gotsnowgotslush
skates like Eck
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2007
- Posts
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Santorum Speech
I don't believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute. The idea that the church can have no influence
or no involvement in the operation of the state is absolutely antithetical to the objectives and vision of our country.
... Kennedy for the first time articulated the vision saying, no, faith is not allowed in the public square. I will keep it separate.
Go on and read the speech. I will have nothing to do with faith. I won’t consult with people of faith. ...
[T]o say that people of faith have no role in the public square? You bet that makes you throw up.
Santorum Speech
That is not the founders' vision. That's not the America that was made the greatest country in the history of the world.
The idea that people of faith should not be permitted in the public square to influence public policy is antithetical to the
First Amendment, which says the free exercise of religion —
James Madison called people of faith, and by the way
no faith and different faith —
the ability to come in the public square with diverse opinions, motivated by a variety of
different ideas and passions, the perfect remedy.
Why - because everybody is allowed in.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4651836.../meet-press-transcript-february/#.T0vBa_Wi2So
MR. GREGORY: Senator, I want to ask you a final area about your faith...
FMR. SEN. SANTORUM: Yeah.
MR. GREGORY: ...which you talk about week in and week out and is so important to you. And I want to play a very famous clip from JFK, President Kennedy's--where he's--a speech in 1960 where he talked about his views of religion influencing him. And this is a portion of what he said.
(Videotape, September 13, 1960)
SEN. JOHN F. KENNEDY (D-MA): I believe in a president whose views on religion are his own private affair, neither imposed upon him by the nation nor imposed by the nation upon him as a condition to holding that office. I do not speak for my church on public matters and the church does not speak for me.
(End videotape)
MR. GREGORY: Senator, you called that in the past a, quote, "horrible speech" in part because you felt that he was too rigid about the separation of church and state. There's a concern within the party, and certainly to a lot of other voters, where your faith ends and your presidency would begin.
FMR. SEN. SANTORUM: Yeah. The original line that you didn't play that got--that President Kennedy said is, "I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute." That is not the founders' vision, that is not the America that, that made the greatest country in the history of the world. The idea that people of faith should not be permitted in the public square to, to, to influence public policy is antithetical to the First Amendment which says the free exercise of religion--James Madison called people of faith, and by the way, no faith, and different faith, the ability to come in the public square with diverse opinions motivated by a variety of different ideas and passions the perfect remedy. Why? Because everybody's allowed in. And the idea that people of faith have to keep it a private affair, my goodness, what does that mean, that the only place that--the only thing you're allowed to bring to the public square is secular ideas or, or not, or things that are not motivated by faith? Look at all of the great movements in this country that led to great just--you know, to, to righting wrongs that exist in this country, the slavery movement, the, the, the civil rights movement, all led by people of faith bringing their faith into the public square that all men are created equal...
MR. GREGORY: Fair enough. OK, but....
FMR. SEN. SANTORUM: ...and they have God-given rights. So this idea that we need to segregate faith is, is, is a dangerous idea. And, and we're seeing the Obama administration not only segregating faith but imposing the states' values now on churches, which is even a bigger affront to the First Amendment.
Kennedy, Sept. 12, 1960:
I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute; where no Catholic prelate would tell the president —
should he be Catholic — how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote;
where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference, and where no man is denied public office
merely because his religion differs from the president who might appoint him, or the people who might elect him.
I would not look with favor upon a president working to subvert the first amendment's guarantees of religious liberty;
nor would our system of checks and balances permit him to do so….
I want a chief executive whose public acts are responsible to all and obligated to none, who can attend any ceremony,
service, or dinner his office may appropriately require of him to fulfill; and whose fulfillment of his presidential office
is not limited or conditioned by any religious oath, ritual, or obligation.
Question: [W]hat we would like to know, if you are elected president, and your church elects to use that privilege and obligation,
what your response will be under those circumstances.
Kennedy: If my church attempted to influence me in a way which was improper, or which affected adversely my responsibility
as a public servant sworn to uphold the Constitution, then I would reply to them this was an improper action on their part;
it was one to which I could not subscribe; that I was opposed to it.
It would be an unfortunate breach of, an interference with the American political system.
Kennedy: Guiding them in what area? If you are talking about in the area of faith and morals, and the instructions of the Church,
I would think any Baptist minister or Congregational minister has the right and duty to try to guide his flock.
If you mean by that statement that the Pope or anyone else could bind me in the fulfillment, by a statement in the fulfillment of
my public duties, I say no. … It all has to do with what you mean by ‘guide.’
I don't believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute. The idea that the church can have no influence
or no involvement in the operation of the state is absolutely antithetical to the objectives and vision of our country.
... Kennedy for the first time articulated the vision saying, no, faith is not allowed in the public square. I will keep it separate.
Go on and read the speech. I will have nothing to do with faith. I won’t consult with people of faith. ...
[T]o say that people of faith have no role in the public square? You bet that makes you throw up.
Santorum Speech
That is not the founders' vision. That's not the America that was made the greatest country in the history of the world.
The idea that people of faith should not be permitted in the public square to influence public policy is antithetical to the
First Amendment, which says the free exercise of religion —
James Madison called people of faith, and by the way
no faith and different faith —
the ability to come in the public square with diverse opinions, motivated by a variety of
different ideas and passions, the perfect remedy.
Why - because everybody is allowed in.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4651836.../meet-press-transcript-february/#.T0vBa_Wi2So
MR. GREGORY: Senator, I want to ask you a final area about your faith...
FMR. SEN. SANTORUM: Yeah.
MR. GREGORY: ...which you talk about week in and week out and is so important to you. And I want to play a very famous clip from JFK, President Kennedy's--where he's--a speech in 1960 where he talked about his views of religion influencing him. And this is a portion of what he said.
(Videotape, September 13, 1960)
SEN. JOHN F. KENNEDY (D-MA): I believe in a president whose views on religion are his own private affair, neither imposed upon him by the nation nor imposed by the nation upon him as a condition to holding that office. I do not speak for my church on public matters and the church does not speak for me.
(End videotape)
MR. GREGORY: Senator, you called that in the past a, quote, "horrible speech" in part because you felt that he was too rigid about the separation of church and state. There's a concern within the party, and certainly to a lot of other voters, where your faith ends and your presidency would begin.
FMR. SEN. SANTORUM: Yeah. The original line that you didn't play that got--that President Kennedy said is, "I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute." That is not the founders' vision, that is not the America that, that made the greatest country in the history of the world. The idea that people of faith should not be permitted in the public square to, to, to influence public policy is antithetical to the First Amendment which says the free exercise of religion--James Madison called people of faith, and by the way, no faith, and different faith, the ability to come in the public square with diverse opinions motivated by a variety of different ideas and passions the perfect remedy. Why? Because everybody's allowed in. And the idea that people of faith have to keep it a private affair, my goodness, what does that mean, that the only place that--the only thing you're allowed to bring to the public square is secular ideas or, or not, or things that are not motivated by faith? Look at all of the great movements in this country that led to great just--you know, to, to righting wrongs that exist in this country, the slavery movement, the, the, the civil rights movement, all led by people of faith bringing their faith into the public square that all men are created equal...
MR. GREGORY: Fair enough. OK, but....
FMR. SEN. SANTORUM: ...and they have God-given rights. So this idea that we need to segregate faith is, is, is a dangerous idea. And, and we're seeing the Obama administration not only segregating faith but imposing the states' values now on churches, which is even a bigger affront to the First Amendment.
Kennedy, Sept. 12, 1960:
I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute; where no Catholic prelate would tell the president —
should he be Catholic — how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote;
where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference, and where no man is denied public office
merely because his religion differs from the president who might appoint him, or the people who might elect him.
I would not look with favor upon a president working to subvert the first amendment's guarantees of religious liberty;
nor would our system of checks and balances permit him to do so….
I want a chief executive whose public acts are responsible to all and obligated to none, who can attend any ceremony,
service, or dinner his office may appropriately require of him to fulfill; and whose fulfillment of his presidential office
is not limited or conditioned by any religious oath, ritual, or obligation.
Question: [W]hat we would like to know, if you are elected president, and your church elects to use that privilege and obligation,
what your response will be under those circumstances.
Kennedy: If my church attempted to influence me in a way which was improper, or which affected adversely my responsibility
as a public servant sworn to uphold the Constitution, then I would reply to them this was an improper action on their part;
it was one to which I could not subscribe; that I was opposed to it.
It would be an unfortunate breach of, an interference with the American political system.
Kennedy: Guiding them in what area? If you are talking about in the area of faith and morals, and the instructions of the Church,
I would think any Baptist minister or Congregational minister has the right and duty to try to guide his flock.
If you mean by that statement that the Pope or anyone else could bind me in the fulfillment, by a statement in the fulfillment of
my public duties, I say no. … It all has to do with what you mean by ‘guide.’
