What should people of faith want in a presidential candidate?

Religion, as has been the case for some time, is playing a part in the 2020 presidential campaign.

Democratic challenger Joe Biden is a "cradle" Catholic who regularly attends Mass. He's been openly criticized by some priests for his support for abortion rights.

President Donald Trump was raised Presbyterian but in recent a recent interview with the Rev. Paula White, his spiritual adviser, Trump declared himself a nondenominational Christian.

Since 2016, the president has enjoyed steady support from a majority of white evangelicals and Catholics, with approval rates of 81% and 60%, respectively.

Prominent evangelicals such as the Rev. Franklin Graham have suggested that Trump was divinely appointed. Comparisons to Cyrus II, the ancient Persian who defeated the Babylonians and rescued Jews from exile, have become a popular talking point.

Others say God had nothing to do with it.

No one is perfect

The Rev. Kevin Thomas, senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Plain Township, said religious voters shouldn't expect a perfect candidate but rather someone who tries to exemplify biblical principles.

"As followers of Christ we will always find imperfections in any candidate’s character or platform," he said. "No one person or platform can fulfill all the requirements laid out in Scripture. Through prayer and diligent research, I would seek out a candidate who best exemplifies the words of Micah 6:8. One who 'acts justly, loves mercy, and walks humbly with God.'"

Thomas said an ideal candidate seeks guidance from God.

"I would recommend we select a candidate who has prioritized the importance of consulting God and other individuals for wise counsel in regards to his/her governing affairs," he said. "In addition, a candidate who breeds resentment and is constantly worried about her/his own reputation should be a warning sign to us."

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life reports that 64% of eligible American voters identify as Christian, down from 79% in 2008. Over that same time period, the number of religious-but-unaffiliated voters has nearly doubled, from 15% to 28%.

Pew reports that 80% of registered Republicans identify as Christian, compared to 52% of registered Democrats. Pew also found that 70% of U.S.Jews surveyed plan to vote Democratic in 2020. However, a 2013 survey reported that 60% of Orthodox Jews identify as Republican.

The Institute of Social Policy and Understanding reports that 78% of eligible Muslim voters are registered to vote this year, up from 60% in 2016. A new poll from CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, reports that Trump has 18% support among Muslims, compared to 71% for Biden.

Bishop John Michael Botean is prelate of the Eparchy at St. George Romanian Cathedral. Located in Canton, the Eparchy is the Greek Byzantine Catholic Church's only overseas diocese.

"Persons of faith who vote should be looking for the image of God in a candidate, as they should be looking for God’s image in everyone," Botean said.

"They should vote for the candidate who their conscience indicates reflects that image better. Virtue, I think, matters more than policy or promises in selecting a candidate for office. You are putting a weapon into that person’s hands, whether a pocket knife or the bomb. Whom do you trust more to wield it wisely?"

A recent Public Religion Research Institute poll has likely Catholic voters supporting Biden at 54% and Trump at 41%.

Image of God

"I believe that people of faith should be looking for a candidate who exemplifies the Christian values of love, compassion, grace, and forgiveness," said the Rev. Andrew Taylor Peck, senior pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Plain Township.

"We should vote for the candidate that welcomes the stranger, the immigrant, and the least of these. We should vote for a candidate who lifts up those in poverty and at the margins of society instead of one who focuses on the wealthy and powerful."

Taylor Peck said the Scriptures make it clear that Jesus' ministry was inclusive, and that voters should seek the same in a candidate.

Botean also urges believers to look to the Scriptures.

"Romans 13:5 gives Christians a clue: conscience is the preeminent arbiter in decisions made by the voter or, indeed, by the candidate," he said.

"What does my conscience tell me about what I can see of the conscience (i.e., the apparent character or virtue) of the candidate? That is a hard discernment in a field where even the wolves are dressed like the sheep, but I believe that those who demand that a person vote for a particular candidate in order to bring about the application of an abstract moral principle in a complex political/legal/social context are giving bad advice. Political systems simply do not work that way."

Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: What should people of faith want in a presidential candidate?

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