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Religion Remains Important In This Year's Political Campaigns

By Howard M. Friedman

Religion has played an important part in the upcoming elections for many months. As election day draws near, several news stories attest to its continuing role. At a conference titled Religion and Freedom: The United States and Europe, held in Rome on Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, Mary Ann Glendon. talked about the importance of religion in U.S. politics. As Catholic News Service reports, Glendon told her audience that U.S. public officials speak openly of their faith in a way that English, French or Italian candidates would not.

The electorate has become part of the conversation. Catholic News Service yesterday reported on a 58-page booklet authored by Boston physician, Dr. Patrick Whelan, titled The Catholic Case for Obama.

In North Carolina, a different kind of argument over religion is playing out in the heated U.S. Senatorial campaign. Fox News yesterday reported that incumbent Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole is accusing her Democratic challenger, Kate Hagan of of attending a "secret fundraiser" sponsored by the Godless Americans PAC. The ad (YouTube video) says of Hagan: "She hid from cameras. Took godless money. What did Kay Hagan promise in return?" Hagan has demanded that Dole take down the ad, but the Dole campaign says the ad will remain.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on October 30, 2008 (boomark / email).