Why does religion play such an important role in Presidential elections?

Question

And by letting it are we violating the separation of church and state?

Answer 1

Guy from..where ever, that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard! I'm an Atheist and I vote!

The problem is that upwards of 80% of the people in the U.S. believe in a God, and that's why it's important to "secure" the Religious vote! NOT because they care more than anyone else.
Ron Paul (a Christian) will get my vote, and yes it should be a separation issue!


Edit to JACK: The problem is, that a Candidate shouldn't be elected or not elected based on the candidates religion. It's bogus.

Answer 2

There is a quote that I have read to the effect that it is possible to separate church from state but it is not possible to separate morality from politics.

Religion is a major source (not the only source) of moral beliefs. For this reason, many leaders of major political movements have arisen from churches. Sometimes this has been a good thing and sometimes it has been a bad thing.

The Constitution forbids the establishment of a national (or local) official church and also guarantees the right of all to choose what religion (if any) to follow. It also forbids the government from establishing a religious qualification for public office. It does not forbid individual voters from considering the religious beliefs of candidates in deciding how they will vote.

Religion is also a source of beliefs about the nature of reality. Some religions place revealed truth at a higher level than the investigations and discovery of science. This creates a conflict between the faith of these voters and the desires of other voters to assure that all students understand basic scientific principles.

Both the conflict over the nature of reality and the conflict over morality lead many voters to care about the beliefs of candidates. This concern is elevated when candidates either have religious beliefs (in the case of Governor Romney) that are not familiar to the majority of voters or are falsely alleged to have such religious beliefs (in the case of Senator Obama). It is also elevated when candidates claim that their faith defines them (in the case of Governor Huckabee).

We are nearing the end of a Presidency that, in many circumstances, seems to have refused to let new facts interfere with positions driven by ideology. Religious faith can, in some cases, be even more dogmatic than ideology. It can also be less dogmatic than ideology. As such, there are good reasons for voters to be concerned about the faith of the candidates and how that faith could influence their decision making. While our faith does not completely define most of us, it is part of the entire person for a significant majority of the population.

Answer 3

1. The president does not have to be a Protestant Christian, but it's very unlikely they'll get elected in America if they are not. I wish this was not the case, but unfortunately a lot of people need religion to dictate their opinions for them. 2. I would vote for the person I agreed with, regardless of religion. I've met people athiests who were more Christian than Christians, etc. Just because a person professes to live a certain way does not mean their actions/views will match what they say they believe. Unfortunately in politics, we've seen too many examples where a person states a popular religious view (ex. anti-gay marriage) but is behaving in a contrary way in their own lives (having homosexual affairs). What a person says and what they do are very different matters. I would always base my opinions on a person's actions rather than their words. 3. Well, JFK was Catholic rather than Protestant, but I think he's the only non Protestant example so far that has been elected. I would assume being religious would be preferable to being non-religious in terms of getting votes, but I think the fact that we've had a woman and a black man make it so far in this election is a good sign that we Americans are headed toward a more tolerant and open-minded future in terms of who we choose to run our country.

Answer 4

Reread the Constitution and you will find there is no guarantee of separation of church and state and there is certainly no prohibition of religion mentioned.

Religion is a very important part of the way people determine their political philosophies and since it is a Republic people can vote based on their own political philosophy.

You can look to yourself and see how much of a role religion plays, you have mentioned the subject over and over again.

FYI I am not religious but I abhor any attempts to control the people who are.

Answer 5

Because it plays an important role in American lives. Or at least in my life. The 1st Amendment doesn't completely seperate church and state. It only says "...Congress shall make no law regarding an establishment of religion..."

Answer 6

Because some of the candidates and the media turn it in to a big issue. How exactly do you think talking about it is violating the constitution? It's freedom of speech so unless you think the constitution contradicts itself then I don't understand your question.

Answer 7

Because most of the people that care to vote are religious dedicated Americans that involve religion in every aspect of their lives, even politics. The majority of voting states are in general White Catholics or Protestant with very conservative values.

Answer 8

Voters vote for someone similar to their beliefs, and that is why romney as a mormon could be a problem to some christain voters.

Answer 9

It never has before, why should it?