Related articles and links |  1 of 9

Kerry's Catholicism, Bible quoting are now center of campaign
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry has cranked up the religion talk this week, criticizing President Bush on biblical grounds and giving a lengthy interview with Time magazine on his Catholic beliefs.

The Time story, written by magazine political reporters Karen Tumulty and Perry Bacon Jr., not religion reporter David Van Biema, isn't really about Bush vs. Kerry or even Protestant politics vs. Catholic politics. It's Catholic doctrine vs. a Catholic's personal beliefs.

"People in Rome are becoming more and more aware that there's a problem with John Kerry, and a potential scandal with his apparent profession of his Catholic faith and some of his stances, particularly abortion," an unnamed American Vatican official tells the magazine.

But Kerry says there's no problem or scandal at all. "We have a separation of church and state in this country," he said. "As John Kennedy said very clearly, I will be a President who happens to be Catholic, not a Catholic President. … I don't tell church officials what to do, and church officials shouldn't tell American politicians what to do in the context of our public life."

There's quite a bit of unpacking to do in that context, and one hopes that in the next few days campaign reporters will be asking some follow-up questions. Does Kerry believe that church leaders shouldn't comment on issues of public morality? Would Kerry also oppose church officials telling American politicians to, for example, work against racism, or support legislation that would help the poor and disadvantaged? If Kerry doesn't believe in submitting himself to the teachings of his church leaders, then why is he a Roman Catholic instead of a member of a denomination that emphasizes the individual's personal faith (for example, a Baptist church that stresses "soul competency")?

Kerry says he just "happens to be Catholic," but also suggests that Catholicism is something he chose. After going through "a period of a little bit of anger and agnosticism," when he returned from the Vietnam War, he says, "subsequently, I did a lot of reading and a lot of thinking and really came to understand how all those terrible things fit." Hearing more about Kerry's theodicy could be very illuminating if he believes this belief has (or should have) any bearing on his public policy.

But from some of Kerry's statements, it seems that he may not believe that his theology should influence his politics. Or does he? Kerry is getting much press today over comments he made yesterday criticizing Bush on the basis of biblical teaching. "The scriptures say: 'It is not enough, my brother, to say you have faith, when there are no deeds.' We look at what is happening in America today and we say: 'Where are the deeds?'" he said at New Northside Baptist Church in St. Louis.

It's time to reach for that future. It's time to hear and heed the ancient proverb that should guide us today: "When you pray, move your feet." …

The scriptures tell us that there is "a time to break down and a time to build up." This is our time to break down division, not build it up. It's time to reject the politics of falseness and fear calculated to divide black from white, rich from poor, neighborhood from neighborhood, region from region. …

This is our time to start building up America again. Time to build up the material things that matter—from our schools to health centers to depressed communities that can thrive again. But even more, time to build up the things of the spirit that lift us up—the sense that no matter where we come from, what we have or what we lack—we are all God's children, linked together by the dignity of each and the shared destiny of all. …

next page... |  1 of 9

March (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48