Candidates who use their faith in their campaigns remind me of injustice. [View All]

When Barack Obama, or any Democratic candidate, makes his or her faith a theme in the campaign, it is a reminder, intentional or not, that only some faiths need apply for the presidency, and if you have no faith, its utterly out of the question. It's true that the constitution prohibits religious tests for holding public office, but voters are free to violate the spirit of that provision by using their own personal religious tests to determine who gets their vote. The collective will of the electorate is that minority faiths and atheists are second class citizens in politics.

This is, to put it blandly, an unsatisfactory situation to me, and to what is probably the majority of those who lack faith, not to mention those of unpopular faiths. It stings to be reminded that because I do not agree with the collective imagination of the religious majority, many of them react by deeming me as prima facie unfit to hold office, apart from the question of my qualifications to actually perform the office. How should I be expected to react? Does the majority of the country or the majority of the party have the right to trumpet their faith without me complaining about it? That would imply that this is a just state of affairs, but I doubt people agree with that.

Instead, justice is sacrificed to expediency. No doubt it's convenient for the party or the society to ask me not to speak out and upset the apple cart. But when you think about it, isn't justice always inconvenient? It always takes more time and involves more risk to do what is fair, and what is right. If it were easy, I would not have to appeal to justice to ask my fellow party members to understand why I resent appeals even to sincere faith. Moreover, if you agree with me that a country that looks down on minority faiths and atheists is not as just as it could be, how will it ever change if those who are affected most don't present their case with all the strength born of actually being affected by this problem?

I can't expect people who, if they had their way, would not even want to be reminded that they are tolerating injustice for the purposes of expediency, to forcefully advocate change this situation. All I ask is that you understand when my passion and the passion of others makes it difficult to remain silent in the face of repeated reminders that we are, politically, second class citizens in the eyes of our society.

Thank you for your time.