Historical Context
In recent decades American political history has given some latitude to freedom of religion in presidential campaigns, beginning with the public approval of John F. Kennedy, a member of the Roman Catholic Church. Today excessive scrutiny can draw criticism; as Stephanie Miller said, "How anyone can be held to this standard of being responsible for everything someone else has said is just beyond me." For example, there was little media interest in the relationship of Sun Myung Moon with George H.W. Bush, who has worked with Moon for over 15 years and has been estimated to have made $100,000 to $500,000 per speaking engagement praising the South Korean religious leader. Bill J. Leonard, dean of the divinity school and professor of church history at Wake Forest University said, "what we should have known after twenty years or more of discussing religion in the political square and at political election time: that American religion is very messy, and it doesn't fit all the categories and its very layered; there are many ways to look at it and we all read it in different ways with different glasses."
Read more about this topic: Religion And Politics In The 2008 U.S. Presidential Campaign
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