Skirting The Issues 8.4.04
By Melissa Garcia


When he ran for president forty-four years ago, John F. Kennedy faced voter concerns about his Catholic beliefs. The public feared that his administration and policies would follow orders from the Vatican and believed that his religion should have nothing to do with the presidency. Now in 2004, John F. Kerry must also deal with scrutiny over his religious beliefs during this very crucial time in the election race. The only difference is that now the public wants religious beliefs to definitely have something, if not almost everything to do with the Presidency of the United States.

With morally and ethically controversial issues such as embryonic stem-cell research, gay marriages, and abortion creeping in on public life, it is no surprise that recent news in political campaigns closely follow the personal lives and, more specifically, religious beliefs of the candidates.

Kerry himself has stated that he deeply strives to ensure the separation of church and state as a politician:

“I will vigorously protect the separation of church and state. Diversity, freedom of choice and freedom of religion are among the defining characteristics of our nation. I believe we can be people of faith while respecting the principles that are enshrined in our Constitution.”

Bush has also stated that he supports keeping church and state separate institutions:

“I fully understand it’s important to maintain the separation of church and state,” he said. “We don’t want the state to become the church nor do we want the church to become the state. We’re in common agreement there.”

While the public has always generally supported the separation of church and state, today’s voters denote a difference when it comes to the matters of religion and politics. The “religion gap” is undoubtedly the most critical area for candidates to focus on during their campaigns. It is the crux of today’s culture war that has divided Americans more than gender, race, and income. According to a November 2003 survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, 63% of voters who attend religious services more than once a week plan to vote for President Bush in the upcoming election, while 62% of voters who seldom or never attend services say they will vote for the Democratic nominee. Although the polls focus on general groups and not exceptions, such as the many African-American church-goers that tend to vote democratic, the numbers reflect an unavoidable truth: religion is a factor in American politics. This means that the religious beliefs of presidential candidates are equally as important. After all, when 85% of voters stress the significance of religion in their lives, it would be strange for national campaign not to address religious issues and questions.

This is where John Kerry has come to rather large fork in the road. As a Catholic democrat, he must play a balancing act with the people of America, appealing to both elite liberals and activists, who statistically are more secular, and religious minorities, specifically Black and Hispanic democrats. When it comes to expressing his faith, Kerry does not fare well with the American people. In a Time Magazine poll, only 7% of likely voters consider Kerry a man of religious faith. That is definitely too low of a number for such a key issue. Of course, the Democratic campaign notes this and strongly urges Kerry to share his personal and spiritual beliefs with the American people. In fact, the campaign struggled to deal with this problem by hiring a Director of Religious Outreach, a move which, so far, has failed miserably. First, they hired Mara Vanderslice, whom the campaign eventually silenced after she was discovered to be a far left-wing activist who spoke at rallies held by the notoriously anti-Catholic group ACT UP. Naturally, this put the Kerry campaign in a panic, so they turned to Rev. Brenda Bartella-Peterson, a Christian minister for the Disciples of Christ. In an even more controversial and laughable controversy, Bartella-Peterson urged the Supreme Court to declare the pledge unconstitutional and remove the words “Under God.”

Decisions like these have prompted people to question more than Kerry’s voting record and “waffles.” His sincerity as a man of faith is under-fire. Yes, faith is a private matter, and the Bible advises for the faithful to make sure to be humble in their prayers, praying in secret (Matthew 6:6). This is a measure of sincerity, not an encouragement to hide your faith. Therefore, people are critical of how the Catholic Senator can be so open in promoting opinions and causes that go against Catholic doctrine and be so hesitant and unwilling to speak about religion.

Kerry walked the tightrope when he went out on a religious limb at the Democratic National Convention, saying that his campaign welcomes “people of faith.” It was a fine line, and Kerry definitely tried hard to keep his balance. Still, he will have much more work to do to ensure the Catholic vote. The Roman Catholic church opposes abortion, any sexual activity outside of marriage, and homosexuality, and clearly, Kerry prefers to keep quiet over his differences with church doctrine. Many Bishops agree to refuse to offer the sacrament of Holy Communion to Kerry, saying he is working against the church. As extreme as this action is, especially when considering the line that must exist between church and state, Catholic disapproval could be dangerous to the Kerry campaign. Crucial electoral votes lie in the states of Minnesota, Michigan, and Ohio that are 20% Catholic. With the votes up for grabs, Kerry could lose some serious hold in the upcoming election.

Whether or not Kerry is truly religious in his heart of hearts and merely does not “wear his faith on his sleeve” as he claims, the power of religion in America overshadows the liberal voice that Kerry sympathetically offers on the front porch. It could possibly even be the key to becoming the next President of the United States. At this point, who that will be, God only knows.

Send Feedback to Melissa Garcia | Send a Letter to the Editor