c. 2000 Religion News Service

(Rabbi Rudin is the national interreligious affairs director of the American Jewish Committee.)

UNDATED It’s time for New Year’s resolutions, and although no one has asked me, here is an unsolicited pair intended for the presidential candidates of both parties. Hopefully, my resolutions will be adopted quickly by the politicians who want to be America’s first elected president of the 21st century, but I strongly doubt it will happen.

1. Presidential candidates should stop pandering to the narrow agenda of the religious right, a group that recent elections have consistently shown to constitute a minority of the general public. Many of us have grown weary, even disgusted by the all-too-familiar minuet that takes place every four years during the primary season. Some otherwise moderate leaders slavishly give support to the divisive platform of the religious right that seeks to impose its extreme policies and views upon the entire nation. Unfortunately, many wannabe presidents feel they must appease the religious right in order to win the nomination to reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Of course, once having gained the presidential nomination, the political moderate always rushes back to the political center where, not surprisingly, most of the votes are. The religious right advocates are, of course, publicly angered by the nominee’s swift move to the middle of the road and they immediately cry “betrayal” and angrily vow to extract “electoral revenge,” while the rest of us are at first bewildered and then angered by the candidate’s cynic maneuvering.

During the general election campaign, the presidential nominee quickly jettisons the earlier positions of support he may have taken on such issues as repeal of the Supreme Court’s Roe vs. Wade decision on abortion, display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms and courthouses, mandated prayer and Bible reading in the public schools, educational vouchers that have been declared unconstitutional, teaching creationism instead of evolution, and removing certain books the religious right finds objectionable from community libraries. The script is all so predictable and tiresome.

But maybe in 2000, just maybe, truly serious contenders for the presidency, and not those hapless candidates who use the primaries as an ego trip to increase their lecture fees, will resolve to show principled consistency on such critical issues as church-state separation, support for our public schools, freedom from censorship and the right to personal choice.

2. In the New Year presidential candidates should resolve to respect the historic line that has traditionally separated the private faith commitments of elected officials from their public rhetoric and official duties. While it may be comforting to know a potential American president has sincere religious beliefs, it is quite disturbing when a candidate crosses the line during campaign appearances and speaks of personal spirituality in ways that appear arrogant to many Americans and seemingly excludes millions of people who do not share a similar belief.

This is especially true for those leaders who would lead a nation of nearly 300,000,000 citizens that is increasingly multi-religious and multi-ethnic. Indeed, every religious belief known to the human family is represented in 21st century America, including the many expressions of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism, American Indian spirituality and a host of other faith commitments.

Current campaign rhetoric is awash with the candidates’ pious self-serving appeals to God and confessions of personal sin and repentance. If the current babble of religio-political talk is an accurate preview, TV sitcoms and on-line computer sales should attract huge audiences during this fall’s presidential debates as an increasing number of potential voters turn away in disgust.

It is sometimes forgotten that we will be electing a chief executive in November and not a high priest. Interestingly, the Hebrew Bible carefully spells out the sharp distinction between the roles and responsibilities of political leaders and spiritual authorities. “When he (the king) is seated on the royal throne, he shall have a copy of the Torah written for him by the priests. Let it remain with him, so he may learn to revere God … and will not act haughtily toward his fellow citizens …” (Deuteronomy 17:18-20).

Even though Scripture requires Israelite kings to possess their own sacred Torah scroll, the Bible clearly affirms that ultimate religious power does not reside with the rulers, but rather with the priestly class. And conversely, the high priest could not be the political leader of ancient Israel. It was a wise separation of power thousands of years ago in biblical times and it remains equally wise today.

DEA END RUDIN

AP-NY-01-06-00 1322EST