Dear {GENDER} {LAST_NAME}:

“I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute.”
– John F. Kennedy, Sept. 12, 1960, speaking to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association

“I don’t believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute.”
– Rick Santorum, Feb. 26, 2012, speaking on ABC’s “This Week”

“In recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning.”
– Mitt Romney, Dec. 6, 2007, speaking at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library

Political rhetoric regarding the separation of church and state has changed substantially since John F. Kennedy delivered his landmark speech on the issue in 1960. Cultural perspectives have also shifted dramatically: While Kennedy was trying to assuage the concerns of Protestants about the prospect of having a Catholic in the White House, the Catholic-Protestant issue has since become a non-issue. When Rick Santorum, a Catholic, assails secularism in society, he preaches to a chorus of both Catholics and Protestants.

The “culture wars” have driven a wedge between religious and secular-minded Americans, while at the same time unifying old foes – Catholics and Protestants. Common causes of concern include the removal of religious symbols from the public square, the treatment of religion in public schools and religious invocations at public events. When cultural-religious issues fire up voters, politicians respond accordingly by firing up the rhetoric.

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