John Kerry made a big deal about being Catholic.
Nancy Pelosi says she's one too.
There are a lot of Catholics and one Mormon running for president this time around.
People aren't talking about the Catholic candidates as much, except by noting that there are more than usual. People are very curious about how Mitt Romney's faith will affect the way he does his job. He has clearly learned from a long line of Catholic candidates, starting with young Mr. Kennedy.
He says it won't.
I'm disappointed. I'm a little afraid of a man who cares more about getting elected than he does about what God thinks of him.
There was a controversy awhile back about whether someone should be allowed to take his oath of office on the Q'uran. Regardless of how uncomfortable it makes some people, at least he was willing to practice his faith in public. You can't trust someone's "so help me God" if there is no weight in his mind to what he swears by. He might as well swear on a dictionary.
It doesn't make any sense for people to leave their personal beliefs at home when they enter the workplace. One can have opinions and be professional about them. Imagine if I left my Catholic faith behind me upon entry into a classroom, public or private. So much for fair grading, respect for the human dignity of my students, academic honesty, kindness. So much for beauty in Literature. All of the meaning would be taken out of my job. If humans have no creator and no soul, what would be the point of educating them so they could find and fulfill their vocations? So they could seek truth, and find God in the process?
Politicians shouldn't leave such principles behind them. Government office should not be incompatible with the Catholic faith. In fact, for there to be any justice, it must be. Respect for human life is the foundation for honesty, just war, religious freedom, fairness, respect for the poor, effective education, criminal justice, ethical medicine, and all of the other issues that a statesman (or woman, as the case may be) will encounter during the course of his career. A leader's job is not just to listen to the people, but also to protect truth and justice in whatever country she leads. Not to equivocate, and have no opinions. If you are "personally offended" by something, act accordingly. If you can't, find another job.
Notice to Catholic politicians: the first one of you to grow a spine and stand up for Catholic teaching gets my vote.
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