the Columbus Dispatch. Doesn't Jesus say, if you have a problem with your brother, you should go to him first instead of going to court?

This elicted quite a bit of applause from Johnson's supporters in the audience. As the discussion continued, the members of the panel discussed the appropriateness of legal action as opposed to dialog. Barry Lynn noted that:

It turns out that every law has some entity in government to enforce it. And I think it's completely legitimate for someone to report, as Eric did, when he saw a pattern of practice that he felt violated the IRS code, to do the same thing he would do if his neighbor was setting up a meth lab in his back yard--

This led to applause from the audience, and panelists on the right side taking exception to the analogy. Lynn clarified that, as a society, we decide that certain things are illegal, and if Eric saw something he believed violated the law, how could Russell Johnson condemn him for reporting that behavior?

Johnson challenged Barry Lynn, saying, "You subscribe to a higher law, which is the law of Christ in Matthew 18, which supercedes any temporal law." He repeated that Eric Williams should have called him and talked to him about his complaint rather than getting the IRS involved, and that he would never seek to limit Williams' freedom of speech. He ended by saying that it's good that they are talking to each other rather than about each other.

It certainly was a lively discussion. I wasn't expecting the Matthew 18 bit. Sure, I'm familiar with it, but it didn't occur to me as being applied in legal matters. I would think there one would "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's" in such matters.

More transcription here. You might also be interested in this post at Plunderbund, which pretty much goes against the idear that the "secularists" are in power in this country.

Alternate link for comments