If a religion-based social service organization receives taxpayers’ funds from the federal government, should that organization be free to discriminate by religion in hiring its employees?
Bryan Kennedy thinks that government funds shouldn’t go to religious organizations in the first place.
“Once the government gets its nose in [the operations of a religious organization,] it tends to want to control it,” said Kennedy, Democratic challenger for the House of Representatives seat in the Fifth District.
“I don’t want the government dictating policies to religious communities.”
In contrast, the Republican incumbent, Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, said that such funding does not violate the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment since there is a “firewall” preventing such funds from being used for missionizing.
Moreover, Sensenbrenner is concerned about “anti-religious discrimination.” He said a religious organization should not be sued on grounds of discrimination for refusing to hire “a flaming atheist.”
“That is not speculation; that is a real danger,” said Sensenbrenner.
This was just one example of the clash of views that these candidates expressed at a forum held Thursday, Oct. 12, at Congregation Shalom, sponsored by the synagogue and the Milwaukee Jewish Council for Community Relations.
An estimated 250 people attended, an audience most of whom clearly favored Kennedy. This was apparent from the candidates’ opening remarks: those of Kennedy received prolonged applause, those of Sensenbrenner only a spattering of applause.
Agreement on Israel
For most of the event, the candidates responded to questions posed by moderator Ellis Bromberg, general manager of Milwaukee Public Television and an MJCCR board member. In addition to the one in the first paragraph, the questions covered a range of issues, including immigration law reform, health insurance, stem cell research and reproductive rights.
The two had little disagreement when asked about U.S. relations with Israel and efforts to resolve the Israel-Arab conflict.
Sensenbrenner praised the “road map” policy of President Bush and said, “The philosophy of land for peace is the only way out of the Middle East problem.”
He also insisted that “the Palestinians have to give peace to Israel first,” and “Israel should be able to do what it takes” to protect its security. “If that requires military action, so be it.”
Sensenbrenner also said it is important that the U.S. should veto anti-Israel resolutions in the United Nations Security Council, and said, “Israel is a democracy that shares common values” with the U.S.
Kennedy said he agreed with “a large portion” of what Sensenbrenner said here. However, he criticized Sensenbrenner for being “not a huge supporter of foreign aid,” and said foreign aid should be used “in a peaceful way” to promote peace between Israel and its neighbors.
The two clashed particularly over the Iraq war. Sensenbrenner said, “The world is a safer place” with the overthrow of the Saddam Hussein dictatorship and said the U.S. is “going to have to stay the course” there.
Kennedy said the Iraq war is a distraction from the unfinished hunt for Sept. 11 terrorist Osama Bin Laden. He accused the administration of an “attention deficit defense policy” in this matter and called for a “flexible time line” for “drawing down troops” from Iraq.
Controversy occurred not just on the panel. The candidate from the Wisconsin Green Party, Bob Levis, was not invited to participate in the forum; but he did sit in the audience and handed out campaign literature about himself and the party before and after the event.
Levis also told this reporter that he was “disappointed” that MJCCR officials “couldn’t see the discriminatory nature of their actions” by not inviting him to participate in the forum.
But Paula Simon, executive director of the MJCCR, told The Chronicle that the MJCCR has had a long-standing policy of inviting only “viable candidates” to such events.
Such candidates, according to the MJCCR’s written policy, must “demonstrate evidence of voter interest and support of at least 20 percent of those queried by a recognized public, independent poll, sponsored by a media outlet, foundation or university rather than a campaign or political party.”
Simon said she had invited Levis to submit such evidence. She also said that as a non-profit organization, the MJCCR by law must present only “educational” events about issues, and cannot be a means of helping candidates publicize themselves, which could look like political advocacy.
Moreover, this policy is “not discriminatory” because the council strives to apply it in a fair manner “to everybody,” she said.
The next MJCCR candidate forum is scheduled to take place on Monday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. at Beth El Ner Tamid Synagogue in Mequon. It will feature two candidates for the open 23rd District seat in the Wisconsin Assembly: Jim Ott (Republican) and Stan Teplin (Democrat).
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