WHAT BAPTISTS SHOULD KNOW
We feel that most everyone who knows the pastor of th ͜ is church also knows that he does not go ou ͜ t of his way to influence how people vote, except on questions that present moral issues. Th e information which follows does not represent a departure from this time honored principle: Every Baptist knows that we as a people believe in absolu ͜ te separation of chu ͜ rch and state. Despite the fact that bot ͜ h political parties have stated the matter of religion will not enter into the coming presidential campaign, we can hardly see how any loyal Baptist could accept th ͜ is as fact.
Personally we would see no reason why a Catholic could not be a good president provided he thought for himself and refused to take orders from the Catholic Church. Of course if he would do this he would not be a good Catholic, and we would chose a president, who because he was a public official refused to be loyal to his religious convictions?
At the Democratic convention Mr. Kennedy made the promise that his religion would not interfere with h ͜ is duties as a presiden ͜ t. Because we are human, Americans forget easily. Let u ͜ s look back to early 1951 to a b ͜ anquet planned to celebrate the financial campaign which raised money for the erection of the "Chapel of the Four Chaplains." This banquet was held at the Bellvue-Stratford H ͜ otel - Ph ͜ iladelph ͜ ia. Three men representing the three faiths were invited to speak at this occasion. John Kennedy was invited – and accep ͜ ted – to speak for the Catholic faith.
Dr. Poling (who assumed the responsib ͜ ility for raising the money for the Chapel of the Chaplains, and who was|in charge of the program) relates how Mr. Kennedy notified him at the last minute that although he had his speech prepared, he would have to cancel his appearance due to t ͜ he fact that his Eminence Denis Cardinal Dougherty had requested him not to speak a ͜ t the banquet and not to appear. Dr. Poling tried to reason with John Kennedy, and pointed out to him that it was a civic affair and they were meeting not in a Protestant Church but on neutral ground in a hotel. John Kennedy replied that he understood all that, and that he had done all he could to change the Cardinal's position, but and I quote John Kennedy, as a member of the church he "had no other alternative but not to come," It was too late to procure another speaker, and there was no speaker representing the Catholic faith at the banquet.
In Novemb ͜ er of 1957 Kennedy stat ed, "people are afraid that Catholics take orders from a higher organization, they don'tor,at least, I don't."
In political campaigns as in most every other relationship of life, actions speak louder than words.
Stanley Corn ils, Pastor
First Baptist Church
Vallejo, California
