Justice Sunday II telecast another example of politicization of faith

August 12, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This Sunday's sequel to the Family Research Council's April telecast of "Justice Sunday - Stopping the Filibuster against People of Faith" may not live up to the original but is yet another example of the politicization of faith.

The original telecast rally from a church in Louisville, Ky. falsely portrayed a political dispute about Senate procedure as a major conflict between the faithful and the faithless.

The sequel - "Justice Sunday II: God Save the United States and this Honorable Court!" - is scheduled for Sunday at Nashville's Two Rivers Baptist Church. Rep. Tom DeLay has replaced Sen. Bill Frist as the political star in attendance and the slogan this time is perhaps less provocative. According to its web site, the purpose of "Justice Sunday II" is to call attention to "how activist judges subvert the family, undermine religious freedom, and threaten our nation's future."

"Christians have the right, and in fact the responsibility, to weigh in on important policy issues," said K. Hollyn Hollman, general counsel for the Baptist Joint Committee. "But the exploitation of religion for partisan ends damages both religion and politics."

The organizers promise to focus on the Supreme Court's alleged "hostility" toward Christianity. Among the examples they cite are cases on school prayer, government displays of religion and the funding of religious schools.

"These decisions to keep government out of religion are hardly hostile to Christians," Hollman said. "Although the Court does not always get it right, its enforcement of the religion clauses has ensured greater religious freedom in this country than anywhere in the world."

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