Readers React: Sorry, pro-choice Democrats: Your expressions of faith will not redeem you with religious voters

To the editor: Sure, Democrats who want to make inroads into the prized religious adherents voting bloc shouldn’t come across as “allergic to expressions of faith,” as Randall Balmer puts it.

But in his op-ed article, Balmer does not once mention abortion. Whether a candidate presents as “pro-life” serves as the ultimate litmus test for many religious voters.

Thus they tolerate President Trump’s manifold sins so long as he denounces abortion and appoints Supreme Court justices who might reverse the 1973 decision in Roe vs. Wade. Had Trump not campaigned as a firmly antiabortion candidate, Hillary Clinton would have won in 2016.

Democratic candidates can say “God bless America” and go to church all they want, but if they’re “pro-choice,” nothing can save their political souls as far as many religious adherents are concerned.

Robert Helms, Santa Barbara

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To the editor: Balmer, identified as a professor and an Episcopal priest, laments that democratic presidential candidates do not profess a religious faith as part of their persona. He writes that we badly need such persons, supposedly to redeem us from the loss of our national moral compass.

So he uses as his icons of such faith two pillars, Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush. Where has he been? In my opinion — and I suspect many voters agree with me — these two are examples of failed presidencies in all sorts of ways.

I prefer a leader who walks the walk. “Faith” may sound reassuring, but it is in no way indicative of an enlightened leader that we so desperately need.

Erwin Diller, Playa Vista

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To the editor: Balmer says that while many atheists are paragons of virtue, religion is typically the shorthand for judging the moral and ethical fiber of political candidates.

Religion should no longer play any such role. At a minimum, believers and nonbelievers should be seen as occupying fully equal positions on the public playing field of ethics.

Read literally, the Bible has God causing and commanding all sorts of atrocities. All societies become more humane and moral the more they pull away from the literal words of their holy books. We become more moral when we no longer execute women suspected of being witches or kill those who beckon us to worship another deity.

We must reach a point where we judge all candidates by the content of their character and not by their theology.

Edward Tabash, Los Angeles

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To the editor: I don’t understand. Is there some new confusion over separation of church and state?

Patricia E. Bransfield, Los Osos

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