Although religion in politics is always a hot topic, some people feel vice presidential candidate Sen. Joseph Lieberman has expressed his faith to an excess while campaigning for the 2000 presidential election.

Northwestern students, however, are reacting only mildly to Lieberman’s religious rhetoric.

Lieberman, an orthodox Jew, has made several public comments about his faith and God, drawing criticism from the Anti-Defamation League, an organization dedicated to fighting hatred and prejudice.

In a joint letter, the ADL’s national chairman and national director asked Lieberman to keep religion out of the presidential campaign. The letter said such speech “risks alienating the American people” and that “appealing along religious lines, or belief in God, is contrary to the American ideal.”

The letter goes on to say “there is a point at which an emphasis on religion in a political campaign becomes inappropriate and even unsettling in a religiously diverse society such as ours.” The ADL sent a similar letter to each of the presidential candidates in December.

The ADL began approaching this issue in late August, following a speech Lieberman delivered in Detroit in which he asked the American people to “reaffirm our faith and renew our dedication of our nation, and ourselves, to God.” Lieberman also said it is impossible to be moral without religion.

Although the ADL claims such speech might make atheist Americans feel excluded from the political system, Weinberg freshman Sarah Bileti, an atheist, said Lieberman’s religious views do not offend her.

Tina Valkanoff, a Weinberg sophomore, said that while Lieberman’s faith is not an issue to her, she believes religion and politics shouldn’t mix.

“I think it’s just a ploy to capture the moderate Republican vote,” she said.

Tom Sherman, president of College Republicans, said he doesn’t think Sen. Lieberman’s emphasis on religion will affect the Republican campaign.

“Those who would be specifically attracted to Lieberman — Jews — usually vote Democratic,” said Sherman, a Weinberg sophomore, who added that “religion definitely has a place in politics because politics is largely about promoting a person, and religion can be an important aspect of a candidate’s personality.”

Hillel Cultural Life President Brad Helfand agreed, saying “the American people must face the fact that it is impossible to separate the personal from the political, so people might as well consider a candidate’s moral values as part of the whole package.” Helfand, a Weinberg senior, also said Lieberman’s words were not any different from those of Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush, who called Jesus Christ his personal role model.

Adam Wilson, a Medill junior and a member of Campus Crusade for Christ, said he doubts Lieberman intends to combine policy with religion. “It’s okay to express his beliefs,” he said. “Lieberman isn’t proposing policy, he’s just campaigning. Politics and religion will never come together to a point where we turn into a theocracy.”

Lieberman has said he welcomes those of different faiths to support the Gore-Lieberman campaign, calling it a mission not of intolerance, but of love.

But some suspect Lieberman constantly reaffirms his faith in an effort to clean up the scandalous image of the Clinton-Gore administration.

“That’s fine with me,” Sherman said. “The voters are free to decide whether he is politicizing his faith too much. The ADL need not get involved. It’s really none of their business.”