After backing landmark religious freedom legislation in Congress, American groups representing different faiths have discovered that working together can be an effective exercise of political clout.
And in light of the groups’ legislative success last year, members say there’s more to come.
Three years ago, several major Jewish organizations joined a coalition of more than 65 religious groups that advocated the legislation, called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which President Clinton ceremoniously signed into law in November.
As a result of this collaborative effort, American religious groups found that, despite their many theological differences, they can display some fierce political prowess when working together.
“The coalition is an example of the powerful role that the religious community can play when it is willing to put its energy and resources together,” said Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.
The group, called the Coalition for the Free Exercise of Religion, plans to become directly involved in the debates on several congressional bills that address the right to free exercise of religion.
One such bill would provide greater protection in the workplace for employees making religious claims.
This so-called “religious accommodation” legislation, due to be introduced by the end of this month, is regarded as important for observant Jews and members of other religious minorities whose religious practices vary from the norms in the workplace.
Another bill would protect the religious practices of Native Americans, such as the use of peyote in religious ceremonies.
The coalition will also advocate that religious groups be exempt from regulations requiring that organizations make public disclosures of their lobbying activities.
Brent Walker, general counsel for the Baptist Committee on Public Affairs, said the coalition will be unable to reach a consensus on some issues, but will consider breaking into smaller groups on difficult matters.
While the religious freedom legislation involved a beneficial change in the law for everyone, new issues are not so uniformly accepted, Walker said.
“We’re talking now about principles that not every group can live with,” he said.
But, Walker said, “just because we all can’t hang together on a particular issue is not a sign of failure.”
Dr. Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, president of the Islamic-American Zakat Foundation, said that for the coalition to maintain its unifying influence, “we will have to be selective about the issues we pursue.”
In a panel discussion last week sponsored by the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists and the American Muslim Council, representatives from Jewish, Christian and Muslim groups talked about the coalition’s recent success.
“The coalition had an enormous impact” on the passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, said Saperstein.
“It would have been impossible” to pass the act without the coalition’s help, he said.
The coalition lobbied for more than three years for the law, which makes it harder for state governments to infringe upon a person’s right to practice one’s religion.
At the White House signing ceremony in November, Clinton thanked the coalition for the “central role” it played in the legislation’s drafting and passage.
“Our group really impressed members of Congress,” Saperstein said, adding that several members of Congress knew little about the bill before they were approached by the coalition.
Among the Jewish groups that joined the Coalition for the Free Exercise of Religion are Agudath Israel of America, the American Jewish Committee, the American Jewish Congress, the Anti-Defamation League, B’nai B’rith, the Council of Jewish Federations, the National Council of Jewish Women and the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
