Jesus Christ on a trailer hitch!! Now they are asking candidates in the debate about their

[shraby]

religion! As far as I know, that information shouldn't be asked for, that's the candidate's personal business period. Nuff said!

[daleanime]

1. K&R.....

[yuiyoshida]

15. I second your

K&R and Tweeted as well!

[Hortensis]

16. Wow, wow!!! Profoundly disagree! Religion is a delicate subject and

must be handled respectfully, but this isn't an afternoon tea we're doing here.

Right now many millions of American citizens seriously believe their religion needs to take over our government, and they do and will follow leaders working to do just that. Many believe God established America as a Christian nation and that the Constitution has been perverted and misunderstood -- but they're going to fix it (plutocrats aren't the only ones Scalia's death gave a tremendous set-back to).

Many large Christian sects believe God gave us our military, including our nuclear arsenal, to kill the Russians and Muslims who will be working for Satan at Armageddon, including Mitt Romney's btw.

Many religions right here in America preach oppression of whole groups of people, notably including all women. Some believe it is extremely important to stop the government from requiring compulsory education or "forcing" the people to pay for it. I know a family of evangelical fundamentalists (these are only the ones I know about) who believe blacks are descendents of Ham and thus inferior and intended by God to be abused. This list of examples could go on and on.

The point is if we want to respect our candidates' privacy, forget the candidates' tax returns but regard consideration of religion a basic "well, of course, we have to know that." Because people who believe they should not examine every candidate's religious beliefs are begging for huge trouble.

[shraby]

21. Many millions don't believe that religion belongs in government. The founding fathers didn't

believe it had a place there either. They remembered things like "Bloody Mary" in England, the Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades, etc. ad infinitum. More up to date, the clashes in the middle East going on right now because they can't seem to separate government and religion.

These kinds of things will happen when government and religion gets mixed together...every time in every century.

[Angry Dragon]

41. A lot of the violence in the Middle East is between the different Muslim sects

[Angry Dragon]

40. Just another brand of Sharia Law

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. the answer to that question will play big time in the fundy states.

Everything is seen thru the religion screen.

[olddots]

3. if "news" is entertainment the rules of journalism and debate

are non existent .

[saltpoint]

4. No respectable journalist would

ever ask that question were there any respectable journalists left not to ask it.

[2naSalit]

6. +1!!

[southerncrone]

5. That sounded like a planted question to me.

Hillary admitted "praying with" the woman who asked it! Also, to bring out the fact that Bernie is Jewish, which will turn some people off. Just like JFK's Catholicism was considered a negative in 1960.

[shraby]

7. I'll agree with that, but it shouldn't have been accepted as a question to ask. Should have been

out of bounds.

[southerncrone]

8. Agree. But,

it's one of those pot-stirring questions that ramp up the ratings for CNN.

[shraby]

9. We're not considering CNN for president. Their ratings can go hang. Those shouldn't even be

a consideration in a debate, only a candidates views on how the government should be run.

[southerncrone]

11. Again, I agree. It's just another factor the American Avg Joe/Jill must fight against.

Our politics have become so disgusting. I know that's why so few actually bother to vote anymore. It's also why Bernie is garnering such a large following, once people actually hear his message. TPTB control EVERYTHING in our lives. He sees it &, to his credit, is fighting it. We must, too, even if only in small ways. It's become a David & Goliath struggle. I am sick of having candidates, products & concepts forced down my throat from TPTB.

[longship]

34. And Hillary also prays on C Street. "The Family"

which is a particularly odious name for a religious political cabal which hosts prayer breakfasts! Like it was a political religious test -- which it is! -- counter to Article VI of the US Constitution, to say nothing of the First Amendment.

But Hillary has apparently been part of this cabal which puts Jesus above government.

Here's Rachel Maddow reporting on the scene:

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Did the same to JFK

for the same reason...

Think about it... that is a dog whistle and I could hear it on the other wide of the country.

[southerncrone]

12. Yep. So blatantly clear.

[Brother Buzz]

23. Whisper campaigns aside, the subject was never broached in any of the Nixon-Kennedy debates

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. So you are telling me that none ever asked

Kennedy? Or that bucketful of ink were not spent? Nice alternate reality right there because this is a historic fact, the same questions were raised because he was not Christian.

And the fact that they are doing it on the debate stage makes it just as disgusting. In fact, perhaps more so. But you knew that.

I find that appalling, but sadly expected.

[Brother Buzz]

27. The OP addressed debates

Got a link to where it was discussed in the Nixon/Kennedy debates?

[nadinbrzezinski]

28. We got a name for what you are attempting

By the way I will name what is going on. It was an antisemitic smear to create the other. Of course you are fine with that

[Brother Buzz]

32. It's an antisemitic smear to point out religion.....

was never discussed in any of the Nixon Kennedy debates? Quite a stretch, there.

[JayhawkSD]

13. Well, come the general election...

...the candidates will have to make to pilgrimage to Los Angeles to undergo the interrogation in the Crystal Palace by Reverend Rick Warren.

I wanted one of them to ask that pompous ass, "What part of the statement in the constitution about 'no religious test for public office' do you not understand?"

[TreasonousBastard]

14. In theory, but...

why would it be out of bounds to ask a Catholic how he would deal with birth control, to say nothing of abortion?

And that same Catholic might have some religiously infused ideas about Hispanics, poor people, the death penalty, and other things that he would have to deal with as an elected official.

If some millenialist (and Cruz might be one) was running, would it be out of bounds to ask if Jesus' imminent return would affect his decision making?

If we had a Muslim running, would all religious questions be off limits? Fat chance of that.

Like it or not, religion is ingrained into our society much more than it should be, and that has to be dealt with. At the very least a candidate should have to explain how his or her own religious beliefs would or would not not affect his running of the country.

Now, I'll grant you that the way it's being done is too often childish and stupid.

[surrealAmerican]

17. This has happened before.

It was totally inappropriate then too.

[patricia92243]

18. Religion, penis size - I'd prefer not to hear about either. n/t

[demwing]

39. Same thing, all too often

My God's dick is a vengeful dick, and if you misbehave, he will smite you with his mighty rod. Your God has no dick. Amen.

[restorefreedom]

19. it was a planted question

designed to showcase hillarys "christianity" and highlight the fact bernie is jewish and therefore "different"

it was blatant pandering to the religious aa community, whose votes she needs, since she seemingly can win big with only limited constituencies.

[MisterP]

22. her Christianity's a real FAMILY affair

[restorefreedom]

24. indeed. no FAMILY i want to be in, for sure. nt

[Donald Ian Rankin]

33. The problem isn't that Sanders is Jewish, but that he isn't Jewish enough.

There are far, far more Americans hostile to atheists than to Jews.

[restorefreedom]

35. sadly, true

i will take an ethical atheist over a fake "person of faith" any day.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

37. For many purposes, including president, yes, for presidential candidate no. N.T.

[GreatGazoo]

20. since this is essentially a job interview

some questions should not be asked

(and I would love to see resumes from all the candidates)

[7wo7rees]

26. Someone please post the picture!! It defines the Republican party today.

Especially in Florida!

Ms. 7wo7rees.

[7wo7rees]

30. Boom.

[7wo7rees]

31. Thank you 7wo7rees!! nt

[shraby]

43. Thank you! I knew there was one out there. I remember the circumstances well.

It was when some doctors in congress were remotely diagnosing a woman who had been brain dead for a number of years and denying her condition was permanent.

[CanonRay]

29. In the minds of many GOP voters

there is a religious test for public office. If you don't believe it, try running as an atheist.

[0rganism]

36. ideally, this would be the case, but it is electorally significant

the USA is a religious country, although our constitution is pretty clear about "religious tests for public office". like it or not, people will be considering this when they choose a candidate in November. just look how Trump has had to scurry around shoring up his evangelical support even though he's obviously never had much use for the "good book" before.

[demwing]

38. I believe it's Article VI, Clause 3 of the Constitution

Which states that every presidential candidate must believe in the one true God.

Erhm... I may have misread that...think I need to revisit my friends over at Lense Crafters.

[Arugula Latte]

42. I wish people would be allowed to keep their stupid mythologies to themselves.