Religion isn't above the law

U.S. Catholic bishops are defending their direct involvement in congressional deliberations over health-care reform, saying that church leaders have a duty to raise moral concerns on any issue, including abortion rights and health care for the poor. Do you agree? What role should religious leaders have -- or not have -- in government policymaking?


When issues of morality come up, religious leaders are often looked to as the experts. We somehow sense that they have a better grasp on right vs. wrong than the common man or woman, perhaps because they’ve spent more time studying the rules (in the Bible, Torah or Koran).

We often turn to them on questions of individual ethics so it makes sense that as a country we also look for their guidance on questions of national policy. And as leaders I would agree that they have a duty to raise moral concerns even when they aren’t asked if they feel that it is a major issue that could impact a significant number of people.

However their moral authority doesn’t give them carte blanche in terms of how they raise these issues. It’s one thing to exercise their freedom of speech on their home turf – in their churches, among their community of parishioners, at town hall meetings as concerned community leaders. But if they cross the line between clergy and lobbyist, new rules will – and should – apply.

The laws governing behavior, taxing and reporting for lobbyists are different from those governing non-profit religious organizations because presumably the primary objectives of each are different. It would appear that the rules regarding lobbyists were intended to give transparency to the process and safeguard the broader interests of the American public. If the Bishops want to follow their moral argument all the way to the floor of Congress that’s great, but at some point they then need to stop hiding behind the veil of the church (and the tax breaks that come with being a church) and join the other lobbyists in following the rules.

Christian religious leaders, including the Catholic bishops, are called to engage and provide thought leadership on the critical moral issues of their time. Jesus set this example with his teachings which profoundly challenged the political status quo 2000 years ago. From the synagogues and the streets he preached a message that inspired the people to question their political system and ethics. In the end his message was so effective that it led to charges of treason from the government. All this without ever going to Rome and speaking on the senate floor!

The Catholic Bishops, and all other religious leaders are certainly called to raise the moral and ethical questions that we should be attending to as a nation. The question is not “should they” but “how should they”.