Rick Santorum Asserts Support For Church And State Separation After Saying It Made Him 'Want To Throw Up'

One day after saying the separation of church and state "makes me want to throw up," Rick Santorum told a Michigan audience that he supports the division of the two institutions.

During a Sunday interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, Santorum gave his take on the issue:

"I don't believe in an America where the separation of church and state are absolute," he told 'This Week' host George Stephanopoulos. "The idea that the church can have no influence or no involvement in the operation of the state is absolutely antithetical to the objectives and vision of our country ... to say that people of faith have no role in the public square? You bet that makes me want to throw up."

However, at a campaign event on the eve of the Michigan primary, the former Pennsylvania senator described his vision for the role of religion in public life.

"I'm for separation of church and state," he said on Monday. "The state has no business telling the church what to do."

During the interview Sunday, Santorum also criticized fellow Catholic John F. Kennedy, who said in a 1960 speech that "I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute."

Santorum said last October that he "almost threw up," when he first read the speech and that Kennedy had thrown "his faith under the bus."

Religion has become a cornerstone of Santorum's campaign in recent weeks. The former senator criticized President Obama for "oppressing religious freedom," and basing his presidential policies on a "different theology."

Comments

[Victor Del Prete]

04:13 AM on 03/16/2012

This is total bs. I'm not a fan of Santorum, but this is a liberal propaganda steaming pile put out by Huff-post. What Santorum actually said was that it makes him sick that people of faith can't get elected.

"The idea that the church can have no influence or no involvement in the operation of the state is absolutely antithetical to the objectives and vision of our country ... to say that people of faith have no role in the public square? You bet that makes me want to throw up." -Rick Santorum

That is not the abolishment of church and state, he doesn't think that "only atheists" should be electable because any sort of faith would preclude a candidate on the basis of the word of the law.

[TechZilla]

07:58 AM on 03/07/2012

OK Rick, I got an interesting quote for you, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.". You know where it came from? You should because you think you would honer this oath "will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States".

Do you see the contradiction? It goes both ways, for example laws preventing things your religion does not like...and the government telling religions what to believe. You have clearly demonstrated why you SHOULD NEVER become president, at least at this moment in history.

[arnolda]

01:38 AM on 02/29/2012

It is important to be mindful of the very important distinction Mr. Sanitorium
makes... That only his brand of Catholosim qualifies as the religion that the state must answer to. He is clear that "Christians" don't consider Mormoms to be christian. Obama's christianity is a phoney theology not based on the bible and he is not applying that particular catholic perception of that book to the government. JFK expressed tolerence and therefore through faith under the bus. I don't want to be the one to ruin Michelle Bachman in his eyea as a fellow damning self rightous tea party pal... So somebody else tell him the Wisconsin Lutheran church she quit in preparation to run for president has identified the catholic pope as the anti-christ. It is only a matter of time before he must denounce the evangelicals for non-catholosism.

[Giggie]

10:51 PM on 02/28/2012

He doesn't want the government telling the church what to do.....what about the church dictating to government. He wants the church's stance on contraception, abortion, same sex marriage enshrined in government law.

[Killermolls44]

01:35 AM on 02/29/2012

Hypocrisy at It's finest.

[Col Hogan]

05:37 PM on 02/28/2012

"The state has no business telling the church what to do."

Neither should any particular brand of church be allowed to legislate their version of morality on everyone.

[mary secor]

02:28 PM on 02/28/2012

Rick Santorum should be put out to pasture. He really needs to rest... perhaps his sanity will return in a few years.

[Col Hogan]

05:34 PM on 02/28/2012

Nothing of value would be lost.

[guveqzero]

02:27 PM on 02/28/2012

Santorum is saying he doesn't believe in the constitution, he wants to change it from his position inside the government rather than push a new amendment. This is an impeachable offense.

[Malcolm Chambers]

02:20 PM on 02/28/2012

Agreed the State has no business telling religion what to believe, How to Worship, UNLESS individuals are breaking the common law. . Hording Guns for the coming Armageddon Not paying their Taxes. Abusing Children You know those simple things that we all consider fairly important.

But at the same time Church's Have no more rights to tell the Government What to teach in school when it is accepted fact. Or telling people who do not hold to that particular sect or denomination how they should live their lives.

[Paul Weikel]

01:23 PM on 02/28/2012

Prayer to Pope Vomitus the 1st, the Simpleminded one; Pope Vomitous the first, While you truely believe in simple voters and that you have gotten one over on your congregation, those of us you would require to stand in the back have understood your glaring omission of the second half of your edict. Your attempt at backpeddling is as sour and full of bile as your original statement. You now realize that your ideology is not selling enough indugences to the idle rich patrons and now muddle up your wording to try to cover it up; yet you even fail at that. Our dear Pope Saint Vomitous we hold you up for relief from our hangovers. Pray for us poor sinners, Amen.

[Leighton Brady]

12:33 PM on 02/28/2012

But the church has business telling the state what to do? Wait which church? Its probably a stretch to think he might think it right for HIS church to be able to tell the state what to do? Why even have the state? Why not bypass the middle man? "The Church" still has to function within our society in which, believe it or not Rick, not everyone is a part of "The Church"(what he really means is those that subscribe to his particular brand of Christianity.) If "The Church" can do whatever the hell it wants then essentially people can do whatever the hell they want and just say "but God wanted me to" or "but my interpretation of the Bible is..." and be immune to the evil state. I sure that would work out well, theocracies always work out fantastic...theres evidence of that all of the world as we speak.

The fact that this guy is arguably the front-runner to be one of the two major nominees....sigh. I don't get it, I just don't.

[GlennBeckReview]

10:27 AM on 02/28/2012

Santorum has gotten very close to Glenn Beck in recent months, and vice-versa. That is all many people need to know about Santorum: a far-right religunut who doesn't want the state to tell religious organizations what to do, but clearly wants religious organizations (the Pope) to control what that state does. That is called theocracy.

It's not an exaggeration to call Santorum a theocratic candidate who, like Glenn Beck, David Barton and other far-right religious extremists, want to tear down the wall of separation between church and state. That makes me want to puke.

[roger rabbit]

08:11 AM on 02/28/2012

This pathetic candidate is simply the last Bachman standing.

[O K Ali]

08:03 AM on 02/28/2012

Here comes the creeping Sharia, but it has nothing to do with Islam.

[jawbonejw]

07:59 AM on 02/28/2012

First, the REPUBLICANT party threw this WHACK JOB into a Pennsylvania race and he won. After residents of my state got sick of him and realized the mistake they made, he then turns to the rest of the WHACK JOB REPUBLICANTs to get him elected as president. I hope he is the nominee! There will be a COLD day "way down south" if he ever becomes president!

[rogwheel]

07:56 AM on 02/28/2012

I'm really looking forward to the new Inquisition