And Religion counts?

[murphyj87]

EDITOR'S NOTE: We’re very pleased to introduce a new voice and a new column to the opinion pages of The Chronicle Herald and thechronicleherald.ca. Starting today, and every Thursday, Lee-Anne Goodman will bring insight and perspective on politics, social trends and issues in Canada-U.S. relations to readers from her base in Washington, D.C as reporter for the Canadian Press.

From a Canadian perspective, the idea that two of the Republican party’s most impressive would-be presidential hopefuls — Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman — probably don’t stand a chance of winning the nomination because of their faith is a head-scratcher.

As Canadians, we don’t wear our religion on our sleeves. As long as someone isn’t a Satanist or a Scientologist who’s partaken in some wild-eyed couch-jumping on The Oprah Winfrey Show, we’ll pretty much give their religion a pass. As far as our politicians are concerned, we seem to judge them on their politics far more than on their faith. Do mainstream Canadians know or care where Stephen Harper, Michael Ignatieff, Jack Layton, Gilles Duceppe or Elizabeth May worship? Or even if they regularly attend church at all?

But in the United States of America, people care. Religion, in fact, is so important to most Americans that Romney and Huntsman are considered long shots to win the nomination.

I was stunned when I moved to the suburbs of Washington, D.C., almost three years ago to what’s considered a liberal, Democratic area of the United States. The movers were still unloading my bedroom suite when my elderly neighbour — someone I later learned was a Christian evangelical — approached to ask my name, my profession, why I’d moved to the U.S. and, oh yeah, my religion.

Taken aback, I answered honestly: "I was never christened, but my family is Anglican." I saw the gleam of delight in her eye as she realized she’d snagged a live one. Her recruiting efforts began, and they continue to this day. She recently knocked on my door to slip an invitation to a Bible study class into my hand.

[Angry Dragon]

1. Do you have a link??

[murphyj87]

4. Link

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Opinion/1239364.html

[patrice]

2. You can get fired over religion in my state, since the Kochs + ChurchCo elect "our" govt here.

[Jim__]

3. "Religion, in fact, is so important to most Americans that Romney and Huntsman are considered ...

long shots to win the nomination."

Huntsman a long shot?

[vim876]

5. The reason Mormonism is an issue...

is that their religion considers political documents like the US Constitution to be sacred religious documents. At least that's my understanding. And that is a big problem for a democracy. Thus, Mitt Romney's issue.

[SammyP]

6. because religion counts.........

It counts because it shows people have morals and a deep faith that would reflect in there politics. America was formed on religion therefore its important. The main reason it is in my opinion is that its a common bond that most people can relate to. That fact that they believe in god (just like the regular citizen)makes the person running for office more like a real person. I do believe however that people who make religion the center point of there campaign (sarah palin) are using it just to get votes and not because they have a real faith for it.

[murphyj87]

7. To Americans....

But this column was wriiten by a Canadian for Canadians and, as she says, she has never been asked about her religion by a stranger in Canada (and in my 65 years I have been only asked once). It demonstrates how different Canadians and Americans are, and how different Canadian politics and American politics is.

As she says, noone in Canada knows, or cares, what religion the leader or candidates of Canada's five national parties is, or if they are religious at all.... it doesn't matter to Canadians and it shows why Canadians believe that the thinking of Americans is so warped, irrational, and paranoid.

[Bluenorthwest]

8. Except the author has exceptions...

"As long as someone isn’t a Satanist or a Scientologist...." So the thing about Romeney's religion is that it taught that black people are inferior and other racist practices and teachings well into Mitt's adulthood. So he, as an adult, believed deeply racist things, and practiced discrimination because of those beliefs. His Church has been very active politically, organizing and donating millions to help pass laws which discriminate against GLBT people. He now suggests he could be President to all Americans, and frankly, I think the racist beliefs and the homophobia are absolutely relevant. Odd to me, in fact, that the author would take a swipe at Scientology and yet is stunned that people are not shrugging off a religion with a recently virulent racist past which is aggressively opposing the civil rights of gay people. It has to be talked about. To claim that bigotry is something that should be glossed over out of some sense of polite behavior seems warped as hell.
The actual objective of this article is to suggest that Mormonism, with flaming racism deep into my lifetime and yours, not to mention Mitt's, is nothing like Scientology. Both are made up in recent times, in the US, both have lots of detractors and lots of supporters.Both teach of distant planets and myths about battles on Earth and our souls being perfectible so we can rule planets. I think they are both nuts. The author thinks one is worthy of public mockery, but the other must be accepted when they are nearly identical. Her thinking is inconsistent, and her biases are clear. She is not much of a supporter of civil rights, and equality is not something she thinks much of. She is white, she is straight, she is affluent.
No stranger has ever asked me my religion. Not once.

[murphyj87]

9. "As long as someone isn’t a Satanist or a Scientologist...

"As long as someone isn’t a Satanist or a Scientologist who has demontrated couch jumping on the Oprah Winfrey Show", yes.. in other words it is not that they are a Satanist or a Scientologist, but they are a Satanist or Scientologist who participtes in couch jumping on the Oprah Winfrey show. The public display of their beliefs is where the line is drawn. If they were a Satanist or Scientologist and kept it to themselves, as Canadian Politicians ALL do, which is why no mainstream Canadian knows, or cares, what, if any religion Stephen Harper, Michael Ignatieff, Jack Layton, Gilles Duceppe, or Elizbeth May, or any of the candidates of those 5 national parties believe and/or practice.

[Simon Snath]

10. I disagree. Most Americans don't care what religion a...

candidate is, unless it's Islam. While there may be undue prejudice against Islam, for the mainstream American, 9/11 is hard to forget. Nevertheless, we have two in Congress who are Muslim. I don't really believe religion is a factor, for most.

[Misc85]

11. I can to on an on about this

I think any candidate that very religious has a better chance, in this America, as long as they're christian of course.

I also believe the hateful, contradicting the bible and inhumaine your believes are the better the chance is to get elected. Because that's what people believe, the more of those things you are the most devout you must be. And the more devout you are the better a person you are. That's the truth. That's why it hurts.

[drakonyx]

12. Canada Rocks

"As Canadians, we don’t wear our religion on our sleeves." We could use some of that attitude down here.