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Howard Dean Trying to 'Muzzle' Churches
This article by Monisha Bansal originally appeared at CNSNews.com. Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean's recent comments calling on groups in the religious community "to decide whether they want to be tax exempt or involved in politics" drew the ire of a Catholic-based advocacy group on Friday. Dean's remarks were made during an interview with the Christian Science Monitor on Wednesday. "Howard Dean's statement makes it clear that he wants to muzzle America's churches and religious groups from professing what they believe on important issues facing our society," said Joseph Cella, president of Fidelis, a Catholic-based advocacy organization.
"When it comes to debates over public policy and issues, Dean should be welcoming the voice of America's churches, not attempting to silence them," said Cella. "Instead, Dean has shown utter disregard for people of faith by threatening the historical and treasured role of religious groups and churches in American public life," Cella continued.
Story Continues Below But Dean, who did not speak publicly about his religious views until his presidential bid in 2004, has apparently used religion to his political advantage several times since then. During his campaign, Dean sold "Dean for America" signs, touting they are "perfect for church." In February 2005, before heading the DNC, Dean said the party's strategy needed to include reaching evangelical Christians, a low number of whom voted for the Democratic Party in the 2004 elections.
"We are definitely going to do religious outreach. Even in my campaign, I was interested in reaching out to evangelicals," Dean reportedly told Christianity Today, noting that "our religious outreach will not solely be to evangelical Christians but to Americans of all faiths." In July 2005, Dean said at a convention of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), "Decency, lifting up our fellow man, bringing hope to those left out of the process and ensuring that our nation's prosperity is shared by all ... these are things that the African Methodist Episcopal Church has stood for, and these are things that Democrats stand for." He went on to commend the church on its get-out-the-vote effort. "Finally, I want to commend the AME on the creation of the AME V-Alert initiative. There is no democratic right more basic to our democracy than the power of the vote." In September, Dean also gave a speech at the National Baptist Convention of America, Inc., in Miami, Fla. But Cella called Dean's comments Wednesday "hostile." "Dean's blatant hostility toward any church or religious group calls into serious question his supposed outreach to values voters following the 2004 elections," he said. "In essence, Dean is saying that if religious groups want to continue to speak out, then the hand of government is going to exact a penalty. Comments such as these continue to place Howard Dean and the Democratic Party in jeopardy of further alienating religious voters," Cella concluded. The DNC, which was holding its annual spring meeting in New Orleans, La., when this article was written, was unavailable for comment.
Copyright 2006, CNSNews.com. All Rights Reserved.
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