Written by Don Byrd
There is no religious test for office in the United States. That promise is central to our guarantee of religious liberty for all. No religious beliefs are required for, and no religious beliefs are disqualifying from, public service in the government.
At the same time, when voters offer support only to candidates who share their religious views, they undermine the spirit of the no-religious-test guarantee. When that happens, our politics can seemingly turn into a religious contest more than a contest of public policy ideas and qualifications.
Fortunately, the number of Americans who place importance on the religious beliefs of presidential candidates seems to be declining. Via Religion Clause, new polling from PRRI indicates the number has dropped from 66% to 58% in the last 5 years.
Fewer Americans today say it is important that the candidate they are supporting for president has strong religious beliefs. Currently, a majority of the public says it is either very (29%) or somewhat (29%) important that a candidate has strong religious beliefs. Four in ten (40%) Americans say this is not too important or not at all important to them in making their voting decision. In 2011, nearly two-thirds (66%) of the public said it was important to them that the candidate they were supporting has strong religious beliefs, including 39% who said it was very important.
Among every religious group fewer say that having strong religious beliefs is a priority in a candidate for president . . .
Candidates can and should, of course, discuss the way their personal faith and worldview may play a role in shaping their public policy decisions. But, an emphasis on a candidate’s religious beliefs, as if those are themselves qualifications, may needlessly rule out many qualified candidates and may promote unqualified candidates simply because of their faith (or lack thereof).
