Religious Beliefs
Do Matter

I agree with the letters to The Herald from both John Gropper (12/13) and Gregory Crawford (1/3) in their support for the separation of church and state. But I must disagree with their contention that it is a violation of the Constitution for voters to explore a candidate's religious beliefs when deciding whom to support for public office.

The constitutional ban on any religious test for holding office simply means that there may be no religious criteria to keep a person from seeking office or from taking office if named or elected. That ban is perfectly consistent with the constitutional principle that the laws and official acts of government be utterly neutral with regard to religion. But it has no bearing whatsoever on the equally important constitutional right of individuals to be free in their religion, and free to look to their faith to inspire their decisions, including decisions regarding whom to support at the ballot box.

Still, I am dismayed that more and more people are casting their vote on the basis of a candidate's purely religious beliefs. But I am also aware, with equal dismay, that many people use "religion" to support secular bigotries which they are unable to justify by logic or concrete observation.

If a candidate uses religion as a substitute for science, reasoning, or any secular knowledge I, as a voter, want to know about it. I need to know if the candidate-who could eventually control vast resources and have his or her finger on the atomic button-misuses "religion" to justify absurdities.

I would therefore resist any interpretation of the Constitution that would thwart a voter's efforts to explore a political candidate's religious views. Such a constitutional interpretation would allow any candidate who might hold illogical or untenable secular opinions to render those opinions immune from public scrutiny simply by stating that his opinions constitute his "religion."

There is a thin but definite line between the official acts of government and the personal religious feelings of individuals, including office holders. It is true that religion cannot be an official bar to public office, nor can government resources be used to sponsor religious belief. But, the Constitution does not require individual citizens to be neutral regarding religion, neither when voting or at any other time.

Christopher D. Costanzo

Bethel