Getting Thumped Over The Bible

Monday, December 9, 2013

Every couple of years, newspaper reporters know they’re going to have to shift some attention to election-year politics.

For some, it’s excruciating.

Politicians can be dull or infuriating to cover, some whine about whether a reporter devoted 10 extra words to their opponents, and some too often mistakenly view news coverage as their public relations.

Other reporters view election years as an exciting opportunity to explore important public issues and witness what those running for office say and are willing to do to get elected.

Elections are critically important, even though many voters blow them off with excuses like “it won’t matter how I vote” or “they’re all crooks so it doesn’t matter who gets elected.” Such cynicism doesn’t serve our nation well, and as Americans we ought to want better.

Beyond the day-in, day-out coverage of politics as issues arise, newspaper reporters often are assigned a standard format for delivering basic information about candidates. These are so-called bio boxes with information such as hometown, political party, age, previous political experience, etc., to publish alongside stories.

There’s occasionally a bit of a debate in newsrooms about what information those bio boxes should include. Do readers consider it important to know if a candidate has a family? Is what he does for a living a critical piece of data for voters? Should we convey information about military service to voters?

What about marital status?

And, of course, are their faith or religious affiliations considered crucial? Do people care if he’s a Methodist, Mormon, Catholic or Pentecostal?

The relevance of faith depends on one’s perspective, and sometimes location. Do you believe one’s faith matters as much in, say, New York, as it does for a candidate in Utah?

I think faith is incredibly important, not as a litmus test for every office, but as one factor voters should consider about each candidate.

U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, a Democrat from Arkansas, had the audacity to speak about his faith in an ad his campaign recently launched. In the ad, Pryor holds a Bible in his hand and speaks directly to viewers,

“I’m not ashamed to say that I believe in God and I believe in his word. The Bible teaches us no one has all the answers. Only God does. And neither political party is always right,” Pryor said.

He refers to the Bible as his “compass” and his “North Star.”

“It gives me comfort and guidance to do what’s best for Arkansas. I’m Mark Pryor, and I approve this message because this is who I am and what I believe.”

Is that crossing the line in campaigning?

The folks who typically dismiss religion and faith lashed out at Pryor, tossing out the old red herring about keeping church and state separate. To me, asking a person of faith to keep his public service separate from that faith is nearly as ludicrous as expecting him to ignore every other formative characteristic or event in his life.

Who can fault a candidate for trying to convey who he is?

Of course, belief in the Bible isn’t always a blanket recommendation for public office. Plenty of politicians who publicly embraced biblical teaching have gone on to violate public trust and what one might expect of a Bible-based morality.

Critics should not complain that Pryor explored his spiritual life with voters. It’s one component of who he is and how he goes about his life. Voters ought to know that, and candidates should not feel a need to suppress it.

If his opponents want to criticize Pryor’s faith in God and suggest the public ought not elect someone who places faith in God, that’s a legitimate argument within a political race. But why would anyone complain that a candidate revealed that part of himself to voters, information voters can use to base their election day decisions on?

And in any case, do any of those folks expect Pryor’s likely GOP opponent in 2014, Tom Cotton, to offer a viable alternative for atheists or others who believe religion and politics should never brush up against each other? Cotton called the attacks on Pryor “bizarre and offensive.”

Amen to that.

GREG HARTON IS OPINION PAGE EDITOR FOR NWA MEDIA.

Opinion, Pages 5 on 12/09/2013