Kerry Laments Faith Missteps in 2004 Race

In 2004, then-presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., didn’t make his religious background and convictions clear to the public, he said Thursday, and paid a price for it.

“The challenge for anyone running for president is how to explain who they are … I could have done a better job of that, and probably should have,” Kerry said at a session hosted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

Looking back on his own journey of faith, experience on the campaign trail and religious studies since the 2004 election, Kerry outlined his mistakes and mapped out areas of common ground for religious liberals and conservatives.

Read it all.

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Posted in * Culture-Watch, * Economics, Politics, Religion & Culture

8 comments on “Kerry Laments Faith Missteps in 2004 Race

  1. Br. Michael says:

    [blockquote] Kerry said he told an American cardinal after the election that “you have a position on abortion but you don’t have to have a policy. … When a 15-year-old girl is raped by her uncle and is pregnant you don’t have to have a policy on that. I do.” Kerry said the cardinal, whom he refused to name, is now in Rome.[/blockquote]

    So out of the millions of abortions how many are 15 year old girls that are raped by their uncle? And even so what did the baby do that was wrong so that its life should be terminated?

    In addidtion does Kerry become less of a Christian when he makes policy? Is Christianity something we put on to go to Church on Sunday and take off the rest of the week? This is not just a Kerry or Democrat question. Everyone who professes to be Christian is to be one at all times and that Christianity must effect everything they do, even making policy, in this postmodern, secular and pagan world.

  2. Christopher Hathaway says:

    That quote shows that Kerry knows nothing about moral theology. If he thinks moral teachings are doctrines that have no application to actual real life experiences he is grossly ignorant, and perhaps apathetic, of how and what the church teaches.

  3. David Fischler says:

    In 2004, then-presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., didn’t make his religious background and convictions clear to the public, he said Thursday, and paid a price for it.

    Actually, his “religious background and convictions” were perfectly clear to anyone who was paying attention. He is a Roman Catholic who puts his ideology before his loyalty to either Christ or the Church. That pretty much says all you need to know.

    “I believe very deeply that it’s not a contradiction to be pro-choice and against abortion,” he said.

    Fine, so he believes something that is foolish and immoral on its face. I’ll give him points for sincerity, but not for intelligent understanding of the issue or for faithfulness to Christ or the Church for taking such a bizarre position.

    This is a man who will, without hesitation, call for government action to right virtually any wrong that he sees in society, except for one that has resulted in the deaths of millions of defenseless children. For that contradiction, he gets only contempt.

  4. Shumanbean says:

    After reading this post and another about the faith of Hillary Clinton…and frankly, these posts could just as easily have been about republicans; party affiliation is moot in my mind…I am no less convinced that even if these politicians have “faith” they don’t seem to feel too badly about using it strategically, augmented with plenty of religiouspeak to wow the evangelical rubes down south, or wherever they may be. Tacky.

  5. Words Matter says:

    Kerry couldn’t prove he was “Catholic enough” because he isn’t. In addition to his protection of the “right” to murder babies, he was part of a “Catholic” community in which the Creed was altered to fit prevailing sensibilities. Google CINO (Catholic in Name Only) and there ought to be a picture of this man. What hypocrisy.

  6. libraryjim says:

    Hah. Kerry had misteps on more issues than just ‘faith’. His whole campaign was just about one huge mis-step.

  7. Harvey says:

    I remember reading years that starting with George Washington and going forward more than one president was not above a toss in the hay. President Lincoln was infected with a serious veneral infection and sad to say passed it on to Mary Todd Lincoln. In the past two generations we have had our share of philanderers. What does this prove? Maybe not much except morality, or lack of it, by itself does not make a person fit for the presidency. It may help but it is not one of the qualifications for a president listed in the Constitution of the US.

  8. Juandeveras says:

    It’s a fulltime job being a social climber. How could he have time to be president ?