Piety on Parade

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Piety on Parade

By Scot Lehigh, Boston Globe Columnist | June 8, 2007

AM I THE only one whom this presidential campaign has left feeling like Tom Sawyer stuck in church on a lovely summer Sunday?

Tom found the religiosity that periodically washed over his hometown, and even occasionally swept up Huck Finn, to be more than a little trying. He'd be chafing this week, certainly, for the political professions of piety have the public square looking like the site of a religious revival.

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I'd rather hear about a hopeful's earthly justifications for his policy positions, about the real world values that guide her. When a candidate says, "My religion teaches me . . . " what he or she is really saying is: I'm about to base my answer in a realm that helps me barricade it against rational argument.

Do we really want a president who relies on faith more than facts in making his decisions? Or who thinks he has the imprimatur of God as he moves forward?

Tom Sawyer wouldn't. And I certainly don't.

Link:
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/06/08/piety_on_parade/