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“America is still an overwhelmingly religious country. Candidates shouldn’t be afraid to reflect that,” according to Senator Chris Coons, (D-Delaware).
In a recent op-ed piece for The Atlantic, Sen. Coons shared his experience on the 2018 midterm campaign trail with Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, who was running for reelection.
Here’s an excerpt of Sen. Coon’s piece from his piece, “Democrats Need to Talk About Their Faith.”
When I brought up his faith at our first campaign stop, though, a funny thing happened: As I told the folks in the room about how inspiring and passionate Sherrod is when talking about his faith, many faces showed surprise. They knew him as a passionate advocate for the middle class and a brilliant, hardworking senator, but not everyone knew him as man of faith. It wasn’t part of his stump speech.
At our second stop, the same thing happened. By our third stop, Sherrod had changed his stump speech. He still emphasized manufacturing, health care, and education, but he also talked about how his faith inspires him to fight for the dignity of every person he represents. He talked about how all of us are called to care for, support, and lift up our neighbors. He was arguing for the same progressive policies he’d discussed before, but rooting his perspective and values in the Gospels. In the room, heads were nodding; people understood exactly where he was coming from. It reminded me of the famous Christian edict: “Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.”
So Sen. Coon’s argument is that Democrats should talk about their faith NOT because they have a genuine relationship with their creator and adhere to religious principles, but rather, because it’s an effective means of pandering to voters. It’s good for business!
Gosh. How typically liberal of you, Senator Coons.
WIBC host Tony Katz expounds on Senator Coon’s argument for “more religious talk on the campaign trail” in the segment below.
