John F. Kennedy Remains The Only Catholic U.S. President in History

We all knew it was coming. It's already happening. In fact, it's all around us. Yes, I'm talking about the media advertisements and news coverage of the race to become President of the United States. That race will go on for another eight months. You likely know the names of the notable race participants: Warren, Gabbard, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Sanders, Biden, Steyer, Bloomberg, Weld, and Trump. Don't worry... I'm sticking to my stance on this blog of not including political writings. I just wanted to share a brief thought with you about faith.

It is estimated that 70 million of the 321 million residents of the United States are Catholic, and although Roman Catholicism has long been the nation’s largest religious denomination, John F. Kennedy remains the only Catholic U.S. President to date. Could that change with the next election? Possibly. Former Senator and Vice President Joe Biden has always identified with his Roman Catholic faith and has shared openly about how it has helped him get through difficult periods in his life. In 2017, he told NPR’s Terry Gross: "I find great solace in my faith, I happen to be a Roman Catholic, a practicing Catholic … I found that, for me, the externalities of my faith bring me a sense of peace." Please don't interpret my sharing that to indicate that I may vote for Joe Biden in the next election -- because my political votes are kept close to my vest. My noting Biden's quote is simply to share the thoughts and position of one Catholic candidate with respect to faith and running for the office of U.S. President.

There's no doubt that faith plays a large role in the lives of millions of Americans, and religious values drive the voting choices of many of them. However, almost 40 percent of Millennials (ages 24 to 39 -- a large voting demographic) will tell you that they're not religiously affiliated. The next election is shaping up to have the fewest amount of religiously-affiliated voters.

Faith and religion will always be a constant in political debate. Whomever will become the next U.S. President, I will continue to lean on my faith daily and trust in God's divine plan for His creation.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

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Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past