A man of faith …

Christian Century, August 24, 2004 by Bret Kincaid

I WAS STRUCK by the claim in the editorial "Getting religion" (July 13) that "Democrats have failed to articulate how their trademark concerns can be rooted in religious convictions." This may be true for many Democratic "candidates and party operatives," but I've personally observed just the opposite inside the Kerry/Edwards campaign.

Virtually half of John Kerry's recent NAACP speech revealed how scripture inspires his values, values that directly shape his policy concerns--economic and racial injustice at home and oppression and profound suffering abroad. His recent 60 Minutes and Larry King Live interviews and his speech to the AME also bear out how his religious convictions give rise to his policy perspectives.

Thankfully, Kerry has not worn his religion on his sleeve in a politically manipulative way, but it is clear he is a man of faith who thinks about his public responsibilities as such.

And any "report" that "the Kerry camp has ... backed away from" Mara Vanderslice, Kerry's director of religious outreach, is simply false. Vanderslice is receiving similar resources, attention and freedom as the directors of. other constituency-outreach desks. As for the other desks, the campaign gave Vanderslice resources and freedom to design a Web site (www.johnkerry.com/communities/faith/) that not only invites people of all faiths to actively support the Kerry/Edwards ticket. It also expressly demonstrates how "trademark" policy concerns of the Democratic Party are related to religious beliefs.

Bret Kincaid

Brentwood, Md.