Head of Federal Election Commission calls separation of church and state a 'fallacy' ...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Religion News

Head of Federal Election Commission calls separation of church and state a ‘fallacy’ and 2020 election a ‘spiritual war’

September 17, 2020
Jack Jenkins

WASHINGTON (RNS) — The head of the Federal Election Commission chastised Catholic bishops during a pair of interviews this week, accusing church hierarchy of “hiding behind” their nonprofit status and declaring that this year’s U.S. election amounts to a “spiritual war” that threatens the country’s “Christian moral principles.” ... FEC Chairman James E. “Trey” Trainor III made the remarks during an interview released on Wednesday (Sept. 16) by Church Militant, a controversial conservative Catholic media outlet, and in a separate phone interview with Religion News Service.

Trainor, who is Catholic and attends Mass weekly, was asked by Church Militant founder Michael Voris about a priest who recently published a viral video in which the cleric declares that no Catholic can be a Democrat. Voris pressed Trainor about news that, in response to the video, a bishop plans to attempt “fraternal correction” of the priest, with the hierarch arguing the priest has inflicted a “wound” upon the church.

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Trainor, a Republican who was nominated to the FEC by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May 2020, also told Voris that because of a 2017 executive order signed by Trump, churches are free to endorse political candidates. ... “Especially with this executive order that President Trump signed, the churches can absolutely engage in that activity,” said Trainor, a lawyer who previously represented the Texas Republican Party and two presidential campaigns.

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Trainor contended the separation of church and state is “a fallacy,” because “every person who comes to the public square has to have an informed conscience in one way or another, and it’s either informed by their religion, their tradition or something.” ... The chairman also agreed with Voris that this year’s election amounts to a “spiritual war.” Trainor expanded on that position in his interview with RNS.

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Read more: https://religionnews.com/2020/09/17/head-of-federal-election-commission-calls-separation-of-church-and-state-a-fallacy-and-2020-election-a-spiritual-war/

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David Fahrenthold Retweeted

https://twitter.com/Fahrenthold

1. So I spoke to the head of the Federal Election Commission today.

He told me the separation of church and state is a "fallacy," that Trump's 2017 EO allows faith leaders to endorse candidates, and that the 2020 election is a "spiritual war."

Link to tweet