Church leaders ask voters to oppose issues

By Marc Kovac

It’s still not certain that either issue will be on the ballot.

COLUMBUS — Faith leaders asked voters to join them in opposing ballot issues related to a new Ohio casino and payday lending.

“The serpent has chosen the ballot as the place to bite the oppressed,” said the Rev. Tim Ahrens, senior minister of the First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Columbus. “We must vote ‘yes’ on Issue No. 5. ... We must vote ‘No’ on Issue No. 6.”

Ahrens joined representatives from Episcopal, Catholic, Methodist and Vineyard churches and the Ohio Council of Churches during a press conference Thursday morning near the Statehouse.

Issue 5 is a referendum that would overturn House Bill 545, legislation that was signed into law by Gov. Ted Strickland earlier this year that adds restrictions to the payday loan industry.

Issue 6 is a constitutional amendment that would allow a casino to open in southwestern Ohio.

Neither issues’ status is certain, as both are awaiting final approval from the Secretary of State’s Office to be included on the November ballot.

Still, vocal campaigns are in place both for and against the issues. The Ohio Council of Churches has been active in its opposition to payday lending and casino gambling.

Speakers during Thursday’ press conference called the former usury that preyed on the poor.

“It is simply unbiblical, it’s unethical, it’s immoral to take advantage of the poor through unjust interest on loans,” Ahrens said.

On the latter, speakers talked about detrimental effects gambling has on the needy.

“Like payday lending, casino gambling too often results in unmanageable personal debt,” said Jim Tobin, associate director of the Catholic Conference of Ohio, citing “the ease and speed in which people can lose lots of money in casinos.”

“What unites these issues is unrestrained and unrestricted greed,” the Rev. John Edgar, from the United Methodist Church for All People, added in a later released statement. “Greed has already reached catastrophic levels on Wall Street, but this election allows us to control what happens on every Main Street in Ohio.”