Churches weigh in on Prop 1

With the Nov. 3 election approaching, many faith-based organizations in Idaho have been vocal about Proposition 1. Some encouraged members to vote against it, while others donated to political action committees opposing the initiative.

“The church is one of the biggest action committees that there are,” said Pastor Tim Remington of Altar Church in Coeur d'Alene. “The church has been around for centuries to promote morals.”

Remington said Altar Church opposes Proposition 1 and discusses the initiative with church members, though not during services.

“I’ve never seen so many lies, the propaganda that’s put out there,” Remington said regarding Proposition 1. “The senior pastors all get together once a week to discuss what is the truth and form our own opinion.”

Altar Church's position on abortion is published on its website and states that “abortion is murder.”

Remington said he does not believe the church needs to donate funds to political action committees because the church already advocates against Proposition 1. Pastor Paul Van Noys of Candlelight Christian Fellowship in Coeur d'Alene expressed a similar view.

“It was unnecessary,” Van Noys wrote in an email. “We have so much support for 'No on Prop 1.' The church, as an institution, did not need to, our people are active.”

Proposition 1 would repeal Idaho's abortion ban. The law allows exceptions only in cases of rape or incest reported to law enforcement during the first trimester or to prevent the death of the mother.

“We join with other like-minded individuals and organizations working against this initiative and encourage our members to voice their opposition to it in a respectful manner,” a letter shared with the Press from the area presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said.

The letter was read aloud in Idaho congregations Sept. 20 and 27. In October, the church donated $1 million to the Too Extreme for Idaho political action committee, which opposes Proposition 1.

“While The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints remains neutral toward political candidates, it actively addresses ballot initiatives it believes carry significant moral consequences,” the Church said in a statement.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise also donated to Too Extreme for Idaho, according to reporting by the Idaho Capital Sun. Bishop Peter Christensen urged Church members to vote against Proposition 1.

Those donations and public statements followed an August opinion by Attorney General Raul Labrador, which said churches may donate to political action committees without revealing their donors, provided they do not solicit donations from congregants specifically for a campaign, Boise State Public Radio reported.

Rev. Dr. David Gortner of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Coeur d'Alene said the church has not donated to any political action committees and does not encourage members to vote for or against Proposition 1.

“We have informal conversations, but I wouldn’t speak from the pulpit,” Gortner said. “If it involves elections, we wouldn’t be doing that.”

Gortner said the Episcopal Church does not support abortion as a method of birth control but also does not support government regulation of abortion access.

“It’s between a woman and her doctor, with recommendations of seeking pastoral guidance,” Gortner said.

In response to Labrador's opinion and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' donation, the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship donated $5,000 to Idahoans United for Women and Families, the group that authored Proposition 1.

“We felt like we needed to counter that with our own dollars,” said Rev. Sara LaWall of the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. “We gave as much as we felt we could.”

LaWall said she made a statement from the pulpit supporting Proposition 1 and mobilized fellowship members to collect signatures and knock on doors in support of the initiative.

“It is not unusual for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship to be invested in social justice issues in our community,” LaWall said.

Under federal law, churches cannot donate to PACs that support or oppose political candidates without risking their tax-exempt status. However, they may contribute to ballot initiative campaigns because those campaigns concern policy questions rather than candidates.

    Pastor Tim Remington at the National Day of Prayer in Coeur d'Alene in 2024.