It is one thing to consider a candidate’s faith; it is quite another to exclude an entire faith from being considered for public office. I wrote Sen. John McCain a letter to tell him how deeply disappointed and disturbed I am by his recent statements about religion and politics and by his apparent misunderstanding of our history and of the Constitution he has taken an oath to defend.
In his BeliefNet interview, Senator McCain expressed discomfort with the prospect of a Muslim in the White House, and said he would prefer a president “who has a solid grounding in my faith,” because “that’s an important part of our qualifications to lead.” He tried to justify his remarks by saying, “the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation.” Last month, according to the Associated Press, he said that questions over whether he identifies himself as a Baptist or an Episcopalian are not as important as his overarching faith. “The most important thing is that I am a Christian,” he said.
Senator McCain’s comments on his litmus test of religion as a qualification to be president of the United States are simply outrageous. That a presidential candidate and sitting United States senator would seem to suggest that an entire group of people should be barred from seeking the presidency based only on their religion should be offensive to all Americans, no matter their faith or political affiliation. While he later sought to clarify his statement, I am concerned with the overall pattern of remarks he has made recently about religion and politics. To state that the U.S. Constitution establishes this as a Christian nation is absolutely ludicrous.
Senator McCain’s statements aid and abet those who have tried to rewrite the Constitution to fit their own political and religious beliefs. The Framers of the Constitution made it abundantly clear that America would be a secular nation in which every citizen would be free to practice their own beliefs, whether religious or not, and that the government would neither interfere with religion nor favor one religion over others or religion in general over other beliefs. This First Freedom was and is America’s greatest contribution to democracy and the struggle for freedom all over the world.
Candidates on both sides of the aisle are using religion in radically new ways within their political operations. Some journalists are forcing candidates to defend the practices and beliefs of their faith, proclaim their favorite Bible verses, confess their greatest sin, and describe how they pray and how regularly they attend services. These and other questions about religion have no bearing over a candidate's vision for leading this country and they hurt both religion and democracy.
Candidates must remember that they are running for Commander-in-Chief, not Pastor-in-Chief. Article VI of the Constitution clearly states that “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”
If Senator McCain intends to hold the highest office in this land, I urge him to remember his oath to defend the Constitution, including the First Amendment and Article VI. He must find a way to lead that does not disenfranchise a significant portion of our population.
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