Should Faith Matter When Electing Politicians?

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Some candidates talk about matters of faith quite naturally. Voters can smell a phony; they can spot a candidate who uses faith as a political ploy – and they don’t like it. So the best advice for candidates, when it comes to discussing religious matters, is to be yourself and speak from the heart.

The Interfaith Alliance urges American voters to make careful, thoughtful judgments about political candidates. Religion can be part of the national conversation about our elected officials, but it should never be a weapon for political battle or a shortcut for stereotyping a person's intentions or abilities.

The real violations of Article VI come when religion is not discussed in an honest respectful way. Here are a few examples of religion being manipulated for partisan gain:

Radio commentator Dennis Prager said that Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison should not be allowed to take the oath of office using a Qu’ran instead of a Bible, because “the act undermines American civilization.”

John McCain said in a Beliefnet.com interview that "The Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation."

Even former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who found encountered major political obstacles because of Mormon faith, told an audience in Florida that the U.S. requires a “person of faith” to lead it – no atheists or agnostics need apply.