Some candidates\u2014like Michelle Bachmann\u2014boast that God told them to run for office. Others\u2014like Rick Perry\u2014unashamedly use religious doctrines as political talking points. But when opponents or media interviewers ask them about their beliefs, they act as though they\u2019re being attacked unfairly, and try to make these questions off-limits.<\/p>\n

In an article in the New York Times, entitled \u201cNot Just Between Them and Their God,\u201d<\/a> the newspaper\u2019s executive editor, Bill Keller says: \u201cThere is a sense, encouraged by candidates, that what goes on between and candidate and his or her God is a sensitive, even privileged domain, except when it is us useful for mobilizing the religious base and prying open their wallets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keller urges us to get over that:<\/p>\n

\u2026I do want to know if a candidate places fealty to the Bible\u2026or some other authority higher than the Constitution and the laws of this country. It matters to me whether a president respects serious science and verifiable history\u2026I do care if religious doctrine becomes an excuse to exclude my fellow citizens from the rights and protections our country promises\u2026And I care a lot if a candidate is going to be a Trojan horse for a sect that believes it has divine instructions on how we should be governed.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And Keller is doing something to try to help us get that information. He has sent Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney a questionnaire. Some of the questions he asked include:<\/p>\n

Do you agree with those religious leaders who say that America is a \u201cChristian nation\u201d or a \u201cJudeo-Christian nation?\u201d And what does that mean in practice?<\/p>\n

Would you have any hesitation about appointing a Muslim to the federal bench? What about an atheist?<\/p>\n

What is your attitude toward the theory of evolution and do you believe it should be taught in the public schools?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Keller\u2019s questionnaire also includes questions specific to certain candidates<\/a>. He plans to post each campaign\u2019s answers\u2014if there are any\u2014on nytimes.com. \u201cAnd if they don\u2019t answer,\u201d adds Keller, \u201cLet\u2019s keep on asking. Because these are matters too important to take on faith.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[Image credit: mysantonio.org]<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some candidates\u2014like Michelle Bachmann\u2014boast that God told them to run for office. Others\u2014like Rick Perry\u2014unashamedly use religious doctrines as political talking points. But when<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[162,77,16],"tags":[665],"yoast_head":"\n