What advice does ADL give to candidates?
We urge all candidates to keep in mind that public profession of religious beliefs should not be a central part of their political campaign. Anyone who legitimately aspires to public office must be prepared to set an example and to be a leader for all Americans, of all faiths or of no faiths. Faith is a deeply personal matter, and consequently a candidate’s excessive public profession of a specific faith tradition during an election campaign – even if faith has helped shape the candidate’s public policy positions on a wide range of matters – can raise concerns about politicizing religion and can also run the risk of alienating or disenfranchising those constituents who do not share the expressed religious view.
