Taking Sides
Should a political candidate’s belief in God matter to voters?
by Ken Curtis, WDHN Channel 18 News Director
Take a coin out of your pocket or purse. On it are these words: “In God We Trust.” When we pledge our allegiance to our great nation we acknowledge the source of its greatness – “one nation under God.”
Our nation was founded on Christian values. I believe we owe our nation’s success to that foundation. I also believe our future depends on our selection of leaders who demonstrate they serve God first and man second. I know in my heart that good governance comes from leaders with the wisdom to pray daily for guidance on how to manage our government in a way that pleases our Heavenly Father.
Mike Gamble, my counterpart on this page, cites the U.S. Constitution in his counter-argument. I cite a higher authority: “Select capable men from all the people – men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain – and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.” – Exodus 18:21
Dishonesty and immorality are rampant in America today. Some say our country is going to hell in a hand basket. The future of our nation depends on us putting our Creator first and living as we have been commanded. And that includes those we elect to public office. We must elect people who live by the Ten Commandments– not those who talk it; those who LIVE it!
It is also written: “He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, like the tender grass springing out of the earth, by clear shining after rain.” – 2 Sam 23-4
Mike Gamble does not get it. He wants to reduce God’s plan to a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. His reference to the Pharisee exposes a bleak cynicism. Mike, you need to wake up and smell the coffee. What you seem not to appreciate is the value in symbols, such as lapel pins depicting our flag, or, lapel pins depicting the cross or the star of David. Symbols have meaning. They remind us of our ideals. They inform us of the ideals others hold.
There is an old saying and an unwritten rule in politics, “You dance with the one who brought you.” We must never forget the foundation our country was built on. Our future depends on having leaders with strong religious foundations and moral convictions.
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by Mike Gamble, Dothan attorney
No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” The wisdom in that provision is as sound today as when the founding fathers put it in The Constitution. Why ignore it by exalting candidates who express a religious affiliation to our liking?
Are we to rely on a candidate’s religious affiliation to determine if that person is more trustworthy or competent? Will any religion do or will a simple “I am a person of faith” suffice?
Although religion is a broad term, it implies to many a powerful and personal relationship. It is only natural that we would identify with a candidate who appears to share that relationship. But, in the political arena, we can expect religious affiliation to become another label of convenience. Americans value convenience. That is why so few of us bother to vote. And it is why even fewer make the effort to get to know the candidates.
If we make religious affiliation a litmus test for public office, we can be sure that all those with political ambitions will find prominent seats in the appropriate synagogue, church, or mosque. Candidates will tout their religious affiliation like the American flag they pin to their lapels when they run for office. Like the Biblical Pharisee, they will declare their faith as though it were a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval – proof of some higher level of devotion.
Alternatively, we can expect persons of uncompromising principles to shun public service rather than feign a religious mien.
The pages of history are filled with recurring acts of brutality committed in the name of religion. The Middle East gave birth to three of the world’s greatest religions–Judaism, Christianity and Islam. That region remains mired in religion-based conflict – not a good testimonial for mixing religion and politics.
Religious affiliation provides no assurance that a candidate possesses the attributes needed to hold public office. It may comfort us, but it has nothing to do with a person’s capacity to serve well. That is why it disappoints me when candidates make their faith an issue. C. S. Lewis expressed it best: “Of all bad men religious bad men are the worst.”
No label should relieve us of our civic duty to inform ourselves and to make knowledgeable choices about those in whom we will entrust our public affairs.
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Ken and Mike tackle Dothan’s biggest issues on “Beyond the Headlines” every Sunday night at 10pm on WDHN Channel 18. You can view clips of their lively debates online at:
