Denver, Colo., Nov 9, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver said the 2004 elections demonstrated the importance of religion for most Americans, even though pollsters and the news media “don't take faith seriously, and if they do, they tend to fear and deride it.”
In an interview with the Denver Post last week, the archbishop said religion and religious issues were at the forefront throughout the year, including the release of Mel Gibson’s film “The Passion of the Christ,” abortion and same-sex marriage.
“Huge numbers of Americans take their faith very seriously,” he said. “They don't need a panel of experts to explain what ‘moral values’ mean. They root their interaction with the world in their faith.
“Issues like the economy, Iraq, terrorism - these are all very important. But for most people, they come second to the really intimate issues like marriage, family and sexuality, which is why abortion continues to be a such a highly-charged battleground despite every media attempt to sideline it,” he said.