Op-Ed: What About The Other 25%?

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The United States has a majority of its residents that believe in the Christian faith at 75 percent of the population. But what about the rest of the people who call the US home, do those 25 percent not matter as much?

During presidential campaigns in the United States citizens watch the various candidates attend church and let their Christian beliefs be known.

While the candidates may claim to have religious tolerance do they? In a nation that is expected to separate church and state why is the religion of those who will lead so important?

In the US about 18 percent of the population is atheist or agnostic. That leaves roughly only 10 percent of the nation’s population Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or another religious affiliation. Are they left out of the political front because they lack the same religious beliefs?

“Why is that relevant? Who cares? The great issue is where do we stand on Medicare and Social Security and immigration … Why inject religiosity into that?” asked Paul Kurtz, chairman of the Council for Secular Humanism.

“Are we (secular humanists and atheists) marginalized? No. Are we turned off? Yes!”

Those who have do not belong in religion have been the targets of the religious right who see moral decay and secularization in the same light. When the politicians cite freedom and that freedom requires religion it leaves a nasty taste.

A Pew Research Center survey found last year that 63 percent would be less likely to support a candidate who did not believe in God.

But here’s the kicker the two groups that actually go to their polling stations are evangelicals (90 percent) and those who have no affiliation (82 percent). Perhaps for that 82 percent the candidates should consider what they endorse.

And what do the candidates believe? Let their own words tell us:

Hillary Clinton

“Let’s not lose sight of the fact that ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is not working. We are being deprived of thousands of patriotic men and women who want to serve their country who are bringing skills into the armed services that we desparately need, like translation skills. And one can argue whether it was a good idea when it was first implemented, but we know have evidence as to the fact that we are in a time of war — when we really need as many people as we can to recruit and retain in an all-volunteer army — we are turning people away or discharging them not because of what they’ve done but because of who they are.” [3/14/07]

[In response to the question: Is homosexuality immoral?] “Well I’m going to leave that to others to conclude. I’m very proud of the gays and lesbians I know who perform work that is essential to our country, who want to serve their country and I want make sure they can.” [3/14/07]

Barack Obama

“In fact, because I do not believe that religious people have a monopoly on morality, I would rather have someone who is grounded in morality and ethics, and who is also secular, affirm their morality and ethics and values without pretending that they’re something they’re not. They don’t need to do that. None of us need to do that. But what I am suggesting is this - secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square. Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, Williams Jennings Bryant, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King - indeed, the majority of great reformers in American history - were not only motivated by faith, but repeatedly used religious language to argue for their cause. So to say that men and women should not inject their “personal morality” into public policy debates is a practical absurdity. Our law is by definition a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition.” [6/28/06]

“The question is, how do we build on these still-tentative partnerships between religious and secular people of good will? It’s going to take more work, a lot more work than we’ve done so far. The tensions and the suspicions on each side of the religious divide will have to be squarely addressed. And each side will need to accept some ground rules for collaboration.” [6/28/06]

“I want to talk a little bit about what conservative leaders need to do — some truths they need to acknowledge. For one, they need to understand the critical role that the separation of church and state has played in preserving not only our democracy, but the robustness of our religious practice. Folks tend to forget that during our founding, it wasn’t the atheists or the civil libertarians who were the most effective champions of the First Amendment. It was the persecuted minorities, it was Baptists like John Leland who didn’t want the established churches to impose their views on folks who were getting happy out in the fields and teaching the scripture to slaves. It was the forbearers of the evangelicals who were the most adamant about not mingling government with religious, because they did not want state-sponsored religion hindering their ability to practice their faith as they understood it.” [6/28/06]

“This debate [on a proposed constitutional ban] is a thinly-veiled attempt to break a consensus that is quietly being forged in this country. A consensus between Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, Red States and Blue States, that it’s time for new leadership in this country - leadership that will stop dividing us, stop disappointing us, and start addressing the problems facing most Americans. I personally believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. But I also agree with most Americans, including Vice President Cheney and over 2,000 religious leaders of all different beliefs, that decisions about marriage should be left to the states as they always have been.” [6/7/06]

[I remain] “open to the possibility that my unwillingness to support gay marriage is misguided … I may have been infected with society’s prejudices and predilections and attributed them to God.” [10/17/06]

Mike Huckabee

“And you also have states that not only practice abortion, but if Roe v. Wade is overturned, we haven’t won the battle. All we’ve done is now we’ve created the logic of the Civil War, which says that the right to the human life is geographical, not moral. I think that’s very problematic. That’s why I think that people like Fred Thompson are dead wrong when he says just leave that up to the states. Well, that’s again the logic of the Civil War – that slavery could be okay in Georgia but not okay in Massachusetts. Obviously we’d today say, ‘Well, that’s nonsense. Slavery is wrong, period.’ It can’t be right somewhere and wrong somewhere else. Same with abortion.” [1/08]

“I would like to think… that I’ve made that people realize that Christians are real people and they have a real world view that’s defensible and intellectually sound, and that it impacts people’s lives in a positive way. I think it would be tragic if that were the case because the application of Christian principles in government ought to bring a greater sense of justice, a greater sense of hope, and a decency to the process” [1/08]

“I support and have always supported passage of a federal constitutional amendment that defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman. As President, I will fight for passage of this amendment. My personal belief is that marriage is between one man and one woman, for life.” [website]

“I support both the human rights amendment and a marriage amendment, and the reason that I do is because I think we need to codify in our Constitution that which has been acceptable and accepted view of what life and what marriage means. Frankly, if it weren’t being challenged, it wouldn’t be necessary. But it is being challenged. Now you have states that are passing same-sex marriage laws or civil union laws.” [1/08]

“I am opposed to research on embryonic stem cells.” [website]

John McCain

“Q: How would you describe your relationship with God today?
McCain: I pray every day. I ask for guidance. I ask for strength. I don’t ask for personal success. I think it’s wrong. When I was in prison, I told my fellow prisoners, don’t pray to go home. Pray to go home with honor, if it be God’s will, not just under any circumstances…. So, it’s a very important part of my life. But, I cannot tell you that I’ve ever had a revelation from God–it’s been kind of plotting. I pray, I receive comfort, I think I receive guidance, I know I receive guidance and I pray and it’s, you know, it’s not a spectacular kind of thing. It’s something that I think is very lasting.” [9/07]

“However, the reversal of Roe v. Wade represents only one step in the long path toward ending abortion. Once the question is returned to the states, the fight for life will be one of courage and compassion - the courage of a pregnant mother to bring her child into the world and the compassion of civil society to meet her needs and those of her newborn baby. The pro-life movement has done tremendous work in building and reinforcing the infrastructure of civil society by strengthening faith-based, community, and neighborhood organizations that provide critical services to pregnant mothers in need. This work must continue and government must find new ways to empower and strengthen these armies of compassion. These important groups can help build the consensus necessary to end abortion at the state level. As John McCain has publicly noted, ‘At its core, abortion is a human tragedy. To effect meaningful change, we must engage the debate at a human level.”‘ [website]

“We were founded as a nation on Judeo-Christian principles. There’s very little debate about that. And I think the noblest words ever written are, ‘We hold these truths to be self evident that all, all people are created equal and endowed by their Creator.’ So if you believe in that fundamental principle, then of course you believe in the desirability and the attractiveness of helping bring to those God-given rights to people all over the earth…. The problem is, we mishandled it terribly. I do agree and most people do - we’re a shining city on a hill. Has that shining city been dimmed and tarnished by our reputation in the world today? Of course, of course it has been. But, I still believe we have that role and mission to fulfill in the world.” [9/07]

“Our Founding Fathers believed in separation of church and state and they stated it unequivocally. But, they also continued to emphasize the Christian principle. In God We Trust or [all men are] created equal—every statement that they made had to do with the belief in a Divine Creator… They sought guidance from their Creator. So, when some people interpret their desire for separation of church and state as a failure to acknowledge the importance and influence of our Creator, I think that they have a different view of history than I do.” [9/07]

“As president, John McCain would nominate judges who understand that the role of the Court is not to subvert the rights of the people by legislating from the bench. Critical to Constitutional balance is ensuring that, where state and local governments do act to preserve the traditional family, the Courts must not overstep their authority and thwart the Constitutional right of the people to decide this question.

“The family represents the foundation of Western Civilization and civil society and John McCain believes the institution of marriage is a union between one man and one woman. It is only this definition that sufficiently recognizes the vital and unique role played by mothers and fathers in the raising of children, and the role of the family in shaping, stabilizing, and strengthening communities and our nation.

“As with most issues vital to the preservation and health of civil society, the basic responsibility for preserving and strengthening the family should reside at the level of government closest to the people. In their wisdom, the Founding Fathers reserved for the States the authority and responsibility to protect and strengthen the vital institutions of our civil society. They did so to ensure that the voices of America’s families could not be ignored by an indifferent national government or suffocated through filibusters and clever legislative maneuvering in Congress.” [website]

Mitt Romney

“You know, one of the great things about this country of ours is that we don’t choose our leaders based on what church they go to. We care about the values they have. And if you want to learn something about my values, you can meet my wife and my son and you can see that we have American values like anyone else in this country.” [8/9/07]

“And I’m really proud of the fact that wherever I go, people say, ‘We love the fact that you’re a person of faith, you believe in God, you believe in the Bible, you believe that Jesus Christ is the savior of the world.’ Those are my beliefs, they form who I am. And one of the great elements of America is that we accept people of all faiths as long as they share our values and our love for this great country.” [8/9/07]

[His brother-in-law's sister died from an illegal abortion in the 1960s.] “I’ve given a lot of thought to that issue, and someone like myself who is very much opposed to abortion, as I have always been, struggles with what the role of government ought to be in making that choice,” he says. “It’s not an easy decision, but when it went from a matter of discussion and a philosophical view to actually making a decision relating to life and death, I as governor concluded I had to come down on the side of life.” [8/9/07]

“While the doctrines of my church are quite different from evangelical Christian doctrines, the values of our faiths are very much the same. I don’t know of a doctrinal difference that would suggest a different policy outcome or that would suggest that a President of my faith would lead in a different direction than President Bush, an evangelical Christian.” [9/26/07]

“Do they [evangelical Christians] want agreement on doctrine, and does that really effect how someone leads as President? Or does someone want a President who shares values and will preserve the values and culture of America? That will only happen if people band together where we share common values.” [9/26/07]

The belief that marriage between a man and a woman is a sacred relationship leads one to protect the sanctity of marriage. These fundamental values are not associated with a doctrine of a faith, but instead are part of the value base of every faith of which I’m aware.” [9/26/07]

“The creation of new life specifically for the purpose of experimentation and destruction crosses a bright moral line. It is literally creating life to destroy it. And for me, whether that is done through embryo farming or done through cloning, both of them are wrong and are unacceptable.” [9/26/07]

Choosing a person to side with to run the nation is a hard job. Most people tend to have certain criteria for the person they will stand behind and pick to lead them. Their words during this time period have in the past not always proven to be where they end up when in office. It’s a delicate weaving of making the people smile and vote that the speech writers that the candidates use play on. So who’s voice will you take a gamble with?

Do you believe that the secular population deserves a vote? Do you think any of the candidates this time around will be able to separate church and state?

Do you believe that church and state should be separated?

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