Nightline 10/26: Politics, Religion, and the Election

[Bozita]

Politics and Religion

October 26, 2004

Religion and politics, possibly the most volatile combination there is. And it's at the forefront of the campaign right now. What is the right mix?


I think it's supposed to be one of life's rules. Never talk about politics or religion. But in the waning days of this campaign, it seems like the two are inseparable. Both candidates have been more vocal about their own beliefs, and both campaigns have been trying to reach out to various religious constituencies. Now it gets tricky. Churches are tax-exempt, but that status can be jeopardized by outright political activity. But certainly that line has been pushed about as far as it can go. There are so-called voter's guides, that are supposed to just say where the candidates stand on different issues, but the message can be pretty clear. This candidate believes what you do, the other one doesn't. Is it appropriate for a pastor to talk about politics from the pulpit?

And there are also real misconceptions. Different religious groups are sometimes seen as a lock for one side or the other. But, like most things, the reality is much messier. And most people don't vote just on the basis of religion anyway. There is a whole range of issues that don't line up with any one set of religious beliefs. So why are the candidates talking about it so much? We'll address that tonight. Correspondent Laura Marquez will report on all this. And there's a lot going on today on the campaign trail, so we'll try to make sense of all that tonight as well.

George Stephanopoulos will anchor tonight from Philadelphia, with Pennsylvania still in play. I hope you'll join us.

Leroy Sievers and the Nightline Staff
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Washington, D.C.