John Kasich (Religion)

Kasich's Religious Government

Kasich has made it clear that he does not necessarily believe their should be a distinct delineation between church and state. During his speech at the National Press Club in Washington D.C., Kasich asserted his plan to create a governmental agency responsible for proselytizing Judeo-Christian religious values to areas of the world including: Russia, China and the Middle East. Furthermore, Kasich believes the key to fighting Islamic extremists is to band together under a common set of Western religious values, and vehemently opposes recent trends towards secularism. (AU)

Notable Quotations on the separation of church and state include:

“U.S. public diplomacy and international broadcasting have lost their focus on the case for Western values and ideals and effectively countering opponents’ propaganda and disinformation. I will consolidate them into a new agency that has a clear mandate to promote the core Judeo-Christian Western values that we and our friends and allies share.” - John Kasich speaking at the National Press Club (NYDN)

“Its job would be fundamentally to revive what we used to do when we beamed messages into the former Soviet Union. We need to beam messages around the world about what it means to have Western ethics … to be part of a Judeo-Christian society,” - John Kasich at an interview with NBC news (NYDN)

“If we become secularists when we face a radical Islam, that is the farthest thing from secularist, when we can’t unite with our friends in the Jewish, Muslim and Christian community to espouse a set of values that is the true way for human beings to conduct their lives and live their lives, we will be in a very severe crisis point.” - John Kasich at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Washington. (TH)

Israel

Stand By Israel

The Governor is a strong supporter of Israel and has publicly disparaged the United States' attempts to pressure Israel into peace negotiations during the conflict with Palestine. The governor went on to assert at a Manchester business forum that perpetual peace is an unlikely goal and instead Israel should seek out stability. Kasich has also criticized the Obama administration on numerous accounts for their handling of the Israeli crisis and remarks that the administration should have handled the conflict with more discretion. (FW)

Notable Quotations on Israel:

"You can't separate this U.S.-Israel relationship," John Kasich to The Washington Post.a (BU)

"I think the administration has probably fallen in love with the fact that they want to get an agreement, and when people are hyperventilating and unable to get one, sometimes they go and they sign something that they shouldn't,"Kasich to Fox News (BU)

Education

A Religious Mentorship Program

Under his administration, Kasich has increased the number of school vouchers that use public money to pay for predominately religious private schools. Some estimates have measured the amount of vouchers using public money to cover the tuition of religious private schools to have doubled under Kasich. (WP) Kasich has also instituted a school mentorship program with a stringent religious requirement. Kasich has budgeted ten million dollars to bring mentors into Ohio schools for students, however, there is a special religious provision. Schools eligible to receive the state funding must partner with a church or faith based organization. (CLV)

Persecution of Christians in other Countries

We Must Protect the West

Kasich has asserted that the US has not done enough to combat the actions of the Islamic State. Additionally, he firmly believes the state is a threat to Western values and ideals. Kasich proposes the idea of a coalition against the Islamic state made up of European and Middle Eastern allies to expedite efforts to defeat the terrorist threat. (TM)

Notable Quotes on persecution of Christians:

"We must join a coalition with our European and Middle Eastern allies to defeat and destroy ISIS on the ground. Bombings are not enough." -John Kasich (TM)

"ISIS, with their brutal attacks on women, their beheadings and their attacks on people of faith is at war with civilization." -John Kasich (TM)

"Unless we want to see the blood spilled in Paris flow here in America and in the streets of our allies’ capitals, we need to get serious about wiping ISIS off the map." -John Kasich (TM)