Florida interview stirs controversy

Posted: 9/01/06

Florida interview stirs controversy

By Robert Marus

ABP Washington Bureau

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ABP) —Rep. Katherine Harris (R-Fla.) has caused a major stir with comments, published in the Florida Baptist Convention’s newspaper and picked up by national media, suggesting the separation of church and state is a lie and failure to elect Christians to public office will cause governments to “legislate sin.”

The Florida Baptist Witness recently published a package of articles and interviews with candidates in the state’s primary elections for governor and United States Senate.

In response to a question about why Florida Baptists should care about the primary election, Harris said, “If you are not electing Christians, tried and true, under public scrutiny and pressure, if you’re not electing Christians, then in essence you are going to legislate sin.” When asked about the role people of faith should play in politics, Harris seemed to disparage church-state separation, referring to it as “that lie we have been told.”

“And if we are the ones not actively involved in electing those godly men and women and if people aren’t involved in helping godly men in getting elected, then we’re going to have a nation of secular laws. That’s not what our founding fathers intended and that’s (sic) certainly isn’t what God intended,” she said.

Several Florida politicians—Republican and Democrat alike —lambasted Harris’ remarks. Harris’ campaign released a “statement of clarification” Aug. 26 attempting to douse the firestorm.

“In the interview, Harris was speaking to a Christian audience, addressing a common misperception that people of faith should not be actively involved in government,” the statement said. “Addressing this Christian publication, Harris provided a statement that explains her deep grounding in Judeo-Christian values.”