Presidential candidates’ religious backgrounds are being examined more closely with Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S. on the horizon. As it turns out, many of them are “church-shoppers,” USA Today reports. That means they have not been steadfastly committed to a single church throughout their entire lifetime.
Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Rand Paul, Bobby Jindal, John Kasich, and Carly Fiorina have all had varying religious beliefs at different points in time. Marco Rubio, though he was baptized as a Mormon at one point, was born Catholic and considers himself Catholic today.
While many churches believe that “church-shopping” is a sin, voters don’t necessarily mind it because it’s relatable. About a third of Americans have switched religions at some point in their lives; that number reaches 42% if the three major Protestant traditions are counted separately. Neither of those numbers include reverts such as Rubio.
David Campbell, a Notre Dame political scientist, told USA Today that “voters recognize and accept [church-shopping] in the candidates, because they do it themselves or know people who have.”
