Religion In The 1960 Presidential Election: A Rhetorical Analysis

Religion In The 1960 Presidential Election: A Rhetorical Analysis Religion was a hot topic during the 1960 Presidential Election, but not as a result of laws or policies. Rather, the media and public’s concerns grew over the religion of Democratic Presidential nominee, John F. Kennedy. As a Catholic, Kennedy sparked debates about the importance of Catholicism in his candidacy, as well as the separation of church and state under his administration. Kennedy received an invitation to speak to the notion whether a man could be separated from his religion. He took this opportunity to establish how his religion did not define his political beliefs and duties. In Kennedy’s Address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, he asserts the claim
Kennedy drew on previous notion of the freedom of religion to support his right to religious beliefs and to uphold the desires of the founding fathers. He is able to work religious freedom to his advantage to turn the arguments of his opponents about his Catholic values against themselves. Ultimately, altering the culture from presidential candidates that preceded him and for the candidates to come after him. This support is at the heart of his purpose and his rhetorical problem, which drove him to deliver this particular speech and deliver it to a room filled with religious leaders. Phrases from Kennedy’s address provide textual support for claiming that religion should not be a deciding factor in selecting the nations Chief Executive. Kennedy’s purposeful repetition of the phrase “I believe in an America,” turns the attention away from Catholicism and towards his passionate patriotic standpoint. He also states, “I believe in a President whose religious views are his own private affair, neither imposed by him upon the Nation or imposed by the Nation upon him as a condition to holding that office,” to reaffirm his commitment to the separation of church and