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People and Politics by Patrick Roberts

Sad Sarah Palin attacks John F. Kennedy for defending his own Catholic religion

Posted on Saturday, November 27, 2010 at 07:27 PM

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Sarah Palin attacks John F.Kennedy on the basis of running away from his Catholic religion in her latest book 'America By Heart.'

She has some cheek, given that Palin is a failed Catholic herself, having given up on the religion of her Irish forefathers and encompassed one of those hip born-again evangelical identities-- you know the ones where Jesus appears in your rear view mirror and converts you.

Palin attacks Kennedy for his 1960 campaign remark that "I am not the Catholic candidate for president.I am the Democratic Party's candidate for president who also happens to be Catholic."

Kennedy made the remarks at a time when many evangelicals believed there was a hot line from the Vatican to Kennedy's campaign.

That was ironic, given that Kennedy was by no means devout and well aware what happened in the 1928 campaign when Irish Catholic Al Smith was destroyed by anti-Catholic sentiment.

Palin is treading on dangerous turf here. She says that Kennedy essentially declared religion to be "such a private matter that it was irrelevant to the kind of country we are."

Worse she claimed that the statement meant that Kennedy "seemed to run away from his religion."

That is complete nonsense, right up there with her defense of our "ally' North Korea.

Kennedy in fact was protecting his right as a Catholic to run for president at a time when that right was under attack from many leading protestant evangelicals.

In 1960 the leading Protestant church figure Norman Vincent Peale, as spokesman for 150 Protestant clergymen, strongly opposed the election of John F. Kennedy as president. "Faced with the election of a Catholic," Peale declared, "our culture is at stake."

It was in that context that Kennedy made his great speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association defending his right to be a Catholic and run for president..

"I believe in an America where religious intolerance will someday end -- where all men and all churches are treated as equal -- where every man has the same right to attend or not attend the church of his choice -- where there is no Catholic vote, no anti-Catholic vote, no bloc voting of any kind -- and where Catholics, Protestants and Jews, at both the lay and pastoral level, will refrain from those attitudes of disdain and division which have so often marred their work in the past, and promote instead the American ideal of brotherhood."

It was perhaps among the greatest statements in favor of freedom of religion every issued in America.

Palin has once again proven herself an intellectual pygmy throwing brickbats form the peanut gallery at one of the great figures of our age.

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rexnine | Jan 22, 2011, 02:12 AM EST

Palin is treading on dangerous turf here. She says that Kennedy essentially declared religion to be "such a private matter that it was irrelevant to the kind of country we are." Worse she claimed that the statement meant that Kennedy "seemed to run away from his religion." I cant agree with anything the dimwit Palin says, because she doesn't understand her own words given to her by speech writers most of the time. As a good Christian, I would like to offer some advise to Catholics and BOrn-agains: stop lying and preaching fear to you congregations. If you let Love And Humility guide you; THere's no room for fear.

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Bushothehill | Jan 14, 2011, 10:13 AM EST

To associate any of the Kennedys' with Catholicism is a debasement of what Catholicism is meant to be. One just has to look at the legacy of this corrupt, hedonist family, starting with Joseph Kennedy Sr., whose friends and associates included Al Capone and whose long time mistress was Gloria Swanson. His genes were lavishly distributed to his offsprings. If Patrick Roberts believes Kennedy was a great figure of our age, then he's the intellectual pygmy of all time!!

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seanomelbourne | Dec 14, 2010, 07:09 PM EST

I know just look at POTUS or FLOTUS and spurious references made against them (Limbaugh/Beck in particular."snake handling" I shy away from shaking hands with politicians.

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Monsoonman | Dec 13, 2010, 09:13 PM EST

Lad, sometimes it only takes on reference to brand you for life. Seems some think you are now an evangelical, snake handling Christian, in spite of your protestations.

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seanomelbourne | Dec 10, 2010, 05:31 PM EST

One reference Maloney!!Trying to simplify things for you.have you an inferiority complex poor soul?.

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maireadinmelb | Dec 10, 2010, 02:53 AM EST

You forget a fundamental of life there Maloney, there is no human better than any other, after all they are all people!! It is those who insist that some humans are better than others who have a need to feel special!

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hancock | Dec 09, 2010, 12:01 PM EST

You wouldn't know that by reading this site.

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maireadinmelb | Dec 09, 2010, 04:17 AM EST

Exist quite happily I am sure Hancock! We have enough alleged celebraties without importing yours!! lol

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seanomelbourne | Dec 08, 2010, 04:55 PM EST

You mean God's country###Laugh at them or maybe feel sorry for their inbred ignorance.

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hancock | Dec 08, 2010, 03:53 PM EST

What would Australia do without the Palins.

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seanomelbourne | Dec 07, 2010, 05:19 PM EST

Hogan was Hollywood's Ozzie hero.We can only judge the Palin's by their press releases or when they run off at the mouth especially the potty mouth kids,what do they really learn at home.

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maireadinmelb | Dec 07, 2010, 04:53 AM EST

men are men if Sarah says so!!

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Monsoonman | Dec 07, 2010, 01:43 AM EST

Now Lad, Alaska is a rugged state where men are men and grizzlies are nervous. Kind of like the way ossieland used to be when Paul Hogan was your national hero. Sarah and the girls aren't homophobic and Todd has publicly stated he is not homophobic, he just won't turn his back on them.

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seanomelbourne | Dec 06, 2010, 09:53 PM EST

bluebird1 Maloney and Monsoonman have raised Sarah to sainthood. Saint Sarah of the homophobes and her nunnery of homophobic daughters.

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maireadinmelb | Dec 06, 2010, 03:43 AM EST

Didn't you hear bluebird1, Maloney and Monsoonman have given her sainthood so being god is next!! Lol

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