Democracy, Not Theocracy

Reading, or re-reading the Constitution of the United States is an activity and learning experience that many in this country need to take up before the next presidential election. The reason for this is quite simple. They don’t know what they are talking about.

The fight over religion and the personal beliefs of the candidates, as a requirement to hold the highest office in the land, just doesn’t belong according to our founding fathers. They knew what they were talking about when the document was written over two hundred years ago. Look at their clear and concise words:

No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

Very simple and straight forward. Nowhere does it mention a religious requirement for eligibility, nor does it talk about what his or her faith and beliefs should or must be. To be eligible requires only three things: 1) Natural born; 2) Thirty-five years of age attained; and 3) Residency in the U.S. for the past fourteen years. Simple and straightforward.

It is a shame that right-wing, religiously fanatical and evangelical religious groups want to ignore this document and come up with their own requirements for holding the office of President of the United States. This is a democracy, not the theocracy they want to change it into.