An Image Formed
TimeWatch Editorial
September 13, 2016
On January 2, 1960, John Fitzgerald Kennedy announced that he would be running for the Presidency of the United States. there were other Democratic candidates competing in the primary election, Governor Pat Brown of California, Senator Stuart Symington of Missouri, Senator Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas, former Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson ,[3] Senator Wayne Morse of Oregon, and Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota.
On May 10, 1960 Kennedy won the West Virginia primary, demonstrating that he as a Catholic could win in a predominantly Protestant State. But his Catholicism was a major issue for the Protestant leadership in America. Anti-Catholicism in the United States was a major issue. In January, 1966, Deward C. Brown in his thesis entitled, “Anti-Catholicism In Contemporary America,1920-1960” quoted Edmund Arthur Moore in his book entitled “A Catholic Runs for President: The Campaign of 1928.” Deward C. Brown named his second chapter: A Catholic Candidate for President, and his first paragraph began as follows.
“By the opening months of 1927, Alfred E. Smith (a catholic and governor of New York who had declared his intention to run for the presidency) was the chief quarry of the anti-Catholics. Dr. Albert C, Dieffenbach, editor of the Unitarian Christian Register in Boston, wrote a series of editorials in January challenging the idea that a Catholic could be a worthy President. Dieffenbach's editorials, as compared to some anti-Catholic literature, maintained a high level of decency. He argued, nonetheless, that Catholics owed allegiance to a "Catholic State" and Governor Smith should abandon his presidential ambitions. Anxious to carry his case further, Dieffenbach polled many non-catholic editors who were asked if Smith’s Catholic Faith affected his qualifications for the presidency. Their consensus was that Smith’s religion disqualified him.” Deward C. Brown, “Anti-Catholicism In Contemporary America, 1920-1960”page 32.
But some opinions ran far beyond the role of president.
“The Searchlight a fundamentalist protestant newspaper, on in 1926, had condemned, all Catholics holding public office. The newspaper now contended that Catholics condemned all non-Catholics to Hell and, therefore, Smith would make a poor President of the United States. The same weekly, renamed the Fundamentalist in April, 1927, questioned what Bible Smith would use in the inauguration ceremony since, it charged, Catholics denounced Protestant Bibles.” Deward C. Brown, “Anti-Catholicism In Contemporary America, 1920-1960”page 33.
By the time we reached 1960 therefore, the opposition to a catholic president was well grounded. Stephen Whitfield on the Lisa Revue Website under the heading: “The Reverend Billy Graham: The Preacher in American Politics” says the following about Billy Graham’s choice and his reason for the choice.
“Before 1960 he did not conceal his enthusiasm for Nixon’s Presidential candidacy. In October, 1959 Graham had called the Vice President “probably the best-trained man for President in American history, and he is certainly every inch a Christian gentleman.” For religious reasons Graham opposed Senator John F. Kennedy, and even joined with other Southern Baptists who declared that there could be “no Catholic for President.” 30. Curiously Graham denied that he was taking sides in the 1960 election, which was, he warned, “the most crucial our nation has ever confronted” (even more decisive, presumably, than exactly one century earlier, when the Civil War erupted). Because the United States was “wrestling with the forces of anti-Christ”, he urged voters “not [to] decide on the basis of which candidate is more handsome or charming.”31. By that criterion it was obvious who would lose – which he did, despite Graham’s invocation at a Nixon rally in Columbia, South Carolina, by the end of the campaign.” Stephen Whitfield, : “ The Reverend Billy Graham: The Preacher in American Politics”
Because of the pressures that existed, John F, Kennedy travelled to the Rice Hotel, Houston, Texas on September 12, 1960 to assure the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, that, should he be elected President, he would abide by the dictates of the Constitution of the United States and not be subject to the command of the Pope. Here is a part of the speech he delivered.
“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 believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish--where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source--where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials--and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all. Address of Senator John F. Kennedy to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, September 12, 1960
What is most astounding is that today, 56 years later, a non-catholic candidate for the presidency of the United States has promised evangelical leaders to “Close the Gap between Church and State.” Jeff Nesbit in the Aug. 15, 2016 publication of Time website quotes the candidate as saying he will:
“Give evangelical churches the power to essentially spend unlimited sums of tax-exempt money on politics. I’m going to figure a way that we can get you back your freedom of speech; It will be so great for the evangelicals, for the pastors, for the ministers, for the priests, for America. …He promised the evangelical pastors that, by abolishing the prohibition on churches spending tax-exempt money on political advocacy, it would reverse the slow, steady decline in church attendance and public attitudes toward Christian beliefs in the United States.” Jeff Nesbit, Vow to Close the Gap between Church and State, Aug. 15, 2016
If you compare the promises of this year’s Republican candidate with the assurances of John F. Kennedy, it will be clear that we have come a long way in a short time. It will also be clear that the prophecies are fulfilling.
Cameron A. Bowen
