NPR: Do Candidates Have to Talk about Religion?

Do Candidates Have to Talk about Religion?

Considering the role that religion plays in U.S. political life, is it OK for politicians to take a pass on talking about it?

After all, stating your religious beliefs is pretty much de rigueur for anyone running for public office in America these days, unlike in many other Western countries. Back in the Great White North, for instance, the idea of a politician standing up and making a public issue of his or her religious beliefs would be considered, well, kinda weird.

So, should it be OK for a U.S. politician to take the stance Bill Bradley did a few years ago -- that it's a personal thing? Commentator Joe Loconte, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, argues on All Things Considered that this is just fine -- that it's OK for politicians to opt out of talking about it.

Do you need to know the religious views of the presidential candidates? Does it make a difference when you're deciding who to support?

6:28 PM ET | 08-16-2007 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

I have to admit, it makes a bit of a difference, though not as much as stances on important issues and general statesmanship. I've seen many politicians that allegedly shared my religion make policy decisions I'd consider unconscionable. You can only trust actions, not affiliations.

Sent by David | 7:05 PM ET | 08-16-2007

Yes it does. Religion in this country is influencing politicians too much. Isn't it time to have a secular president. One who can make decisions based on common sense, instead of ideology.

Sent by Bill | 8:18 PM ET | 08-16-2007

if a politician is wearing his/her faith on his/her sleeve then all is fair game. sam brownback et al rejecting the fact of evolution because of religious belief; shallow, stupid and in itself a diasqualification for the presidency. yes it makes a difference! this is mainly if they chose it to be so.

Sent by p chintis | 9:22 PM ET | 08-16-2007

Certainly not. What happened to
"...separation of church and state..."?
One's religious beliefs should not
matter if we are a democratic society.
If Bush converted to Judaism or Islam he
would be ridiculed for being a waffler.
Being an American should be first and foremost, then, and only then should
any type of religious speak come into play. Does a Politicians heritage make a difference? Being Irish, Swedish, or
whatever??? Shouldn't matter at all.

Sent by Ed Bankston | 11:12 AM ET | 08-17-2007

It shouldn't matter, but the stand that their religious beliefs will cause them to take on issues, i.e abortion, gay marriage, etc., absolutely needs to be made crystal clear. I don't care WHY they believe the law should extend into my bedroom and my body, only that I know it up front when I'm casting my vote!

Sent by brunn stone | 2:11 PM ET | 08-17-2007

I'd like to see people be clearer about whether it's the fact that a candidate's opinion is religiously-motivated that they object to, or the opinion itself. It seems to me that we hear a lot of complaining when, e.g., a candidate's opposition to abortion draws on her religious background, but hardly any when a candidate's support of universal health care or of international debt forgiveness does. It seems to me that in the USA, a candidate who is inspired by the social teachings of the Bible tends to get a lot less flak for "bringing their religion into politics" than someone who is inspired by Biblical teachings about personal (and most of all, sexual) morality.

Sent by Beth | 9:47 AM ET | 08-18-2007

The Talmud proposes that we see things not as they are, but rather as we are.
That insight has always spoken volumes to me. I believe that a political candidate's religious affiliation is much, much less important than that candidate's spirituality. The problem is that we have more objective measuring sticks for the former, but the latter rests upon observing the dovetailing of the candidate's words with the candidate's deeds. That takes more time and effort in processing the indicators. Maybe checking that the candidate is "open-minded" as opposed to "empty-headed" might be a quicker route!

Sent by Carolyn Nord | 4:34 PM ET | 08-19-2007

i'm personally more concerned with whether or not the candidate is going to attempt to incorporate his or her religious beliefs into his/her political agenda. i could care less who they worship, as long as they lead this country based on logical thinking, and not a conversation with jesus.

Sent by joe k. | 11:56 PM ET | 09-04-2007

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