As the 2024 elections draw closer, some people are seeking advice from the leaders of their religious communities in deciding who to vote for.
Even though it is illegal for a church to engage in political campaign activities, people often rely on clergy for a frame of reference and context when deciding who to vote for, says Rabbi Hillel Skolnik of Congregation Tifereth Israel of Columbus.
“It makes sense that your religious beliefs would influence your behavior at the ballot box,” he said.
The Ohio Capital Journal spoke to three Columbus-based religious leaders about advice they give to members of their congregations who turn to them to help them decide which candidate to vote for in this year’s presidential election between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.
“God is not beholden to any political party,” said Jed Dearing, pastor of Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Columbus.
“Vote according to your conscience”
Tim Ahrens, senior pastor of the First Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ in downtown Columbus, encourages people to vote.
“Don’t just go and do nothing because you haven’t done your homework and research,” Ahrens said. “Vote according to your conscience and vote for what you believe in.”
To help people make their choice, he asks them about their beliefs.
“I explore with people what values lie at the core of their being,” said Ahrens. “Anyone who represents the values you represent and who believes in them as closely as possible can represent who you are.”
Trinity Episcopal Church
People from Dearing’s congregation often come to him with questions.
“How can I love my neighbor despite the hateful language that is used?” he asked. “How do I pray for a candidate I don’t like? How do we pray without judgment?”
Many people who come to him are angry – especially women and members of the LGBTQ community.
“So the question is: How can I have love and care and respect in my heart for people who speak so hatefully and try to remove rights and established things, especially when they use dehumanizing language?” he said. “How can I not just stay angry?”
He said it reminded him of Moses and the burning bush from the Book of Exodus in the Bible.
“At this point, the Hebrew people are enslaved by the Egyptians and the bush is burning, but it doesn’t consume itself and it doesn’t burn Moses,” he said. “Instead, it calls him … (and) ultimately leads him to reorient his life and work for the freedom of the enslaved people. For me as Christians, the real challenge and the real reason is to figure out how we can stoke a fire that burns for justice, freedom and equal opportunity for all without becoming consumed and angry.”
When choosing a candidate to vote for, Dearing thinks of Micah 6:8: “He has shown you, O son of man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To do what is just, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
“Are they committed to justice? Are they committed to mercy? Do they have humility? Are they going to be someone in office who will continue to learn and grow as we hopefully continue to learn and grow?” Dearing said.
Jewish context
Skolnik tries to address certain topics by explaining Jewish backgrounds and contexts.
For example, Judaism supports a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy, he said.
“This doesn’t mean you should vote for a particular candidate, but it puts an important issue in a Jewish context that could influence your decision at the ballot box,” Skolnik said.
He tries to help people through three principles: study, worship and loving deeds.
“Our Jewish life is supposed to be a balance of those three things,” Skolnik said. “…The people they choose as their leaders are those who are aligned with them, just as they would try to live a life that includes learning, worship and acts of charity.”
War between Israel and Hamas
The war between Israel and Hamas is something that Jewish voters cannot ignore, Skolnik said.
According to Al Jazeera, more than 39,900 people have been killed, over 92,200 people injured and over 10,000 people are missing in Gaza since the Israeli invasion following a Hamas-led attack in October that killed nearly 1,200 people in Israel.
“It’s certainly a huge question whether you feel like a candidate you would support would at least support Israel’s right to self-defense,” Skolnik said. “The idea of Israel’s right to self-defense doesn’t mean you agree with every decision Israel makes at every moment of the day, but that’s certainly something that comes out in huge, big, bold letters of context.”
Dearing said it has been hard for some people in his community to see the United States continue to financially support Israel amid the war between Israel and Hamas. President Joe Biden signed a $14.1 billion bill to support Israel back in April.
“There is the question of whether my values lean more toward the Democrats, and right now that party is in control and continues to decide whether this war is funded,” Dearing said. “Do I vote for president for a party that continues to fund this war that seems to go beyond justice or defense?”
Christian Nationalism
Ahrens recently gave a sermon criticizing Christian nationalism.
“Lawmaking morality never works,” he said in his sermon. “Just read your Bible and you will see how it fails time and time again. Moreover, Christian nationalism is an ideology predominantly held by white Christian Americans, and so it tends to exacerbate racial and ethnic divisions.”
Christians should be politically active, he said in his sermon.
“But I also believe we can and should do this without becoming Christian nationalists, because Christian nationalism is neither Christian nor patriotic,” Ahrens said in his sermon. “Christian nationalism tends to treat other Americans as second-class citizens, including, but not limited to, others including women, children and immigrants. They also tend to treat science and scientists and scientific education with contempt.”
This story was originally published in the Ohio Capital Journal and is republished here with permission.
