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As long as that candidate's actions and past history show that he or she can keep church and state separate in their political dealings, then it matters not what their religion is. They need to be able to make decisions for the good of the collective public and not just those of the same religious beliefs.
It plays a part with me in that some of the legal issues of the day are also moral issues. (Mainly, I'm thinking about abortion here.) Because of my convictions that abortion takes a like, I would have difficulty ever supporting a candidate that was for abortion "rights." Therefore, in that sense, religion does influence my political choice. Regarding the candidate, himself, however, I am more concerned that he be aligned with my positions than his religious choice.
How much does religion form your political choice?
I judge a canidate on their veiws of the issuses that important to our country and to me. religion can play a role because of my moral values but does not determine my decision.
Before the scare and hype about "separation" of church and state by the PC police, just wondering how our previous great Presidents managed to do such a good job with their terrible and debilitating "Christian" backgrounds. Conundrum for those with little common sense or simple working knowledge of basic human nature.
It plays a part with me in that some of the legal issues of the day are also moral issues. (Mainly, I'm thinking about abortion here.) Because of my convictions that abortion takes a like, I would have difficulty ever supporting a candidate that was for abortion "rights." Therefore, in that sense, religion does influence my political choice. Regarding the candidate, himself, however, I am more concerned that he be aligned with my positions than his religious choice.
That is a principled stand. May I ask what you do when a candidate is anti abortion, antiwelfare and pro death penalty?
This is my conundrum when I am looking for a prolife candidate, because so many antiabortion candidates are not consistent in their view once the child is here. On one hand, my religous (Catholic) views tell me all life is sacred and should not be interfered with until natural death, but I am usually left with candidates that make me choose which stage of life is more sacred. Which is why I have basically taken life issues out of the equation for myself (death penalty, euthanasia, assisted suicide, abortion).
Before the scare and hype about "separation" of church and state by the PC police, just wondering how our previous great Presidents managed to do such a good job with their terrible and debilitating "Christian" backgrounds. Conundrum for those with little common sense or simple working knowledge of basic human nature.
I do not think many people focused on it that much. It is the rise of the evangelical movement that seems to have created a big stir. Even the fear of the POPE did not dissuade voters from voting for JFK. I also think that the abortion issue stirs religous fervor in the electorate.
I am sure noone on this discussion said anything deragoratory about the Christian religion here or any president. I am pleased with the tone of the discussion, it is very interesting to see how different people approach their decisions and this is one small measure of that process.
Morality is important. A persons religion is an outline of their beliefs and can often show how a person will view certain issues and react to them morally. It isn't a guarantee, but if someone truly believes in their religion, they will make the attempt to hold to those values.
If a candidate is of a religion that believes women are property that can be treated with disregard (some tribal religions do), then regardless of what the candidate claims concerning womens rights, I know they follow a religion that believes otherwise. So they are either untrue to their religion or untrue to their claims and either way they are a fake and I can expect nothing but the same in anything they do.
If they have no religion, they may contain morality, but that is created by their own hand. A person who creates their own morality is only bound by that morality unto themselves. That means they can change it as they so desire and be perfectly valid in doing so. Someone who believes they are their own creator is someone I do not wish to be in a position making decisions that are contingent on morality.
The founders believed morality was key to a successful government, those who believe it is not important, I refuse to follow or accept.
Religion certainly plays a role in how I vote because as soon as I hear religious invocations being made by political leaders then I know that gross pandering is taking place and likely directed towards the most emotional driven segment of the population. It is the cue that logic and reason have been traded for emotion and fear.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nomander
Morality is important. A persons religion is an outline of their beliefs and can often show how a person will view certain issues and react to them morally. It isn't a guarantee, but if someone truly believes in their religion, they will make the attempt to hold to those values.
If a candidate is of a religion that believes women are property that can be treated with disregard (some tribal religions do), then regardless of what the candidate claims concerning womens rights, I know they follow a religion that believes otherwise. So they are either untrue to their religion or untrue to their claims and either way they are a fake and I can expect nothing but the same in anything they do.
If they have no religion, they may contain morality, but that is created by their own hand. A person who creates their own morality is only bound by that morality unto themselves. That means they can change it as they so desire and be perfectly valid in doing so. Someone who believes they are their own creator is someone I do not wish to be in a position making decisions that are contingent on morality.
The founders believed morality was key to a successful government, those who believe it is not important, I refuse to follow or accept.
Morality isn't something you find in religious texts or the words of some sage, it is something most aspire to but seldom reach as it is this aspiration to be greater than the mere sum of our parts. If people can't find this within themselves, then that which they find in a book is more likely to end up according to their interpretation of it.
That is a principled stand. May I ask what you do when a candidate is anti abortion, antiwelfare and pro death penalty?
This is my conundrum when I am looking for a prolife candidate, because so many antiabortion candidates are not consistent in their view once the child is here. On one hand, my religous (Catholic) views tell me all life is sacred and should not be interfered with until natural death, but I am usually left with candidates that make me choose which stage of life is more sacred. Which is why I have basically taken life issues out of the equation for myself (death penalty, euthanasia, assisted suicide, abortion).
I understand what you are saying. For me, personally, though, I am not against the death penalty (that's another thread) but suffice to say, I segregate out taking the life of an unborn baby from judicially taking the life of someone who has been legally tried and convicted of committing a usually very heinous murder. (Biblically, I don't see that God is against that.) Yes, there are issues then such as what if they're not guilty after all, etc....But essentially, for me, the abortion issue trumps it all.
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How much does religion form your political choice?
