A nice piece from the NYT today on Rick Santorum’s story. I may not agree with his politics, or probably with a good bit of his theology, but I thought it was a good piece to read. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/04/us/politics/from-nominal-catholic-to-clarion-of-faith.html

Part of what I like about the piece is that it is a very realistic picture of a journey of a person’s faith. I think there is an assumption that religious people, especially people who espouse rather traditional beliefs somehow lived sheltered lives and so they are in a sense dinosaurs who have wandered onto the modern stage. In my experience dinosaurs are hard to come by and Santorum’s story is far more common.

Santorum and his wife in fact had lives very much in “the world” and his wife in particular was very strongly on the politically liberal wing and lived a portion of her life very much outside of the Christian fold but quite clearly had a change of mind and heart. (However you judge that of course is your business, our judgments are always our own.)

The piece sheds a lot of light on Santorum and I think can help people figure out whether or not they want to support his candidacy.

I also think that this is the way democracy is supposed to work. If you like a candidate, or his politics, support him. If you don’t agree with what he wants to do with the country, don’t support him. What people that I’ve heard have noted in him is that he has integrity, meaning, what he believes he really believes. He isn’t adopting positions for political expedience. That again is part of the package. If you want a candidate who will listen to the people as their representative and is willing to change positions on items that become un-popular, then elect someone who has this pattern. If instead you like someone who has a set of core convictions and will stick to them, then vote for that person. It’s what electing representative is all about.

Also from the NYT: College doesn’t make you liberal http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/04/opinion/sunday/college-doesnt-make-you-liberal.html