With no Republican candidates for the presidency involved in the televised discussion and only the face-cards of the Democratic candidates present, was this a sly piece of political promotion under the guise of religion? Obviously it was not an attempt to explore the manner in which the religion of the candidates would impact American policy. Few questions were raised that lay outside the realm of popular hot-button issues.

Second, this forum perpetuated the most negative stereotypes related to religion and politics and to a disregard for religious pluralism in society or religious freedom in the constitution. Missing from the forum were inquiries about how a candidate would relate personal religious convictions to pressing presidential decisions when the candidate’s belief contradicted the oath to protect and enforce the constitution. Absent also was a serious recognition of a United States president’s responsibility to religious minorities and to citizens who embrace no religion.

Third, this forum conveyed the suggestion that voters should weigh the personal religious decisions of candidates in deciding which one of them deserves support. Such a suggestion stands as a bold rejection of Article VI of the United States Constitution, prohibiting the application of a religious test for those seeking a public office.

The forum could have made a major contribution to the American political scene if one of the candidates had responded to a question intrusive into the candidate’s privacy and seeking details about his/her personal faith with, “That is none of your business.” Investigating the details of a candidate’s personal prayers has no place in preparing citizens for an election. We are not voting who prays best or whose prayers are most like ours, if we pray at all.

The Democrats in this forum will have to move beyond the questions in this forum to demonstrate that their service to the nation as president, if elected, will not become a bully pulpit for one particular religion and that their personal religion will not be the dictator of their decisions that impact an incredibly diverse population. In this presidential campaign, we are not electing a rabbi, imam, or pastor. We are electing the president of the United States. As important as I believe religion is in the life of a person, I do not want to decide for whom to vote on the personal religion of a presidential candidate.

American citizens have a responsibility, as much as is possible, to elect the very best leader for the free world. That person can serve this nation well by providing for the public welfare domestically, restoring our nation’s reputation in the international community as a government that respects the sovereignty of other nations and works even with those in disagreement to achieve a stable peace, and protects the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom that allows people to embrace of refuse to embrace any religion.