“No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any public office or public trust under the United States.”
- Constitution of the United States article VI
“I’d rather be ruled by a wise Turk than a foolish Christian.”
- attributed to Martin Luther
On October 7 a Baptist pastor from a Texas mega-church endorsed Gov. Rick Perry of Texas in his bid for the Republican nomination for president over his Mormon rival, former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts on the basis of Perry’s evangelical faith. His remarks caused quite a bit of ink to be spilled in the press when he used the inflammatory word “cult” to describe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which commonly goes by the name “Mormon.”
The issue of whether or not the Mormon Church is another Christian denomination is one that has been debated for years. The Mormons usually assert that they are not just another Christian denomination, but the true Christian Church on earth. Close to all evangelical Protestants as well as Catholics and Orthodox would not agree that they are a Christian denomination at all, but a significant deviation from Christianity. This is an issue for Christians and Mormons to debate among themselves.
The bigger issue as America holds local elections this November and a national election next November is whether a candidate’s religion should be a factor in deciding for whom to vote. This was an issue in 1960 when John F. Kennedy, a Catholic, ran for president, as it was in 1928 when New York Governor Al Smith ran against Herbert Hoover. It was even an issue early in Abraham Lincoln’s career when he was accused of being an atheist because he did not belong to any church. Those charges are often forgotten today because of the many Biblical references in Lincoln’s speeches and his deep sense of Biblical morality. From the beginning America’s constitution has been clear on the issue of religion. No citizen of this country shall be barred from office on account of religion. The founders of this country had a deep fear of religiously based politics.
The sometimes questioned but often cited quote from Martin Luther makes the Lutheran position clear. Whether Martin Luther really said it or not, this quote embodies his thinking on the issue of politics and religion. The Turks were advancing toward Vienna during Luther’s lifetime. Their Moslem faith was a real challenge to Christian Europe. And yet Luther said that he would take a smart Moslem over a dim Christian for his ruler any day. The test of leadership is wisdom, courage, and compassion, not religion per se. Lutherans have not always lived by this ideal as they should, but it is pretty much the Lutheran position.
Minnesota has a proud tradition of voting for the candidate and not for the church. For decades one of the two U.S. Senators from Minnesota has been Jewish (Boschwitz, Wellstone, Coleman, Franken) and yet religion has not factored into their successive elections. Two are Republicans; two are Democrats. Two are religious; two are secular. Although Minnesota is one of the least diverse states in the nation, the first – and so far only - Moslem member of congress was elected in Minnesota’s 5th district (Minneapolis). The state has had more Lutherans and Catholics in office, of course, but this state has not put a religious test to the candidates who run for office.
When a voter enters the voting booth, the questions that should be uppermost in his or her mind should be whether the candidate holds the positions and advocates the policies the voter wants, whether the candidate can be trusted to carry them out with integrity, and whether the candidate will deal wisely with those unforeseen events and crises that will surely arise. Some of the positions a candidate takes may flow out of religious conviction, and that is to be expected. True faith is a foundational aspect of life and affects all aspects of a person’s life including politics. But in the end, it is public policy and not personal piety that should matter the most. Religion, like race, ethnicity, and gender, should not be a determining factor in an election.
Pastors are not called to endorse candidates. They are called to preach the gospel and teach basic moral values, as well as encourage everyone to vote according to their own consciences.
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