When John F. Kennedy was running for President of the United States in 1960, there were many who questioned whether his Roman Catholic faith might conflict with the duties of the presidency. More than 45 years later the subject of a person’s religion and its relevance to public service still is a much-discussed issue.
How much the religious background of the country’s leaders should be examined, and the importance of religion in choosing public officials are among the questions that will be addressed in a Jan. 31 forum sponsored by the President’s Initiative on Ethics in Public Life.
The forum, “Should Religious Beliefs Be a Qualification for Public Office?” will be held 7-8:30 p.m. at the Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave.
Panelists will include Fatma Gocek, associate professor of sociology and of women’s studies; Donald Herzog, the Edson R. Sunderland Professor of Law and professor of political science; and James Paternoster, staff member of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
The forum will include presentations by the panelists, a group discussion and a question-and-answer period.
Last year, President Mary Sue Coleman created the Ethics in Public Life Task Force to explore how the University and education, in general, can contribute to a broader discussion of ethics in public life.
Among the task force recommendations was the creation of a series of public forums to address ethical issues. The first forum on academic integrity Nov. 9 featured an issue close to U-M students and faculty.
John Chamberlin, task force co-chair and member of the initiative steering committee, says the topic of religion and public office is timely given the recent U.S. Supreme Court nomination hearings and the continuing public debate about the role of religion in electoral politics.
“This combination of issues (religion and public service) has appeared in the educational and public arenas many times in recent years,” says Chamberlin, professor of public policy in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and of political science in LSA. “The theme centers around the question, ‘Is someone’s religious identity an appropriate qualification for public office?'”
Vice President and General Counsel Marvin Krislov, who will moderate the panel, says the theme fits with the task force goal of presenting timely topics for discussion by members of the University and local community.
“We all felt the role of religion in politics remains a central issue in American politics,” says Krislov, co-chair of the task force and committee member. “We are trying to draw on some of these recent events and have a thoughtful discussion of religion in public life.”
Two additional forums will be held in the Pendleton Room in the Michigan Union late in the winter semester. A March 13 forum will focus on issues concerning intelligence gathering and national and homeland security; an April 5 event will address ethical issues related to global health.
