If I could ask Senator Biden and Governor Palin a question on religion and politics, it would center on their acceptance or repudiation of unfair religious attacks on other candidates this election season.
This has not been a great year for religious tolerance or fair-minded examinations of other religious points of view.
Bigots attacked Governor Mitt Romney for his Mormon faith. Recently religiously ignorant opponents of Governor Palin have attacked the Assemblies of God. Even the good name of the Atlantic has been sullied by such know-nothing rants.
Of course, examining a person’s religion to learn something about the candidate is not wrong.
Most Americans recognize that religious belief or non-belief is part of the “world view” of a man or woman. We know that these beliefs will shape the decision making process of any candidate. Fair examination of the political implications of his or her beliefs is acceptable.
It is not bigotry to reject a candidate because one is concerned about the political implications of their ideas, even their religious ideas, if those ideas are fairly examined.
This election season fair examination of the political implications of religious belief has been in short supply.
Sadly, it is easier for politicians and pundits to attack ideas they don’t fully understand and to mock practices that are not part of their experience.
Ignorant people confuse paganism with Satanism. Atheism is conflated with hedonism. Some Americans, who have no trouble with people “going wild” on Spring Break, mock Pentecostals for their exuberant worship.
It is wrong when religious ideas with no political implications, such as prayer practices, are introduced as “exotic” in order to frighten voters.
It is frightening when our leaders play to popular religious misunderstandings in order to rouse bigotry for political gain. Dismissing a candidate simply because of his religious affiliation (”all of those people are the same”) is vile.
Governor Palin: do you reject the views of supporters who will not vote for a person simply because he is a Mormon or an atheist? Will you repudiate the actions of those spreading the false Internet rumors about Senator Obama’s religious affiliation?
Senator Biden: do you reject the views of supporters who demean traditional Christians, such as Catholic Archbishop Chaput, with inaccurate labels such as “theocrat” or “Christianist?” Will you repudiate the views of those who think all you need to know to reject Governor Palin is that she was a member of the Assemblies of God?
To both candidates: How do you think the religious views of a candidate can be examined fairly?