LETTER: Santorum needs civics lessons

To the Telegram:

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has been questioning President Obama’s Christian values. Santorum accused the President of being motivated by a “phony theology” not based on the Bible. Specifically he has said President Obama has “some phony ideal, some phony theology. Oh, not a theology based on the Bible, a different theology …” His spokesperson, in trying to mitigate this ridiculous gaff, said “He (Santorum) was referring to the President’s policies, in terms of the radical Islamic policies the President has, specifically in terms of the energy exploration.”

You would think that a presidential candidate would have at least a rudimentary understanding of the Constitution. Mr. Santorum apparently does not. He must not be aware of Article VI, paragraph three, which clearly states “... no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”

President Obama does not need to have any theology, phony or otherwise. Nor is it necessary, or even proper, for policy to be based on the Bible — what part of the Bible, or the Quran, deals with energy policy is a mystery to me, but that is another subject.

Santorum is an embarrassment to himself and the nation. Perhaps he should enroll in Civics 101 rather than standing for the highest office in the country.

Philip D. Anderson,

Maple

Tags: opinion, letter