Jeff Jacoby is skeptical of John Kerry's claim to religious belief.
Each of us can do more to love our neighbor and to live up to the Judeo-Christian values that American history so strongly affirms. But promiscuous God-talk in presidential campaigns doesn't elevate our spiritual profile. It feeds the suspicion that religion is being invoked for cynical political reasons. Is Kerry right with his God? I certainly hope so. But for nearly 22 years he managed to keep that part of his life extremely private. I wish he would have kept it that way.Posted by Joel Fuhrmann at October 27, 2004 01:15 PM
Considering the mail I get from religious-right organizations, I'd say Republicans have become pretty talented themselves at exploiting the faith.
At a ministerial planning meeting last night, all the pastors except for me agreed that one cannot be both a Democrat and a Christian. Two of the pastors insisted that if Kerry wins it is further proof of end times.
Posted by: Joel Thomas at October 27, 2004 04:18 PMOf course anyone has the right to doubt another person's private faith, but what makes them a true judge of another's inner soul? Of the two men, Kerry has lived his adult life being true to his own inner calling. Bush is the one who lived his young adult life scorning his parents' values until he woke up one day and said he suddenly became a believer.
I'm not saying I doubt that Bush's faith is "real", but I, personally, put more stock in a man who has lived his whole adult life in way more consistent with his faith and values, whether he's talked about his inner motivation publically or not. It's too easy to think that the person you agree with politically is a more faithful person, but that doesn't make it true.
I will take each man at his word and make my judgement based on their actions.
Posted by: Sue Unruhe at October 28, 2004 08:02 PM