Rick Perry: An Evangelical Trying to Respond to God’s Will
This piece was co-written by Nick Stevens, a Loretto Volunteer at Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good in Washington D.C.
Former Texas Governor Rick Perry believes that his political life is inspired by God’s divine hand: “I’ve just always been really stunned by how big a pulpit I was going to have. I truly believe with all my heart that God has put me in this place at this time to do His will.”
A favorite in the 2012 Republican primary, Perry’s poor performance four years ago makes him an underdog in the 2016 cycle.
Perry grew up as a mainline Protestant, attending both Southern Baptist and United Methodist churches. That changed in 2007 when Perry and his family began attending an evangelical megachurch in Austin.
Perry kicked off his 2012 campaign with a huge prayer rally to respond to what he saw as the United States’ moral crisis. In the run-up to the 2016 cycle, he was re-baptized in the same river where Sam Houston, the president of the Republic of Texas, was baptized in in 1854.
If Rick Perry has his way, he’ll be the second Texas-born president baptized there.
George Pataki’s Quiet Catholicism
This piece was co-written by Nick Stevens, a Loretto Volunteer at Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good in Washington, D.C.
Former three-term New York Governor George Pataki quietly entered the GOP presidential primary last week. A moderate East Coast Republican in an increasingly conservative party, Pataki is a long shot to become the party’s nominee.
Pataki brings to the campaign a wealth of legislative and executive experience. Even his critics would acknowledge that the governor showed strong leadership following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City.
Pataki’s a practicing Roman Catholic, but you wouldn’t know this unless you looked for it. Pataki, who rarely speaks of his faith, supports limited abortion rights, and tried to overturn New York’s ban on the death penalty.
Pataki opposed efforts in 2010 to build a mosque near Ground Zero in New York City. He took a stronger stance than New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan who called for a “compromise” on the contentious issue.
More recently, Pataki opposed Indiana’s Religious Freedom Bill, which many felt unjustly discriminated against LGBT individuals in the state. Pataki’s opposition stands in contrast to many in the GOP.
If Pataki wins the GOP primary, it will be an endorsement of his moderate posture more than his faith. It might be a tough road ahead, but the same plan worked well in the primary for Governor Romney in 2012.
Rick Santorum: The ‘Evangelical’ Catholic
In the early 1980s, Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority brought Catholics and Evangelicals together to promote traditional family values and prayer in school and to outlaw abortion, among other things.
The coalition supported many conservative politicians during the past 30 years, including former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, who recently announced he’s once again seeking the Republican Party’s nomination for President of the United States.
Santorum experienced a renewed passion for his own Catholic faith in the 1990s with the help of Opus Dei, a small, but prominent Catholic religious order. He even helped then Kansas Senator, now Governor, Sam Brownback in his conversion to Catholicism.
Santorum’s passion and outspokenness for his faith sometimes stands in contradiction to many other Catholic politicians in public life, most notably John Kerry during his 2004 presidential campaign.
This has led some to say that in politics, Santorum is just as much evangelical as he is Catholic.
“Rick Santorum may technically not call himself an evangelical but he is definitely one when it comes to social issues, so don’t get too caught up in the title of ‘Roman Catholic,'” said the Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody in 2012.
Lindsey Graham: Southern Baptist Meets Grand Ole Party
Lindsey Graham’s announcement that he’s running for President of the United States creates an opportunity for important policy and political debates within the Republican Party.
His positions, particularly on foreign affairs, and political demeanor harken back to an older iteration of the Grand Ole Party, one dominated by domestic policy moderation and foreign policy muscle. It was a successful tactic for George W. Bush’s re-election in 2004, but an approach that became increasingly unpopular during his second term.
Graham’s insistence on saving — not dismantling — the social safety net and pursuing a strong foreign policy come from his Southern Baptist faith.
This faith, however, isn’t something Graham wears on his sleeve. Reports say that Graham slips into church on Sunday morning as the service begins and usually leaves before the final prayer without drawing attention to himself.
Graham is in no way a Christian fundamentalist and believes that people should have the right to worship in any way they wish. In an interview that covered the topic of discrimination faced by same-sex couples in the United States, Graham said, “The one thing I will not tolerate is a national religion, even though I am a Christian, because that is counter to what we are as a people. …The strength of this nation is that people can worship God on their own terms.”
Dr. Ben Carson: Living on a Prayer
This profile was co-authored by Allison Walter, an education policy associate with NETWORK Lobby, a national Catholic social justice lobby located in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Ben Carson came to prominence for a controversial speech he gave at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast in which he criticized President Obama’s positions on policy issues including health care, education, and taxes.
What’s more remarkable? The president was seated just feet away from Dr. Carson at the time.
Carson, the most prominent African-American surgeon in the United States, grew up in poverty and used his faith to keep his hope alive during difficult times.
A Seventh Day Adventist, Carson was so devoted that he was baptized twice — first as an infant, and then at age 12 (a personal request) because Carson thought he would better understand baptism the second time around.
Carson doesn’t have a particular affinity to one Christian denomination over the other. In fact, it’s very likely that he worships at a non-Seventh Day Adventist church most Sundays. As he told Religion News Service in 1999, “I’m not convinced that the denomination is the most important thing. I think it’s the relationship with God that’s most important.”
This is why Carson takes prayer so seriously. A world-class surgeon, Carson begins every surgery with prayer. “My strong belief is that God created human beings and therefore he knows about every aspect of the human body,” Carson says. “So if I want to fix it, I just need to stay in harmony with him.”
Mike Huckabee: Pastor Turns Politician
This profile was co-authored by Allison Walter, an education policy associate with NETWORK Lobby, a national Catholic social justice lobby located in Washington, D.C.
If you’re unsure about the role of religion in Mike Huckabee’s life, just glance at the cover of his latest book: “God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy.” God first; everything else next.
Huckabee has made it clear that he wouldn’t force religion upon anyone in office, saying, “It was never my desire to use my position to push a particular religious doctrine through the official channels of government.”
Yet, Huckabee’s respect for people of all faiths or no faith does not prevent his values from surfacing in his governance. This former pastor of an Arkansas Southern Baptist church believes that “spiritual convictions should certainly be reflected in one’s worldview, approaches to problems, and perspective,” and he intends to govern as such.
Huckabee earned his undergraduate degree in religion and then went on to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He served as a pastor for 12 years and also as president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention before he felt called by God to transition into politics.
Huckabee’s deep personal faith leads him to hold a strong stance against gay marriage and to make addressing poverty a priority. He says that addressing critical economic issues is part of what it means to be pro-life.
Speaking on the connection between faith and politics, Huckabee says, “I’m not as troubled by a person who has a different faith. I’m troubled by a person who tells me their faith doesn’t influence their decisions.”