WASHINGTON, Iowa (AP) β Jeb Bush is cautioning against blending politics and religion, signaling he won’t necessarily heed the pope or pander to social conservatives.
Speaking in Iowa, a state where evangelical Christians wield significant political influence, Bush said, “I think religion ought to be about making us better as people and less about things that end up getting into the political realm.”
His comments came on the eve of an encyclical by Pope Francis, who has said human activity contributes to climate change β a conclusion challenged by many Republicans and several of the party’s candidates for president.
Bush, who converted to Catholicism, suggested Wednesday that he won’t be beholden to a faith-driven policy agenda wherever it comes from because his religion is a personal beacon, not a political roadmap. He told reporters that he goes to Mass to have his faith nourished and changed, and not “for economic policy or for things in politics.”
Bush has said he accepts the premise that the climate is changing, but contends that the science is not clear on how much human activity is responsible.
