A broad coalition of Christian clergy said Wednesday they will push
parishioners to oppose a proposal to expand gambling in Ohio by displaying
yard signs, campaigning door-to-door and preaching against the measure from
their pulpits. The announcement at a Statehouse news conference marked a
moment of rare cooperation on a political issue between Ohio’s mainstream
and conservative religious communities, which have differed in their
approaches in the divisive governor’s race between Democrat Ted Strickland
and Republican Ken Blackwell. But both groups sent powerful religious
leaders – United Methodist Bishop Bruce Ough and evangelical pastor Rod
Parsley of World Harvest Church – to express their unity against the ballot
initiative, called Learn and Earn by backers.
Ough, who represents the Methodist church’s West Ohio Conference, equated
the supporters’ strategy of highlighting the college scholarships provided
by the proposal, rather than the gambling it would allow, to a game of hide
and seek. “What supporters of slot machines really want is a full-blown
gambling industry in Ohio,” he said. “This ballot issue is the first step in
their agenda.” Parsley said Ohioans deserve something better than a
snake-oil sales pitch from Learn and Earn.
“It’s a risky scheme to enrich a few at the expense of the poor,” he said.
The constitutional amendment, Issue 3 on the Nov. 7 ballot, would allow
seven horse racing tracks to operate 31,500 slot machines and give Cleveland
the option of setting up two freestanding sites downtown. Thirty percent of
the money raised would be earmarked for scholarships that students would
earn while in high school.
Learn and Earn spokeswoman Robin Hepler said supporters respect church
leaders’ right to oppose the amendment, but believe they are spreading
inaccuracies.
“We understand their objections on the moral issue of gambling, but I would
disagree when they say this is not about education,” Hepler said.
She said their opposition was expected.
The church leaders who gathered Wednesday said they plan to distribute
10,000 yard signs to be displayed in church lawns statewide, hand out voter
education pamphlets and hold informational forums on the topic.
Rebecca Tollefson, executive director of the Ohio Council of Churches, said
the proposal would create new gambling addicts in Ohio and would make a few
business owners rich at the expense of low-income people, who would be drawn
to the get-rich-quick promise of slot machines.
She accused its backers of being deceptive.
“Learn and Earn is about gambling, not education,” Tollefson said. “And
gambling is bad for families.”
Though organizers of Wednesday’s event called on other faith leaders to join
their effort, they did not reach out to a recently formed coalition of
mainline and liberal religious leaders called We Believe, which has been
active in this year’s election.
The Rev. Tim Ahrens of the First Congregational Church in Columbus and the
head of We Believe – which challenged the tax-exempt status of some
conservative religious churches, including Parsley’s, and their support of
Blackwell for governor – said his group was not invited to take part in the
news conference.
We Believe has not taken a position on Issue 3, he said, but may do so. He
said most of the ministers in his group oppose the issue.
