Should we know more about a political candidate’s religion before we vote? That is a question that will certainly surface in this election cycle.
When John Kennedy ran for the presidency he said: “I believe in a President whose religious views are his own private affair.” While that may have satisfied some back in 1960, I doubt it will be sufficient in this election.
Michael Kinsley recently wrote about this important topic in Time magazine as he discussed Governor Mitt Romney. Although I would probably disagree with Kinsley on many political and theological issues, I think he rightly points out that the religious faith of a candidate cannot be kept private because it affects his or her worldview.
He says it is important for three reasons. First, we need to know the details of a candidate’s faith and the extent to which those details are accepted. He notes that Catholic liberal politicians since Mario Cuomo have said they accept the doctrine of the church but nevertheless believe in a woman’s right to choose. He concludes that either these politicians are lying to their church, or they are lying to us.
Second, since some doctrines of various religions may be offensive to the general public, they have a right to know if a candidate agrees with those doctrines. Michael Kinsley applies this only to Mitt Romney’s Mormonism, but it should also be applied to the religious faith of every candidate.
Third, candidates’ religious faith also will affect their character. Voters should take character into account before they cast their vote for a particular candidate.
This election season it has been popular for candidates to talk about their faith. But how does that faith affect his or her views on social and political issues? So far, the media has been content to let them talk about their faith in a vague way, but voters deserve to know more. Back in 1960, John Kennedy dodged the question of how his faith affected his decision-making. We cannot allow candidates to dodge the question now.
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When he made his campaign statement about his religion, John Kennedy was the most direct, clear and correct candidate in recent times. He delineated exactly how his religion would affect his decisions: Not at all. He was not evasive. To judge a candidate will make a better president because he proclaims himself religious is precisely the same as had I judged my radiological oncologist a better doctor because he said he loved cancer. When you read a biography of Hitler, you don't expect the historian author to declare that he loves or agrees with Hitler do you? As a retired Navy officer, I can attest that no senior officer I ever knew loved or advocated war. They understood it and its consequences, and that made them more interested in avoiding it than many politicians and other civilians seem to be. Likewise, it would be far more important to me to know a presidential candidate understands the effects of religion on various segments of the world's populace, but his/her declaration of advocacy or affiliation with a certain religious outlook would make me doubt the ability to make rational decisions, or even to recognize alternative routes not advocated by that particular religious group. All the jabber on religion obfuscates our knowledge of the candidates' outlook on all the topics that will confront him. Further, the idea he has already decided how he will react to many decisions that truly require the critical thinking of an open mind scares the bejeebers out of me. Click here to reply to this post
Re: Candidates and Religion
Posted On: 10/04/07 11:21:28 AM
Age 61, MO
Honesty is what is direly needed from any future candidates in the United States elections, from the President on down: Honest to the Bible, first and foremost; then honesty to the Constitution. No exceptions allowed. George Cancilla Click here to reply to this post
Re: Candidates and Religion
Posted On: 10/04/07 11:05:06 AM
Age 64, AR
The reason your seeing faith talked about this election is because the democrats have been taking training classes on how to talk to the Christians. They have been receiving advise on how to disguise there real beliefs. If you listen close you will see that there is not a candidate that is a Christian, they might be religious but they lack a personal relationship to Jesus Christ.
I am more interested in a persons faith than I am in how they would conduct a war or how they would handle the economy. A man that truly seeks God for advise will lead the nation in the right direction. Click here to reply to this post
Re: Candidates and Religion
Posted On: 10/03/07 10:11:00 PM
Age 51, IA
Well-written article. This author gets to the point, makes the point, and leaves the thinking to the reader. I respect this method.
The point is well-made and timely. Anyone wanting my vote in this election will need to be very open and direct about how his or her religious beliefs affect the decision-making process. Click here to reply to this post
