Huckabee “Crosses the Line” on Faith
February 1, 2008
I think a lot of Americans are, like me, unenthusiastic in their tolerance of religion in politics. It doesn’t bother me when people ask for a moment of silence or say a short prayer. And it doesn’t bother me that our currency bears the slogan “In God We Trust” and our pledge has the words “under God” in it. Actually, I kind of like it when the president - any president - ends his speeches with, “God bless the United States of America”. It sounds poetic and patriotic. However, there is a line that can be crossed. What is that line exactly? I don’t know, but as Supreme Court Associate Justice Potter Stewart said of pornography in 1964, I know it when I see it.
Mike Huckabee crossed that line last week in South Carolina while speaking to a crowd of Evangelical Christians. He was talking about our most cherished document, the U.S. Constitution, and referred to it as a “living, breathing document”. I’m actually ok with that characterization. The constitution has a built-in mechanism to amend it, which we have done 27 times since it was originally ratified. But then he came right out and said that since we have the “perfect word of God”, and we should change our constitution to mirror it more closely. Excuse me?
Even more frightening was the roaring applause that greeted his demagoguery. Even if he was just saying it for political points, the fact that so many people zealously agreed is troubling and, appropriately, the subject of future posts. But right now, I think I’ll float a couple of questions for Huckabee and those like him.
Which “perfect word of God” should we use? The Christians’, Muslims’, or Scientologists’? Ok, Scientologists don’t exactly claim Dianetics as the word of God, but you get my drift. Once we start letting religion wedge its way into affairs of the state, the chasm between theocracies like Saudi Arabia and Iran and the U.S. starts to narrow. I’m not saying that people don’t have the individual right to worship (or not) as they wish. I just wish that everyone would keep it more or less to themselves – and most do. However, there is a noisy and growing segment of voters who, intentionally or not, are pushing their religious values on others. With so many incompatible religions to choose from, how do we know which one to follow as a country?
I’ll tell you what, the first one to prove its validity beyond a reasonable doubt and without requiring faith (belief without proof) wins. Until then, I’m sure I speak on behalf of a lot of people when I say to please keep it out of politics.
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Huckabee is the type of politician that scares me. While religion, whether traditional or secular, is important to the lives of many, I just wish they’d check it at the door when it comes to their public political life. As a guideline for their core beliefs and personal moral compass, fine. As the basis of policy, no way.
Mitt Romney is as devout in his religious beliefs as Mike Huckabee, but he rarely mentions in within the context of policy. That’s OK by me…