Religious Questions GOP Candidates Need To Answer

The other day a person asked Republican candidate for president Michele Bachmann a question regarding her religious beliefs. The question regarded the statements Bachmann had made about being submissive to her husband, and the questioner wanted to know how that would affect her as president (if elected). She didn't really answer the question, and I guess that was all right with the crowd because they had groaned at the question as though it should not have been asked.

Normally I would agree with the crowd -- if the candidates had all pretty much shown through their previous words and actions that they respected the separation of religion from government. After all, we live in a very diverse country with people of many different religions making up the population (and about 10% who have no religion at all). That makes it important that the government remain secular, and not slanted to any particular religion (or toward any religion at all).

But this is not a normal year, and several Republican presidential candidates wear their religion on their sleeves. And some of those candidates have even indicated that they would in some way include their religion in the way they govern -- especially Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, and Rick Santorum (and doubts even exist about Cain, Gingrich, and others). The American public has a right to know exactly how much and in what way is their religion going to affect our government if they were to be elected.

These are legitimate concerns for a citizen to have. And to address those concerns, Bill Keller in the New York Times has composed a short list of questions he would like for each of the candidates to answer. I think his questions are good ones, and I would like the candidates to answer them also. Here are his questions:

1. Is it fair to question presidential candidates about details of their faith?
2. Is it fair to question candidates about controversial remarks made by their pastors, mentors, close associates or thinkers whose books they recommend?
3. (a) Do you agree with those religious leaders who say that America is a “Christian nation” or “Judeo-Christian nation?” (b) What does that mean in  practice?
4. If you encounter a conflict between your faith and the Constitution and laws of the United States, how would you resolve it? Has that happened, in your experience?
5. (a) Would you have any hesitation about appointing a Muslim to the federal bench? (b) What about an atheist?
6. Are Mormons Christians, in your view? Should the fact that Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman are Mormons influence how we think of them as candidates?
7. What do you think of  the evangelical Christian movement known as Dominionism and the idea that Christians, and only Christians, should hold dominion over the secular institutions of the earth?
8. (a) What is your attitude toward the theory of evolution? (b) Do you believe it should be taught in public schools?
9. Do you believe it is proper for teachers to lead students in prayer in public schools?

He also has some specific questions for specific candidates, and you can go here to read those.