More than fifty-one years ago, then-presidential candidate John F. Kennedy gave a speech discussing his religion. You see, he was a Catholic and that was unheard of; at the time, we'd never had a Catholic president. How could we have been so bigoted, a mere fifty-odd years ago, right? Sadly, such bigotry exists to this day -- on the Left.
At the opening of that speech, President Kennedy described the real issues that our country was facing at that time and then he went on to say the following: "But because I am a Catholic, and no Catholic has ever been elected president, the real issues in this campaign have been obscured -- perhaps deliberately, in some quarters less responsible than this." Wait, what? Deliberately you say?! It's like he somehow also foresaw the liberally-biased moderators at every single GOP presidential candidate debate this election cycle. Unless history really does repeat itself, especially by those 'less responsible.'
We are facing many of the same issues that President Kennedy described today, in one form or another. And worse. But now, like then, those real issues are being drowned out by the frantic screeches of bigots. Like Chris Matthews of MSNBC, who sputtered madly about candidate Santorum and how he'd let his religion "trump the Constitution" and wants a ZOMG Theocracy! Because, Catholic. And the Pope (The. Pope - cue scary music!) or something. I can't really be certain without my paranoid bigot to sane person translation dictionary.
Hey, you know who isn't screeching about the super scary danger of Catholics? Evangelical conservative leaders, the supposedly most bigot-y and intolerant people of all, right? In fact, they just endorsed Santorum for President. The person who came in second? Speaker Gingrich, another Catholic.
Governor Romney has to deal with such bigotry as well. Last election cycle, the oh-so-enlightened Robert Redford made some "oh, those people" remarks regarding Mormons. And recent polling shows that while icky old, evil Republicans are quite fine with a Mormon president, Democrats are not. While 76% of Republicans polled would be comfortable with a Mormon president, only 46% of Democrats said they would be. Huh. So much for that 'intolerant' GOP spin.
Besides the bigotry, we also have the addition of zealots. These zealots worship secularism which has become, ironically, a religion in and of itself. This is why we see the liberal media being obsessed with painting anyone who dares to admit freely that he is a person of faith as some nut-job cuckoo pants. It's like they have some twisted view of actual faith, like it's a caricature-riddled version of Footloose running through their heads.
Cue George Stephanopoulos and Diane Sawyer as moderators of a GOP debate this month. Instead of discussing real issues, they obsessed over banning contraception, as if that is even a thing. "So, that Strait of Hormuz? Wacky, right? But more importantly ... condoms? Why do you want to ban them!!?"
It seems as if the "tolerant" and "diversity embracing" amongst us will only tolerate and include faithful people if they remain closeted. And shaddup. Faith is super scary, you see, because it's personal and individual. Sitting in a pew listening to someone say "G_d Damn America" is hunky-dory. But profess a deep faith in God and Jesus and -- the horror -- values and beliefs that are consistent with American ideals? In fact the very ideals upon which this country was founded? That doesn't suit.
President Kennedy was again prescient when he said this: "For while this year it may be a Catholic against whom the finger of suspicion is pointed, in other years it has been, and may someday be again, a Jew— or a Quaker or a Unitarian or a Baptist." Unfortunately, it seems to be all religions now.
A candidate's religion does not and should not matter. What matters is that their beliefs and values are consistent with American ideals. And I don't believe that being afraid and intolerant of a love of God and Jesus is one of them.
This post is part of a weekly conversation with our 5 Moms Matter 2012 political bloggers. Read the original question and find links to all their responses here: Does a Candidate's Religion Matter?
Image via US Embassy New Delhi/Flickr
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Comments 31
The "left" side of the political spectrum could truly care less about the religion of a person. What they care about if that religion is going to limit the decisions of a politician. Santorum regularly plays the Catholic card, which I happen to be, to justify his beliefs on birth control. The thing about that is if it were up to him, a woman's right to choose would no longer be her own. That's what the left has issues with.
It the Left really didn't care about his religion, he wouldn't have to say a word about being Catholic. The availability of birth control and a woman's right to choose is NOT up to him, but that doesn't stop the Left from digging in like an inbred dog with a bone. Anything to keep the focus of the nose-led-Liberals off the real issue this election cycle - the economy, and the incapable man currently occupying the White House.
Truly religious people cannot keep their faith out of their political decisions any more than a black person can keep his experiences out of his decisions. Those traits and lessons are part of what make a person who he is. I could not ask my Catholic Grandmother to make a major decision without praying about it, any more than i could ask you, Fallaya, to forget that you are African American when you make a decision.
Honestly, I find it interesting that at the same time that the Left celebrates up people like Clinton and Obama each and every time they go to church, they're trashing someone like Romney for being a Mormon.
So, Jenny Erickson changed her name to Lori Ziganto this weekend? Or is there an outlne of ridiculousness that right wing writers have to follow on The Stir?
How to Write Republican for The Stir - A handy guide to pissing off reasonable people.
1. Liberals = bad. Start with a paragraph about how much you hate them.
2. Throw in a line about religion/abortion/smaller government (except in the case of womens' bodies).
3. Avoid the real issues. Americans aren't really concerned about jobs/economy/healthcare.
4. Throw in some spice! Atheists = bad. Polar bears = bad. Sharks = bad. We don't care about them and neither should anyone else.
5. Wrap it up quick! Republicans have got better things to do than read too much....such as killing polar bears, spreading the gospel in public schools, making sure Jesus grants Tim Tebow another successful game and/or spreading the word that people SHOULD NOT Google Santorum!
I am just thankful to FINALLY read something from a writer on The STIR that is NOT completely LEFTY nuttiness. I agree with those that remind everyone, just because one holds certain religious beliefs, does not distract them from what is best for our country. Just like race, religion should not deter you from considering a candidate, unless their professed religion is Anti American, and unconstitutional. Just like the law, HUMANS are capable of separating their CHURCH from their STATE. SO far I have yet to see a single candidate where their chosen faith interferes with our Country's issues. I may not agree with the views of some, but it isn't their faith that defined the line.
A handy guide to pissing off reasonable people.
Yeah, it's the reasonable people who are pissed....
Thank you for yet another red-herring, uninformed TS political, er, religious production. Meatball and MicheT said it best. And your "left" example of Kennedy is flawed: he did everything to distance, and reassure a separation of his religion and neutral commitment to ideology and policymaking. Whereas, these crop of candidates are parading their religious views under the cloak of "family and American values" as part of their plan to run for office, and the country. BIG difference.
As for "God" and "Jesus" being consistent with American ideals? What history book were YOU reading??