Blog 4

          In his September 1960 speech, John F. Kennedy argues for true religious freedom and the full separation of church and state. As Randall Balmer states in God in the White House, in his speech, Kennedy was asking the American electorate to, “effectively bracket a candidate’s faith out of their considerations when they entered the voting booth.” Kennedy not only argues for his own sake, but for other minority religious communities as well. Kennedy’s remarks came at a time of very high anti-Catholic sentiment in the United States. Many Protestant citizens of the United States believed that Kennedy’s Catholicism would lead to a puppet government controlled by the Vatican. Kennedy used this speech to assure Protestant voters that he, along with any other Catholic or candidate of a minority religion, would not allow religion to over shadow their candidacy and time in office.

            In today’s political climate, Kennedy’s plea for the full separation of church and state would more than likely not be met with approval. The “Religious Right” and Evangelical voters constitute some of the biggest voting populations with some of the highest voter turnout. Candidates, especially Republicans, almost always tout their “Christian values” make them the better candidate. Many Americans still consider religious beliefs and Christian values when considering candidates While religion does not decide an election, it, especially Evangelical Protestantism, does play an important role.. Although Kennedy called for a full separation of church and state nearly sixty years ago, the United States electorate has held firm to its religious beliefs in the voting booth.