Rudy on the faith of public officials

Rudy Giuliani was in Iowa today, and he fielded a few questions from voters. Among those were in regard to his faith. Rudy answered them succinctly, and properly:

Rudy Giuliani may be trying to woo religious conservatives, but the former mayor all but took an oath of silence yesterday when asked if he was a practicing Catholic."My religious affiliation ... and the degree to which I am a good or not so good Catholic, I prefer to leave to the priests," the Republican presidential hopeful told a voter at a forum in Bettendorf, Iowa.

Another questioner mentioned President Bush's success among Catholics and urged Giuliani to explain his faith. Again, Giuliani took a pass.

"That's a matter of individual conscience," Giuliani said. "I don't think there should be a religious test for public office."

For Giuliani, the only pro-choice candidate seeking the Republican nomination for President, it was an awkward moment and one that could haunt him among conservatives in his party, experts said.

The former mayor has been married three times, with one annulment and one divorce, which means that as a Catholic he is not allowed to receive Communion.

Asked after the Iowa encounter when Giuliani last attended church, aides declined to comment, citing privacy concerns.

Some experts said the former mayor - who as a young man considered joining the priesthood - would be wiser to confront his struggles with his church head-on.

First, let's start with the last thing above. The media, backed up by the so-called experts, need to understand that questions regarding religion are improper for anyone seeking public office. It's not our business what that person believes (unless it's something illegal, like human sacrifices) or how they worship. This is the lowest form of bigotry that will lead the electorate down a road they don't want to embark on. It opens the door for witch-hunt like endeavors by other candidates, and grants the press a free pass to judge those running for office on their religious positions rather than their "material" positions; that being, the world of man and the world of God should remain separate and distinct.

But he answered it perfectly. It's not the public's business as to what sort of relationship that Rudy Giuliani has with the Catholic Church, or God, for that matter. It's private, and it should stay there. Rudy's not a dummy. He's not going to fall into these sorts of traps. It also shows the experience he has in dealing with the sort of people who think only in terms of religion. It makes no sense to make a decision in the voting booth for the next commander-in-chief based on whether or not they're a "good" religious person. Rudy has his own moral code, and if elected, it won't clash with the nation, as a whole.

Publius II