Question 4

JFK's goal was to establish a separation of church and state as to not let his ownership of Catholicism and religious practices affect his status in the presidential election. He emphasized that his presidency would not be affected by his religious beliefs, so people voting should not be affected by his religious beliefs either. He wanted to refocus the public's attention on his plans and policies as opposed to harping on his religious background and how it would affect his leadership of the US. I feel as though a speech like this today would only be as shocking as JFK's if it came from a non-Christian religious background. The U.S. is so used to seeing Christian men in power that it has become almost a given that the individual who precedes the current president will also be a Christian. If a person of Muslim, Jewish or Buddhist faiths became a serious candidate in an election, I feel as though there would be an uproar, particularly around a Muslim candidate, because of the negative stereotypes that exist towards Islam and those who follow it. I think a speech like this would work in a minority religion's favor because it could help others understand that our country does still have a distinct separation of church and state, and a vote shouldn't be reliant on the candidate's faith, but rather their policies and drive to make the country better.