Religion or just politics?

How does religion play into our politics in present day America? As a New Yorker, I view the world as quite diverse, as naïve as that may sound. When I think of who my friends are, it’s safe to say that I have never thought twice about their race or religion when considering our friendship. Unfortunately, politics considers everything. Today, the presidential nominees are as diverse as ever and so many issues arise. One of these issues is religion. Should we dwell on a candidate’s religion and put a label on his/her politics? Why is it that the new is filled with unworthy reports about whether or not a candidate is considered to be “Christian?” Are we swaying away from what’s really important, or is religion an important factor when it comes to our president? Personally, I feel as though religion should never be a factor. A candidate should be judged upon their credentials, potential, goals, etc that they have for America and its Citizens.

It seems as though it all comes down to the consistency and depth of a candidate’s conservatism; when looking at presidents of the past, those that were considered to be good old conservative Christian family oriented men were caught cheating on their wives or sending out obscene pictures here and there. . . I’m sure you know who I’m talking about. Anyway, back to what I was saying, why is it that Americans feel so inclined to butcher a candidate over their religious beliefs? Does being Christian mean that you’re more of a conservative, or is this just all a stunt to sidetrack candidates from their political message?

Just on the news, I read that Mitt Romney is facing some scrutiny over his Mormon beliefs. Herman Cain congresswoman Michele Bachmann declined to answer questions about Romney’s Mormon religion, but others didn’t seem to be on the same boat. What was being questioned was if Mormons are considered to be “Christian”. Why is this even on the news? Michael D. Shear, Erik Eckholm and Ashley Parker of the New York Times answer that question. “With Mr. Romney having regained the perceived status of front-runner, his opponents have signaled that they will go after him hard from the right, questioning his conservative credentials and trying to force him off his economic message. He now has to parry those intensifying attacks without giving up the opportunity to win over independent voters should he become his party’s nominee and face President Obama next year.”

I feel as though this is very well put and described. Romney’s opponents will do anything to steal his title as front runner so they’re playing hardball. Anything that can be thrown out there to get the public’s reaction is fair game. Social issues have been a big deal for Romney because he is seen to be a “flip flopper” as his political stance on certain things have changed over the years. He does well at defending his motives and continues to be the front runner. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/us/politics/social-issues-pose-new-test-for-mitt-romney.html?ref=politics

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/romneys-presidential-primary-opponents-decline-to-answer-whether-the-mormon-is-a-christian/2011/10/09/gIQAbkafXL_story.html