On September 12, 1960, John F. Kennedy gave his now-famous speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association. In front of the Protestant ministers in attendance at the Rice Hotel in Texas, the presidential candidate gave his justifications on the “religious issue”—that is, how a Catholic president would navigate church-state relations while in office. Kennedy was only the second Catholic presidential nominee, and anti-Catholic sentiments ran high, as did fears the pope would influence his decisions.
In recent memory, the speech has taken on a new resonance, sparking much debate on its interpretation. In 2007, Mitt Romney gave an address that was undeniably modeled on Kennedy’s—remarks delivered on similar religious issues, in the same state, but about a different faith. When Barack Obama sought to allay fears ignited by the words of his pastor Jeremiah Wright, his speech on race was also indebted to Kennedy’s example. Not all candidates want to emulate the former president, however, believing he went too far in removing his faith from the public square. During this election cycle, Rick Santorum said when he first read these words from his co-religionist, he “almost threw up.” Yet the religious questions for politicians continue. In this year’s presidential race, we have a Mormon, two Catholics, and only one Protestant. All have endured a large share of religious scrutiny.
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