Clerics accuse Parsley of twisting religion

September 19, 2006

CLEVELAND (RNS) An Ohio religious alliance opposed to mixing politics and faith has called on conservative evangelist Rod Parsley to stop "manipulating religion for political gain."

The Columbus, Ohio, pastor, an ally of Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell, has told other clergy that he wants to lend his megachurch's resources to fellow pastors and "work together in unity to win this state for Jesus Christ!"

"The message of Reformation Ohio remains the same as it did nearly a year ago when I took to the steps of the State Capitol -- to bring spiritual transformation to the Buckeye State," Parsley said Monday (Sept. 18) in a written statement.

Parsley is affiliated with the World Harvest Church, the Center for Moral Clarity, the World Harvest Church Ministerial Fellowship, and Reformation Ohio.

The most political thing on the agenda, Parsley said, will be to hand out information packets encouraging pastors to perform nonpartisan voter registration efforts.

But members of We Believe Ohio, created to counter the religious right's political influence, sees the meeting as a way to clandestinely stump for an ideology at the cost of other faiths.

In its letter to Parsley, the groups said Parsley crosses the line separating church and state "which has allowed religion to flourish in our state and nation."

It is signed by local Muslim, Sikh, Jewish and Christian clergy members.

"End your campaign of manipulating religion for political gain, and end your rhetoric that separates Ohioans from one another," the letter says.

-- Chris Seper