 Volume 141, Number 3Excerpts from Vol. 141, No. 3; February 8, 2008
Religion influences voters, panel says
By Susan Misur
Assistant Chief Copy EditorA person’s religion often has an impact on what political candidate they vote for, said the executive director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State in a panel discussion Wednesday night. Rev. Barry Lynn joined three other panelists and a moderator in “Religion and Politics in America,” the second event this semester of the Citizen and Politics in America University forum series. “I think there’s a significant amount of evidence that people of a particular religion or viewpoint base their choice for a candidate with values of their own,” Lynn said when asked if religious identity impacts how voters approach elections. Panelist Dr. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, agreed, but added it can depend on how religious the person is. “Religious identity can [have], and often has, an impact, but it depends on if the person has inherited that religion or chosen it and how much of an impact it has on their lives,” he said. Lynn pointed out that it shouldn’t be surprising people involved in religion are also actively engaged in electoral matters and voting, likening them to high school students involved in many activities. He went on to say while people are electing for a secular government that serves no religious function, it doesn’t mean candidates cannot talk about religion. “But I don’t think such evidence [of a strong religious background] translates to sound decisions as president,” he said, citing President Bush’s decision that waterboarding, which simulates drowning and is a form of interrogation, is not torture. When asked about voters’ appetite for candidates to express religious beliefs, panelist Dr. Luis Lugo, director of The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, said Americans say they don’t hear enough about the topic from candidates.(read full article)
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