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Church leaders ask voters to oppose issues
By Marc Kovac
It’s still not certain that either issue will be on the ballot.
COLUMBUS — Faith leaders asked voters to join them in opposing ballot issues related to a new Ohio casino and payday lending.
“The serpent has chosen the ballot as the place to bite the oppressed,” said the Rev. Tim Ahrens, senior minister of the First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Columbus. “We must vote ‘yes’ on Issue No. 5. ... We must vote ‘No’ on Issue No. 6.”
Ahrens joined representatives from Episcopal, Catholic, Methodist and Vineyard churches and the Ohio Council of Churches during a press conference Thursday morning near the Statehouse.
Issue 5 is a referendum that would overturn House Bill 545, legislation that was signed into law by Gov. Ted Strickland earlier this year that adds restrictions to the payday loan industry.
Issue 6 is a constitutional amendment that would allow a casino to open in southwestern Ohio.
Neither issues’ status is certain, as both are awaiting final approval from the Secretary of State’s Office to be included on the November ballot.
Still, vocal campaigns are in place both for and against the issues. The Ohio Council of Churches has been active in its opposition to payday lending and casino gambling.
Speakers during Thursday’ press conference called the former usury that preyed on the poor.
“It is simply unbiblical, it’s unethical, it’s immoral to take advantage of the poor through unjust interest on loans,” Ahrens said.
On the latter, speakers talked about detrimental effects gambling has on the needy.
“Like payday lending, casino gambling too often results in unmanageable personal debt,” said Jim Tobin, associate director of the Catholic Conference of Ohio, citing “the ease and speed in which people can lose lots of money in casinos.”
“What unites these issues is unrestrained and unrestricted greed,” the Rev. John Edgar, from the United Methodist Church for All People, added in a later released statement. “Greed has already reached catastrophic levels on Wall Street, but this election allows us to control what happens on every Main Street in Ohio.”
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Comments
It srikes me as totally inappropriate for clergymen to be commenting on a political/economic issue. Surely they have more pressing concerns with their congregations. Payday lending seems to have become the scapegoat for the larger fiancial crisis facing our nation. The irony is that consumers will need access to emergency short-term credit now more than ever, just as attempts are underway to abolish that option. To pay $15 to borrow $100 for two weeks is not "immoral." Let the people decide this issue, and keep politics out of the pulpit!
Seriously SEPARATION OF CHURCH and STATE, how disgusting, for a church to urge their members politically. I don't care if I agree or not, its abuse of power, just as the government is abusing their power. Guess church and state AREN'T separated. VOTE NO ON ISSUE 5, and if you need more facts not delivered by a biased pastor/minister go to
http://ohioans4financialfreedom.com/
***************VOTE NO ON ISSUE 5****************
The issue with Issue 5: it would allow payday lenders to keep putting hundreds of thousands of Ohioans in debt by trapping them in loans with 391% interest rate. The larger financial issue in our nation is critical and payday loans will not help people – trapping people into an endless cycle of debt will not help our state in these tough economic times.
Nov. 4th – Vote yes on issue 5! - www.yesonissue5.com
Top 5 Reasons to Vote Yes on Issue 5:
- Yes on 5 lowers interest rates on payday loans from 391% to 28% annual interest.
- Yes on 5 ensures that loans will still be available for people who need them, but the interest rate is reduced so that it is comparable to the rates charged by credit cards.
- Yes on 5 helps prevent Ohioans desperate for quick cash from falling into a cycle of high-cost loans that they can never pay off.
- Yes on 5 extends the same payday loan protections to all Ohioans that the federal government provides to military families.
- Yes on 5 approves the new laws endorsed by Governor Strickland and the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Ohio Legislature. They believe the state has a fundamental obligation to protect Ohioans from excessive interest rates and defective financial products
This is an issue that impacts all Ohioans, many of whom are church goers. In this instance, I see no problem with folks coming out against a predatory industry. They see their parishioners trapped in debt and their food pantries run dry as a result of payday lending.
A yes vote on issue 5 will cap interest rates on payday loans at 28% APR and help end the debt trap for hundreds of thousands of Ohioans. Vote yes on issue 5!
Hypocrites abound.
Gambling is okay as long as its church-run bingo and they don't have to pay taxes on profits, right? Its absurd.
Some very simple truths on the subject: a.) if your organization doesn't pay taxes its opinion on matters like these don't matter, b.) an increase in tax revenue through casino gambling benefits ALL CITIZENS (with a focus on schools and veterans), not just those who choose to attend these churches, and c.) if you base voting decisions on the agenda of your church you are a moronic sheep incapable of thinking for yourself and shouldn't get a vote.
God bless.
The loan places I have always thought were a terrible idea that just put people into more debit. But the casino issue I think is a awesome idea. It would keep money here in Ohio and create JOBS!!!!! If the churches can have bingo and festivals with gambling, then why can't the whole state of Ohio!
Instead of opposing Issues we Ohians have to vote on, don't you think that you Ministers would be better off holding a Rally of some sorts to support that sinning evangelist that was recently indicted for taking minors over state lines and having sex with them; since you all stick together when you have to; such like now, by telling us Ohioans how "morally" we must vote.
I'm no church-goer, but spiritually speaking, political issues and economic issues *are* a matter of morality.
You don't have to mention names/issues for a person to draw political views from a sermon. Some of these ministers are probably just adding in names and framing the issues in more modern language, like instead of "Do you heal only the people with money?" = "universal healthcare" and "Is it moral to let a starving person die while you amass wealth?" = "capitalism" or "government assistance" or "taxes". Sermons are full of economic issues, political issues, foreign policy issues that are usually not couched in those terms.
If ministers want to use more relevant terminology to make people see the correlations between their religion and political decisions, I'd say that's not a bad thing unless these ministers are getting money from candidates/ organizations. If they are getting money for building their sermons around these issues or candidates, that's pretty wrong.