c. 1997 Religion News Service

WASHINGTON _ A broad coalition of religious leaders Thursday (Feb. 13), saying that reform of the system for financing elections is”a moral matter,”called on Congress to pass legislation to change the system.”The present system of financing elections has become a major scandal,”the religious leaders said in an open letter to Congress.”It gives at least the appearance that the president, senators and representatives are willing to sell their values and votes, as well as the integrity of their offices, for the sake of campaign contributions.”Campaign finance reform is not simply a political or public relations dilemma but a moral matter,”the religious leaders said, adding that the lawmakers had an”inescapable duty: to address the widescale cynicism that is undercutting our faith in government.” The religious leaders voiced their support for reform legislation that has been introduced in the Senate by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and Fred Thompson, R-Tenn. It would impose a number of restrictions on political fund raising by reducing special interest contributions, increasing public campaign resources and banning the limitless”soft money”contributions that are made to parties rather than candidates.

During the recent campaign, religious leaders across the political and theological spectrum, as well political candidates from President Clinton on down, criticized the system for financing political campaigns and promised to work for reform.

The flood of special interest money to both parties and the continuing stream of revelations about Clinton’s and the Democratic Party’s fund-raising efforts are pointed to by a number of religious leaders and political analysts as one reason Americans are disillusioned with the political system.

But in the months since the election, lawmakers have cooled notably to the idea of reform.”We are deeply troubled that the president and congressional leaders are failing to make campaign finance reform a top priority early in the 105th Congress,”said Sister Kathy Thornton, national coordinator of Network, the Roman Catholic social justice lobby.

Nevertheless, the religious leaders said Thursday they would not let up in their efforts to change the system.”We are very concerned about the widespread disillusionment with public life,”said the Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, general secretary of the National Council of Churches.”Disillusionment and cynicism over politics and electoral processes must be addressed.” Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism called the present campaign finance system”pernicious”because its effect is to”reduce voter access to elected officials, erode moral standards in government agencies and institutions, and breed distrust and alienation.”No wonder public skepticism is so rampant,”he added.

The Rev. Jay Litner, director of the Washington office of the United Church of Christ, said that an”important line has been crossed”in the scandal-plagued 1996 election.”All earlier efforts at developing fair rules for elections have broken down with the flood of soft money and other forms of money that controlled the 1996 elections,”he said.”The faith that we the people have that the rules of democracy are fair and just has been eroded so badly as to be dysfunctional.” The letter was signed by three dozen church leaders, ranging from the heads of major denominations, such as Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning of the Episcopal Church and Bishop H. George Anderson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, to officials of smaller faith bodies such as the Swedenborgian Church, the Moravian Church and groups such as the Mennonite Central Committee, the American Friends Service Committee and the American Ethical Union.

The church leaders’ effort follows on the steps of a project unveiled earlier this month in Chicago to launch a grassroots efforts at campaign finance reform.”We as people of faith recognize God as the creator and sustainer of all,”said the Chicago statement, which was sponsored by the Quaker and Roman Catholic leaders in the Midwes.”We are concerned that the current system of money and politics, which gives control to the few, contradicts that basic truth and must be changed.”

MJP END ANDERSON