Transparancy in religion: Asking 2012 presidential candidates difficult questions

 by Roland Hulme

 

Do we need to start looking deeper into the significance of presidential candidates religious beliefs?

As was demonstrated in 2008, presidential elections are won and lost in the pulpit.

In 2008, Barack Obama's much touted falling out with the pastor of his church, Jeremiah Wright, might have been viewed as a political liability at the time – but it neatly swept the legs out from under those who'd been trying to undermine his campaign with rumors that he was a "secret Muslim."

And likewise, John McCain's quiet, downplayed attendance of an Episcopalian church might have seemed like the "safe" route to go during the contentious election season; but it failed to ignite the deeply religious conservative Christians who made up a significant chunk of the Republican demographic.

This explains why the 2012 Republican candidates for the White House have followed in the footsteps of George W. Bush, rather than McCain, and are enthusiastically embracing their religion instead of shying away from it (except for Mitt Romney, of course, whose Mormon faith hangs around his neck like an albatross.)

I find it rather ironic how the founding fathers once fought so hard to create a secular government – building what Jefferson referred to as "a wall of separation" between Church and state – yet the idea of a non-religious president seems more inconceivable today than ever.

Yet although I'm not religious myself, I have no problem with a spiritual man (or woman) in the White House.

Within reason.

Because the more you start peering into the religious beliefs of some of the leading GOP candidates, the more worrying they become.

Michelle Bachmann, for example, has professed admiration for the beliefs outlined in Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity which puts forth the goal of making America a true "Christian nation" by governing the country under conservative Christian understanding of Biblical law.

Rick Perry, increasingly being referred to as "George W. Bush 2.0", has similarly expressed his belief that the Bible is 100% literal and inerrant and has claimed he'll ignore Supreme Court rulings he disagrees with on religious issues; for example the 1962 ruling that barred organized prayer from school.

It's my belief that the beliefs and world views that make Perry, Bachmann and their ilk "good Christians" also make them spectacularly bad Americans; and most of the country would agree with me if they knew just how deep their conservative Christian philosophies went.

Which is why I suggest we introduce some "religious transparency" to the 2012 presidential campaign – asking a few simple, pertinent questions about each candidates religious beliefs and then letting the great American voting public figure out for themselves if they would support a candidate who thinks that way. There are no "right" or "wrong" answers; just the opportunity to delve a little deeper into an issue that Republicans especially feel strongly about.

Since we're talking about transparency, I guess I should be open about my own motivation for such a survey: The belief that the majority of American voters are informed enough to have serious issues supporting a candidate who believes the world is 6,000 years old, or that Jews don't go to heaven.

I'm not one of these Richard Dawkins atheists; but I do believe rationality should trump religion every time – and a test of religious transparency like the one outlined below could make or break a 2012 presidential candidate's campaign.

The Survey of Religious Beliefs

1. Do you believe the Bible is literally true and inerrant?
2. Do you believe in separation of Church and State?
3. How old do you believe the Earth to be?
4. Do you believe homosexuality is a moral sin equivalent to pedophilia?
5. Do you believe women should be submissive to men?
6. Do you believe there should be organized prayer in public schools?
7. Do you believe non-Christians go to heaven?
8. Do you think Christian morality should be enforced through legislation (for example, banning pornography)?

Are there are any questions I missed? How would you answer such questions. Would the way a potential presidential candidate answers them affect your willingness to support them in an election?