Kerry and religion

Should Kerry plug his religion more? I don't know. He's a regular church-goer, works for social justice and the environment, and more. He obviously believes (as I do) in actually doing God's work, instead of just talking about it.

"If you look at Catholic teaching," [Kerry] said, mentioning his days in church school, "it teaches about the environment, our responsibilities to the next generation. It teaches about poverty, our responsibility to the poor. It teaches about fairness. It teaches about peace and brotherhood and a whole series of things which I think this administration is failing on."
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Kerry said Bush had politicized faith to an unacceptable degree, used religion to divide and breached the boundary between church and state by promoting government aid to "faith-based" organizations.
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Careful not to question the sincerity of Bush's faith or to criticize the mobilization of conservative religious forces on his behalf, Kerry nonetheless suggested his opponent's campaign had gone over the line with the way it frames some issues.
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"I think you have to draw that line, so the answer is yes, they reached beyond that line, and in my judgment they're trying to exploit certain issues," he said.
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"The president and I have the same position, fundamentally, on gay marriage. We do. Same position. But they're out there misleading people and exploiting it."
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Bush uses the language of faith, not only to mobilize conservative Catholics and evangelicals, but also to underscore his sense of purpose and to justify an unwavering certitude.

I hate how Bush uses God in a political sense. It also annoys me that a perceived belief in God is all it takes to convince voters.

Sure, Bush is advised by religious counselors. Does he take their advice? That's a different story. Jim Wallis has "advised" Bush on a couple of occasions, and has been ultimately disappointed in Bush's decisions.

This article discusses how Kerry should plug his faith to lure more voters. Is it relevant that he might become only the second Catholic President ever? I just don't know what to think.


IHT: News Analysis: Is Kerry paying a price for reluctance to discuss his faith?