Posted on 02/14/2008 4:34:07 AM PST by Kaslin
Now that Mitt Romney is out of the presidential race, it’s the perfect time to discuss what we should have learned from all the chatter about his faith. The questions and answers relating to faith and holding public office are far more important than one candidate.
If you ask almost any American where the Constitution provides for religious liberty, what are you likely to hear? The First Amendment. There, in words many of us know by heart, we read: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof …”
But there’s another important reference to religion in our Constitution. Considering the vitriolic manner in which our modern media culture treats faith in general, though, if you haven’t read the Constitution yourself, you probably don’t even know it’s there.
Article 6, Clause 3 states: “… no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” That phrase, and the troubled intersection of private faith and public office, is the subject of a fascinating new documentary titled “Article VI.”
Independent filmmakers Bryan Hall and Jack Donaldson explore the current debate over the issue and remind us that ignorance on the subject is nothing new. They show how during John F. Kennedy’s campaign for the presidency in 1960, Kennedy had to go to great lengths to assure non-Catholic Americans that he wouldn’t be a tool of the Vatican -- that the Catholic Church wouldn’t be dictating policy decisions if he were elected. Addressing the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, Kennedy said: “I am not the Catholic candidate for president. I am the Democratic Party’s candidate, who happens to be a Catholic.”
Fast forward 48 years, and it seems remarkable that Kennedy’s faith was an issue. With Catholics serving alongside Protestants and the adherents of other faiths (and no faith) for years, the furor almost appears quaint. You would think the “faith” issue was settled once and for all. But as Hall and Donaldson reveal, when they interviewed people across the country from many walks of life, the way people reacted when Romney, a Mormon, was running for president sounded eerily familiar.
Like Kennedy, Romney had to tell voters repeatedly why his faith didn’t disqualify him for the Oval Office. Are we really still asking such questions in America?
Part of what makes “Article VI” such a compelling film is that Hall and Donaldson give us historical context. They remind us, for example, that there’s a shameful tradition of anti-Catholicism in the U.S. When Al Smith ran for president against Herbert Hoover in 1928, he was pilloried for his Catholic faith. It was denounced as anti-democratic, monarchical -- not in tune with American institutions. And there’s also an appalling tradition of prejudice against those of the Jewish faith who seek high office. Remember the horrible questions the press asked of Sen. Joseph Lieberman when he ran for president? Some things never change. For many in the media, it seems, Mormonism is the new anti-semitism.
Of course, every voter should feel free to NOT vote for a candidate based on any reason -- their politics, their ideology, their position on this issue or that ... even their faith. But if a potential candidate is loyal to America, to say that he is unfit to run for office or unfit to govern because of his faith is just plain wrong -- and the Constitution makes that perfectly clear.
Al Smith lost, of course, and by 1960, such sentiments seemed to be changing. But the media just loves to beat people up over faith. The American public, however, does intuitively seem to understand (although we can often get confused by the headlines). As talk-show host Hugh Hewitt says in “Article VI,” 95 percent of the electorate just wants to know whether someone is a good person, not what his theology is. Otherwise, Hewitt notes, we wouldn’t have elected Abraham Lincoln, who “wasn’t remotely an orthodox Christian.” Lincoln read the King James Bible and spoke openly of God, but he belonged to no specific domination.
In “Article VI,” we hear from Jews, Hindus and Muslims who express their love for this country. We also hear from David French, a constitutional lawyer who advocates Christian rights. As a Christian, he says, he doesn’t believe Muslims and Christians worship the same God, “because the Allah of the Koran bears zero resemblance to the God of the Bible. But there’s a First Amendment in this country. People of all faiths are equal citizens of this republic.”
Whether it’s Mitt Romney speaking boldly of his Mormon faith, Mike Huckabee as an ordained Baptist minister, or Barack Obama taking the pulpit in churches across the country, the personal practice of deep faith by our would-be leaders must be passionately protected. As Kennedy told the Houston ministers: “Today, I may be the victim. But tomorrow, it may be you.”
By the way, The Heritage Foundation will send you a free pocket copy of the Constitution so that you’ll always be armed with the truth about your freedoms. Heritage will even pay the postage -- just visit heritage.org for your free copy.
Mitt, who lined up the Republican establishment that gave us Hastert( remember him, longest serving House leader? No? Me neither )Rush, and other elderly, tired leaders...and then ran as the Washington outsider and agent of ‘change’.
I suppose that works with Democrats.
Mitt the business guy that wanted to bailout Detroit, Florida homeowners.
Mitt that is running away from his RomneyCare.
What is Mitt going to come back with? As one of his supporters on FR said, Mitt is all about marketing anyways, what is Mitt going to be re-branded as? New and Improved Mitt?
He’s done. The tired, old elderly, and discredited Republican establishment will always be polite to Mitt, but they went all out for him, and he lost, and for them, worse, they lost money, time and most importantly face and influence. They’ll never forget.
Fred isn’t either. He a stupid lazy ugly old man. He wants to let the state decide abortion.
Well thats great. What happens when they all decide to allow satan will to be done and allow more laws to be passed to kill more babies?
Really smart uhu huh.
Romney aint a Conservative no shit. But he would do anything for power. So he will do what we want. As long as he does what we want, Does it matter if he wanted to ?
We still get Conservative laws and and policies.
The question of religion and politics is not the same as the question of church and state. Failure to make this distinction results in confusion.
Church and state deals with the relationship of institutions that are independent of each other.
Religion and politics has to do with two spheres of activities in the life of the same persons.
Citizens who belong to religious groups are also members of the secular society, and this dual association generates complications. Religious beliefs have moral and social implications, and it is appropriate for people of faith to express these through their activities as citizens in the political order.
The fact that ethical convictions are rooted in religious faith does not disqualify them from the political realm. However, they do not have secular validity merely because they are thought by their exponents to be religiously authorized. They must be argued for in appropriate social and political terms in harmony with national values.
The Ethics of Belief: A Bio-Historical Approach, 2 vols. (Lima, OH: CSS Publishing Co., 2001). Kenneth Cauthen
I guess the slick, greasy, conniving, lying, pandering and good-looking are more your type. It's your right.
The so called conservative talking heads sat on their thumb until all the conservatives were out and then dug Mutt out of the scrap heap and tried to sell him.
It didn’t work because voters could still smell that liberal stink. It wont be gone in 2012 either!
Well sadly for you my dear, your gona get Romney why ?
Because HE IS NOW THE NEXT GUY IN LINE.
You know how our stupid party works it’s nominees though the system.
You can not do a thing about it. Just like we couldn’t stop that Sleazy son of a bitch McCain.
We shall wait and see how well you prophesy, grasshopper.
The media showed their hypocrisy by going after Romney and not asking questions about Barack’s alleged membership in a middle eastern group.
It’s moot.
You are correct, infighting only highlights the deep divisions within our party.
I think there is a widening split that might never heal. I am concerned that the idea of a great America, with great people full of pride, hard work, patriotism, faith, truth, and drive, might someday be a distant memory.
I am going to take immense please voting AGAINST
Sen Mc Sarcastic. He really pisses me off.
I wish things on him I can’t say here. That are not something Jesus would approve of.
It won’t me moot in 2012. Romney will be back.
I would prefer New Gingrich though.
The “New Liberal Republican Party won’t have any of this Conservative business though.
IT is TIME WE JOIN THE Constitutional Party.
Romney has proven that he is not the guy to unify the Republican party. Another run, another split conservative vote, another moderate or globalist or worse slips into the nomination.
Follow me this is where we belong.
The Constitution Party Embraces Morals and Conservative Values.
To hell with The Republican Party its not worth Fighting for any more.
http://www.constitutionparty.com/
“I was appalled by the anti-Mormon religious bigotry displayed by some posters on FR.”
I second that comment. Also, I admire Lincoln fo rhis conviction to worship as he felt was good for him, and not to be railroaded into following any specific religion.
I agree. Im not supporting him. I just telling you what is the most probable outcome.
Follow me lets JOIN the Constitution Party. We are welcome there.
http://www.constitutionparty.com/
The conservatives I like are already in the Republican coalition (we are all Republican with maybe a few percent in the Libertarian party) . . . so the coalition is already there in the Republican party. A third party which seperates out the conservatives from moderates just makes the conservative third party a loser at the Presidential and Gubanatorial level. Better to create a conservative group IN the Republican party and run candidates in primaries in very conservative districts and states against RINOs . . . take things back that way.
Tell me do you plan on Voting for Jerko McCain ?
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