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DON WALTON

Published: December 14, 2007

When John F. Kennedy ran for president in 1960, many Americans had serious reservations about electing a Roman Catholic to the presidency.

Voter concern stemmed from the fact that Roman Catholics hold their Pope to be the Vicar of Christ. As Christ's infallible spokesman on earth, the Roman Pontiff is to receive the absolute allegiance of Roman Catholics in all matters of faith and practice. Thus, many Americans were understandably concerned that a Catholic president would prove to be a puppet of the Roman Pontiff, with strings running from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome.

Kennedy successfully quieted voters' qualms by assuring Americans that his election to the presidency would compel him outside the jurisdiction of the pontificate, at least when it came to his civic life and responsibilities. In other words, as president he vowed to take off the cloak of Catholicism in the Oval Office and to only don it in the privacy of the Executive Residence. While I'm not sure this makes for a good Roman Catholic, it did make for a good presidential candidate. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was elected the 35{+t}{+h} president of the United States of America. Also, he proved true to his word, scarcely showing any trace of religious convictions during his abbreviated 1,000 days in office.

To Kennedy's credit, he did not accuse those questioning his presidential candidacy of being guilty of religious bigotry or intolerance. He recognized such questions as legitimate. Furthermore, he went out of his way to answer them directly and publicly, even going so far as to meet with the Greater Houston Ministerial Association in order to field questions from Protestant ministers hostile to his candidacy. Compare this to today's presidential aspirants, who often ascribe illegitimate motives to their legitimate questioners and refuse to answer the questions of any audience that has not be carefully selected and scripted by their political handlers.

To Kennedy, a candidate's defining of his religious tenants promoted understanding between differing faiths, as well as alleviated the apprehension of America's atheists and agnostics when it came to religious candidates seeking political office. It also helped a country of diverse religions and non-religionists to find common ground on which to unite in the hope of forging a stronger America.

As we all know, John F. Kennedy's presidency was tragically ended by an assassin's bullet, but what may be a greater tragedy by far is the fact that lofty ideas like his have long since passed away from our country's political landscape. Today, any questioning of a candidate's religious convictions is condemned as religious bigotry and intolerance. What's more, sincerely held religious convictions, those that candidates refuse to strip off in public office and compromise in accordance with public opinion polls, are roundly denounced as divisive and detrimental to the good of our nation.

Far from feeling obligated to field questions and directly address voter concerns, today's politicians appear insulted at the mere insinuation that anything about them is questionable at all. When it comes to their religious faith, they insist that it is a private matter. Therefore, the electorate has no business sticking its nose into their religious beliefs, regardless of what they profess to believe and whether or not they actually practice their religious profession.

Of course, these same politicians have no problem publicly parading their "private" faith whenever it serves their political interest.

Don Walton is founder and president of Time for Truth Ministries. He has served as director of missions for the Pasco Baptist Association, an association of Southern Baptist churches in West Central Florida. He can be reached at don@timefortruth.org.

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