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To: JohnnyZ
You're weird. Many, even most, politicians feature their religious faith in their campaigns. But I think you're suggesting that anyone who actually believes the teachings of their religion should be regarded with extreme skepticism. That's anti-religious bigotry. Nice that you're honest about it. But it's scary.

No, I'm not weird. I try to be an informed voter. If Candidate A says "I'm a good Catholic and will follow the precepts of my religion," then even if he does not run on a platform of anti-contraception I'd have to assume that he'd be anti-contraception anyway. It is not anti-religious bigotry to make that connection and vote one way or another depending on what the candidate's beliefs, whether specifically enunciated or implicit in his faith.

If you are in favor of a strong national defense and one candidate is a devout Quaker, isn't that going to affect your voting even if that candidate never directly refers to war in his campaign, based on the fact that Quakers are pacifists?

48 posted on 11/30/2003 9:06:45 PM PST by Looking for Diogenes
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To: Looking for Diogenes
This is what you said:

"I know that I'd have to think seriously about voting for any politician who states that he will follow the dictates of his religion's prelate in matters of public policy"

The implication is that you wouldn't think seriously about voting for someone who follows an unknown or changing philosophy that can't be researched? That would be fine? But someone who is religious, you gotta check them out real close? That's anti-religious. If you care about the Catholic candidate's opposition to handing out contraceptives to kids, for example, you should also care where his opponent stands on the issue. Otherwise you're just scared of, biased against (etc.) religious people.

Obviously a candidate's philosophy is a major thing to vote on. But you're saying you'd need to closely scrutinize religious people in particular.

49 posted on 11/30/2003 9:36:09 PM PST by JohnnyZ (Colgate Raiders Football -- 13-0 and advancing through the playoffs)
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