The Importance of Political Candidates Religion in American Politics

History shows a pattern of change in relation to religious involvement of governmental affairs. As religion becomes less a part of American life, the court develops new laws to accommodate our new society. Look to the communities we live in presently and ask yourself if the American people are facing oppression of religious freedom, a freedom listed in our Constitution under the First Amendment. This spirals into an abyss of politics. Is same-sex marriage a personal matter or a public one? Is the Republican Party fair in opting to end abortion? Should a woman have contraceptive included in her health insurance plan despite the religious views of her employer? This is one of the areas in which

For the entirety of the United States’ existence, freedom of religion has been a guiding principle for the nation. Despite, or perhaps because of, the deep, varied religious heritage of many Americans, America was the first country in history to abolish religious qualifications for civic engagement. However, paradoxically, the United States also has a history of discrimination based on religion, as seen in historical bigotry towards Catholics, some Protestant sects, Jews, Atheists, Mormons, Muslims, and other marginalized groups. Indeed, a common theme in American history, continuing to this day, is the conflict between America’s secular ideal and its often faith-dominated reality. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, religious

The book, Religion in the Public Square: The Place of Religious Convictions Political Debate (1997), is a presentation of a debate between two foremost thinkers who argue about the place that religion should have in the public forum, more specifically in politics.

In 2005, singer/songwriter Conor Oberst, with his band Bright Eyes, released a protest song called, "When the President Talks to God". The song is a scathing critique of George W. Bush as well as some of his major controversial policies. Included amidst the litany of issues either blatantly stated or merely hinted at are the state of women's rights, prisons, and social welfare. However, Oberst is particularly critical of the role Bush's overt religiosity plays in his presidency. Oberst poses an interesting question regarding the purpose of religion in the Oval Office. Does religion really serve to hold someone to the standard of being a better person and leader, or is it a way to justify terrible actions of those who believe that they are doing

For majority of Americans, religion is a stable in their lives. Most people were raised in the church and continue attending church and participating in religious services. Although there are numerous religions with different perspectives of God, the afterlife, and moral truths, many of them share in asking its followers to consider the least among them and try to help their neighbor. One of the core teachings from the Christian doctrine is that it is the Christian duty to help others and treat others the same as one would treat Jesus; however, this message is often ignored when religion becomes more commercialized and political distancing the church and its followers from the doctrine Jesus taught.

John F. Kennedy and his campaign had many factors working against them. Kennedy was a Roman Catholic in an era in which Americans were against Catholicism, especially in the Bible Belt South. Although he attempted to make amends with the protestant nation by pledging to keep church and state separated, he still lost an estimated 1.5 million votes. The campaign had many factors working against it, but because they maximized the potential that the television offered to them, they were unexpectedly successful in propelling John F. Kennedy to the

As Lambert points out, the seeds of the conflict between religion and politics that have blossomed in American society over the past fifty years were planted in 1776. All but one of the country’s leaders has been Christian, and it has been a unwritten ruling that the country is ran through the eyes of God. Because of their dissatisfaction with prevailed public policy, religious groups become politically active. It seems to be that this argument is in a constant tug-of-war. Federal government tries to lead the country away from its religious heritage and moral foundation through specific legislations and court decisions. However, with rise of social religious movements at the time, the method in which the government deals with social injustice through these legislations and court decisions that stirs religious groups to political activism.

Religion is a big part of the history of the United States. Many of the people who ended up settling in America held very strong religious beliefs and traveled across the ocean from Europe to practice their beliefs in freedom. Our founding fathers, for the most part, held deeply religious beliefs and you can see that legacy on our currency, in our court proceedings, and on government buildings and monuments. Despite what appears a clear integration between religion and government our founding fathers sought ways to limit religions role in government. The first Amendment in the Bill of Rights says, “Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” (Madison, 1791). Some interpret this to mean that the government can’t set up a church or favor one religion over another. And on this basis is why I believe faith groups and institutions should not be allowed to form political parties or gain influence in the workings of government. This paper will explore some of the reasons why this is problematic and why our founders sought to control religions influence but also letting everyone worship in freedom.

The first section of the article is about church and state in the United States. While religion has been a catalyst for social change as it has been with racial justice, religion has also impeded the progress of the American democracy in that politicians remain heavily influenced by their religious backgrounds (Wienclaw, 2009). Therefore, the author describes a conflicted and ambiguous relationship between religion and politics in the United States. The United States professes to have a secular culture that sidelines religion, but in fact, it has been impossible to practically remove religion from politics. The author points out that religion and politics have been entwined in the United States throughout the history of the union.

The United States is one of the most religious nations in the world. A majority of the population participates in organized religion and others are privately spiritual. The role of religion plays out in our nation constantly.

The United States is an extremely diverse country representing a “melting pot” of different nationalities, cultures, and religions. Religion has played a crucial role in the development of the U.S. as religious freedom was the primary reason for many immigrants leaving their home countries and journeying to America. The religion that we adopt or are taught affects us on both a small scale in our daily lives and personal beliefs as well as on large scale as a society. While the influence of religion has affected us in a positive way it has also created many obstacles, including impeding the growth of society as a whole.

In recent decades, the separation of church and state has been somewhat of a contentious issue. Both sides have claimed that, if the other side gets their way, public morality will suffer. The right typically comes down on the side that encourages the presence of religious practices and principles in the public sphere, while the left–where I personally stand–advocates for the privatization of religion. After a long summarization of the history of the separation of church and state in America, this article claims that public morality has fallen to new depths since a series of rulings in the 1960s that began to interfere with public religious expression and teaching. There are two major reasons that I do not agree with this article: the first

“Religion is often still another determinant of political behavior, and in many societies, plays a role in the formation of social and political values, especially when religions diversity is present”. (Camp.1993.Pg. 86) Even though the pre-dominance of Catholicism has strong religious differences, it can be described as a battle between secularism and religion.

Moreover, it has been obvious that many govern their behavior according to their beliefs. For some, religion is a way of living and for others as the famous Karl Marx puts it “is the opium of the people”. However, what was the actual purpose of religion in the United States? Where were these ideals leading the nation? The United States was a nation founded on Christian principles, although some erroneous ideals undermined the Christian development of an entire society as a whole.

In particular, religious beliefs can affect political choices. According to Diana Eck, Harvard University professor, when politicians give speeches, they should not incorporate “the particular dialect of a single religious tradition” (Eck, 2007, 205). It is concerning for people in power to use their specific religious beliefs as a method of persuasion, comparable even to propaganda. Instead, they must remain open-minded to other religious views. Even though the author makes a claim about the necessity of keeping parts of one’s identity separated, this is difficult for everyone to implement. From trying to decide which candidate one prefers to taking a stance on a proposition, one’s background and religion inevitably come into play. One’s religious views, along with a plethora of other demographic factors, shape who one is; removing even one factor will change his/her identity. While discussing presidential election trends over the years, Putnam brings up a striking point: the content of a candidate’s religious beliefs strongly affected voting in the 1960s, but now, religiosity matters more (Putnam & Campbell, 2010, 2). Despite this generational change, citizens are still taking into account religion when choosing whom to vote for, though it should not have as much significance. Religion is detracting from society by impacting citizen’s