John F. Kennedy Speech to the Houston Ministerial Association - 1960

On Sept. 12, 1960, presidential candidate John F. Kennedy gave a major speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, a group of Protestant ministers, on the issue of his religion. At the time, many Protestants questioned whether Kennedy's Roman Catholic faith would allow him to make important national decisions as president independent of the church. Kennedy addressed those concerns before a skeptical audience of Protestant clergy.

"I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute, where no Catholic prelate would tell the president (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote; where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference; and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the president who might appoint him or the people who might elect him.

I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish; where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source; where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials; and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all."

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[DidYouJustParkThere]

This speech is amazing. It's too bad JFK's dream of an America without religious intolerance will never end because of channels like this.

[CRUClEFICTION]

"...criticism of religion isn't a demonstration of bigotry but a struggle against it. To us, bigotry against bigotry isn't bigotry, and intolerance of intolerance isn't intolerance." ~ Ali Rizvi

[RhakaiWest]

It is no surprise they murdered this amazing human being. He was too bright and reasonable.

[CRUClEFICTION]

That is so true, sadly.

[Boobalopbop]

Thanks for posting, Crucie... Really scary how far off the deep end Republicans have gone in supporting Santorum. Has he EVER read the Constitution or Bill of Rights? Despite his recent comments about college, he has a MBA and JD.. So we know he can read. What is wrong with this man?

[CRUClEFICTION]

Good question. What also is wrong with this country? Thanks for your comment!

[conductorinblack]

This speech is why John Fitzgerald Kennedy will always be lauded as one of America's great Presidents. Despite his flaws, he took that phrase "preserve, protect and defend the constitution" seriously.

Because he chose to attack that principle (and the man who stood his ground on that issue) in order to pander to a constituency more concerned with preserving it's own deluded ideas of leadership and power, Rick Santorum will go down in history as a douche. Not a great word...but it fits.

[HIGHLANDKING1]

Northwest Front.org

RADIO FREE NORTHWEST 

[ChirpyViolet]

I think I saw one women...I think. By this time women were allowed to vote, I don't understand why more weren't there.

[miguel mouta]

Thats the THE SOUTH !

[drumcircler]

This made me vomit onto Little Rickie's sweater vest.

[brewerbrian420]

Thank you for the upload. Great speech by a great man. We need another Kennedy to get us back on track.

[brewerbrian420]

Where are candidates like this now? What the hell is going on with the melting pot. What the hell has happened to our freedoms, our rights. They're being slowly eroded away like mighty mountains over time. My country has lost itself. And for Santorum to say this speech nearly made him vomit is the finest example of why I would never, under penalty of death vote for this traitor. He wishes to bring us into the Dark Ages like the church of old.

What has happened to my country and our people?

[stoltobot]

6:20 aaaaaaand cut. To 2012 where religious zealots are tearing up the fabric of society.