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Watch out, Texans. Elections will be held on November 2nd and Proposal 3 will put believers in danger.
In April, 45 ultra-Orthodox men and boys were trampled to death at a religious festival in Israel. This tragedy occurred in a certain community of citizens of Israel who ignore or break secular law when they feel that God or their rabbis ask to do so. In this case, over 100,000 believers gathered at a burial site, despite police and health officials urging organizers to limit the crowd and put in place other safety precautions.
This is not the first or only example of the risks some believers take in order to practice their religion in any particular way. And of course, no one will be able to rule out the risk for those willing to break the law. But in our country based on the separation of church and state, the law should not be changed to codify the beliefs or practices of those who put religious law above the law of the country.
Proposal 3 would add this new section to Article 1 of the Texas Constitution:
“This state or any political subdivision of that state may not enact, enact or enact any law, order, proclamation, decision or regulation in that state that prohibits or restricts religious services in churches, parishes and places of worship to support and serve the spread of sincere religious beliefs. “
If Proposition 3 is adopted, Proposition 3 would exempt religious institutions from occupancy restrictions, emergency exit requirements, evacuation orders, building codes, and more. Religious institutions are already protected from closure during the State of Emergency thanks to two bills signed by Governor Greg Abbott in the 2021 legislature. House Bill 525 identifies religious organizations as vital to keeping them operating during a declared state of emergency, and HB 1239 prohibits government agencies from ordering the closure of places of worship.
A broad coalition of faith organizations actually opposes this type of bill because it can threaten the health and well-being of believers and those who are morally obliged to come to their aid if harm or tragedy results. Proposal 3 goes a step further and makes it even harder for the government to protect loyal Texans from harm.
The principle of “the law of government is the law” is enshrined in Jewish law. This law was written when Jews did not live according to the law as equal citizens or played a role in shaping the laws governing democracy. In today’s United States, each of us has the ability to stand up for justice and freedom for ourselves and others. But now, as then, Jewish law recognizes that concern for personal and community health and safety can sometimes require an adjustment in the way we practice our particular religion.
This approach stems from the fundamental belief that while God is the source of life, the continued protection of life is the responsibility of man. In a healthy society, the government will develop laws to protect the life and well-being of all of its citizens, sometimes restricting the autonomy of some people.
The section of the oral law at the beginning of the third century entitled “The Ethics of the Fathers” says, “Pray for the welfare of the government, for without fear people would devour one another alive.” We can pray for a government that protects the health and well-being of all of its citizens. And we can vote for people and guidelines who do so with humility and integrity.
Prayer is important – and so is voting. Protect the health and safety of all Texas citizens by voting against proposal 3.
Rabbi Nancy Kasten is the Chief Relationship Officer at Faith Commons. She wrote this column for the Dallas Morning News.
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