The Most Disturbing Line During the Vice Presidential Debate

"What America needs is clear, definitive moral guidance — a lighted pathway to truth and goodness that helps heal a beleaguered populace, not a morally bankrupt mess fueled by the whims of the self."

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

“I don’t talk about my faith a lot.”

With these few, consequential words, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz offered one of the most stunning and disturbing lines of last Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate. 

Mr. Walz, the Democrats’ vice presidential nominee who then proceeded to cite a Bible verse to encourage people to keep their “dignity” in how they handle the immigration issue, acknowledged something many already know: Religion isn’t the candidates’ forte this election cycle.

Furthermore, religion isn’t informing many of the policy perspectives we’re seeing on the campaign trail. It’s a travesty; the culture’s God void is on full display, with sadness, depression and suicidal ideation at disturbing highs, particularly among youths.

People need moral clarity and hope more than ever, but that’s not what’s percolating this election season. Instead, it’s an array of policies and statements predicated on selfish ambition.

Many headlines have noted the lack of religious discussion in the 2024 campaign, with a recent Axios headline proclaiming, “Harris, Trump go light on religion in ’24 campaign.” The article goes on to say that this “is the first presidential election in half a century in which neither candidate is openly telling voters much about their religion or faith.”

At a time when America faces challenges surrounding inflation, housing and energy costs, assassination attempts on political candidates and other perils — and when the world appears to be on the brink of potentially catastrophic war — faith should be the primary source governing our leaders’ hearts and minds.

Read the full column here.