The Kerry campaign has decided to back off on religious issues, the Washington Times reported today. This comes after controversies over Kerry receiving Communion despite his support of abortion and his appointment of Mara Vanederslice as religion advisor.
Rev. Robert Drinan, a Jesuit priest and former Congressman, who describes himself as in the "kitchen Cabinet" on religious issues in the Kerry campaign, said he advised the campaign to "keep cool on the Communion thing."
Vanderslice, controversial because of her involvement with homosexual group ACT-Up and violent rallies against the IMF and World Bank, is also being placed in the background. A campaign source told the Times that Vanderslice??¢â???¬â???¢s ideas to overcome Kerry??¢â???¬â???¢s secular image "got sent back down, stripped of religious language."
Of Kerry's several religion advisors, the source said: "Why the campaign is not listening to any of them, I don't know. Conservatives are about 20 years ahead of us on this stuff."
