Religion should not guide President's policy

Breeze Perspectives

"I am not the Catholic candidate for President. I am the Democratic Party’s candidate for President who happens to be Catholic. I do not speak for my church on public matters, and the church does not speak for me," John F. Kennedy said upon being elected President in 1960.

After observing the actions of the Bush Administration over the past four years, I think President Bush and his cronies must not be aware of the Constitutional clause to which JFK was eluding. It’s something called the separation of church and state.

The Bush/Cheney reelection team stretched the boundaries of religious involvement in the democratic process this year by using churches as a campaign ground. Republicans urged clergymen to attend legal sessions teaching them how to persuade their congregations to vote for Bush without coming right out and saying so. Campaign workers also asked churches to provide them with copies of their church directories, an action which would violate laws prohibiting tax-exempt organizations from becoming involved in campaigns.

Election Day proved that Bush was successful in bringing droves of evangelical Christians to the polls, and whether he reached them legally or illegally is no longer significant. They were decisive in Bush’s victory — now they want their agenda pushed forward. You can bet they’ll be prodding Bush along, reminding him of all the time and money they put into his campaign.

Is this really what’s best for our nation? The reality is that the millions of people who voted for Bush based on their religious beliefs make up a relatively small percentage of the total population. Why should their views be heard over anyone else’s? The problem lies in the fact that our President believes it is his responsibility to act based on his religious convictions. I have no problem whatsoever with Bush being a devout Christian, but I do have a problem with the President of the United States conducting his civil duties according to his religious beliefs. The President is an agent of all the people, not just the fundamental Christians.

There is no greater example of the drastic consequences of the mix between government and religion than the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Israel and Palestine have slaughtered one another for years because they allow religion to control their government. That is why people in the Middle East strap bombs to themselves and detonate them in crowds of civilians. It is why the Israeli military launches missiles into neighborhoods full of Palestinians. It is why people are kidnapped and beheaded. It is why our soldiers come home in coffins. America must find a solution.

As the world’s superpower, it is our responsibility to take the lead in diplomatically diffusing religiously charged conflicts in an unbiased manner. Bush hasn’t shown any signs of compromising or seeking peace with the Muslim world, and don’t expect to see any as long as the fundamental far right is allowed to pull the strings of the White House.

Patrick Callahan is an undeclared freshman.