To one extent or another religion is
a topic of discussion in the campaigns of most of the contenders for the U.S.
presidency. This column provides a brief
run-down of the religious views, insofar as they can be determined from public
statements and analyses, of the remaining candidates for the two major parties’
nominations. I list them in alphabetical
order by last name.
Having attended mass with his
Catholic wife for many years, Jeb Bush formally converted to Catholicism in
1995. From all reports he is sincere and
devout in his faith, which clearly influenced many of his actions as governor
of Florida. In his presentation to a
2009 conference, he stated, “As a public leader, one’s faith should guide you,”
and that attitude was in evidence when, for example, as governor he established
the nation’s first faith-based prison and attempted unsuccessfully to compel a
hospital to keep Terri Schaivo on life-support.
He differs from Catholic doctrine on the matter of capital punishment,
however, having presided over 21 executions during his time as governor. Since the publication of Pope Francis’
encyclical on climate change, Bush has acknowledged that earth’s climate is
changing due, at least in part, to human activity, but he has not articulated
any clear program to address the problem.
