Reflections

In Huckabee endorsement, Drake commits legal, political and theological wrongs

By J. Brent Walker

September 2007

Wiley Drake thinks Mike Huckabee should be president of the United States.

Rev. Drake is pastor of the First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park, Calif., and host of the church-related radio program, “The Wiley Drake Show.” Rev. Drake, who in 2006 served as the Southern Baptist Convention’s second vice president, recently endorsed Baptist preacher and former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee, for president. Although declaring that he was speaking only for himself, Rev. Drake made the endorsement on church letterhead and during his radio program.

When the propriety of electioneering on church letterhead was called into question by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Rev. Drake called Americans United staffers “enemies of God” and asked his flock to pray “imprecatory prayers,” calling on God to curse — indeed, strike down — the heathen at Americans United.

Wiley Drake could not possibly be more off base — legally, politically and theologically.

As readers of this publication are well aware, nonprofit organizations, including churches, that are exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the tax code, may not support or oppose candidates for office without endangering their tax-exempt status.

Although Rev. Drake may endorse to his heart’s content when speaking personally, individually and for himself only, he cannot do so when acting on behalf of the church. Speaking through a letter written on formal church letterhead creates, at the very least, a strong inference that he is speaking for the church. For Rev. Drake to say — probably with a wink and a nod — that he was really only giving a personal opinion smacks of violating the spirit, if not the letter, of the prohibition on electioneering. Churches, including Rev. Drake’s, should live by the law if they want to enjoy the generous benefits of tax exemption. If they want to endorse candidates for office, they should give up their tax-exempt status.

Rev. Drake also misses the mark politically. There may be a lot of good reasons to vote for or against Gov. Huckabee. The fact that he is a “born-again Christian,” standing alone, seems to me insufficient. To be sure, the Constitution’s no religious test clause in Article VI only bans legal disabilities based on religion. Citizens can vote for whomever they wish and take religion into account in making that decision. However, the question should always be who is the best man or woman to lead the country and all of its citizens, not who is the most devout Christian. The most qualified person to serve the common good may turn out to be a Christian, or it may be someone of some other faith, or someone of no faith at all. I think it was Martin Luther who said, “I’d rather be ruled by a smart Turk than a dumb Christian.” Rev. Drake endorsed Gov. Huckabee also because “he’d fear God more than his constituents and more than the Constitution,” according to press reports. That sounds to me like theocracy! Religious values may inform our leaders’ leadership style and public policy positions, but at the end of the day, our governmental leaders must agree to be accountable to the voters and to the Constitution.

Finally, Rev. Drake is wrong theologically. To pray for (and urge others to do the same) the demise of those with whom you disagree is outrageous. First of all, the identified staffers at Americans United are not “enemies of God;” they are friends of American democracy. Even if they were “enemies of God,” it seems to me Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount takes precedence over the imprecatory psalms, like Psalm 109, that call upon God to wipe out Israel’s enemies. Jesus clearly instructed his followers to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you….” (Matt. 5:44). I’ll go with Jesus, over the psalmist, any day. And apparently, so would Gov. Huckabee. He reportedly responded to news about Rev. Drake’s mean-spirited call for the demise of his detractors by saying, “the saving of souls rather than the damning of them would tend to be more my hope.” He got that right, although I wish Gov. Huckabee had spoken out more forcefully.

As we enter election season, I hope we’ll have a vigorous debate about who will lead us for the next four years. But, I pray we’ll shirk Wiley Drake’s example and proceed with civility and common courtesy, and in line with the Constitution.