Atheists Sue Catholic Bishop

In a strange coalition, a group of atheists and Catholic activists have sued Nicholas DiMarzio, the Bishop of Brooklyn; a politician, Assemblyman Vito Lopez; and the Brooklyn Catholic Diocese over their involvement in recorded phone messages by DiMarzio to voters in Lopez' district before a City Council election.

I hate to agree with the atheists but they are probably correct. A major tenet of non-profit status is non-involvement in elections. Churches have skirted around this issue for years with many stepping across the line. The church may, and should speak about issues, but must not support a particular candidate. The only legitimate political involvement for the church is non-partisan voter registration and encouragement of civic participation by voting.

Evangelicals have come dangerously close to stepping across the line with their increasing identification with the Republican Party. Our allegiance must be to Christ, not to organizations. We should be holding ourselves separate from their worldly pursuit of power and influence so they will not feel that they have any right to dictate or attempt to influence our policies, actions, or beliefs.

One of my "Common Sense Predictions for the Next Ten Years" (4 October 2009) was "Numerous churches will renounce their tax-exempt status in order to prevent governmental interference in their affairs."