New Leaders

 New Leaders

Could you provide some background information on Mr. Talarico?

Also, could you share the background of the individual in the Michigan Democratic Party with the Arab-sounding name—El-Sayed?

I initially wondered if Mr. Talarico was a priest running for office, but it turns out he’s an educator by background.

Yes, that’s the Abdul [El-Sayed] I was referring to; I’ve seen him on YouTube quite a bit, which piqued my interest. It’s a positive thing that election results can reflect a diverse range of ideologies among the public.

Both of them certainly possess the kind of charisma one might expect in a future presidential candidate.

If Mr. Tararico were a religious zealot, I might have reservations; however, learning about his background—which actually came as a surprise—has given me a sense of confidence in him, and I feel I can support him.

While there are references to Christianity in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. presidential oath of office, I believe it is correct to interpret these as an appeal to the spirit of Christian values—specifically, the principles of universal love, tolerance, and compassion—to be applied in the conduct of governance.

Furthermore, the concepts of freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, and freedom of thought and belief are, in my view, inherent in Christian teachings.

I realize that my own personal perspective is reflected here; what are your thoughts on this?

It would certainly be quite a task to spell everything out in a written constitution. However, the practice of placing one’s hand on a Bible during a presidential inauguration—while not explicitly mandated—is not considered unusual in practice, whether due to historical precedent or custom; in that sense, one could argue it functions as a form of "unwritten constitution."

The inclusion of the term "Creator" in the Declaration of Independence also suggests that religious faith is deeply embedded within the very fabric of society.

In short, it amounts to an unwritten rule—something so taken for granted that it need not even be stated.

That said, the principles of the separation of church and state, and the commitment not to favor any particular religion, are standard, essential features of any modern written constitution.

Regarding Constantine, I mistakenly referred to his actions as establishing Christianity as the "state religion"—a slip likely influenced by the fact that his mother was a Christian and the strong historical association with the Council of Nicaea. In reality, it was a formal "legalization" (official recognition). Still, given the history of persecution that preceded it, this shift was truly a "Copernican revolution"—a radical, transformative turning point.

Could one say that Emperor Theodosius was able to establish Christianity as the state religion without much difficulty because the faith had already permeated every corner of the empire? Incidentally, the name "Theodosius" always brings to mind the Walls of Theodosius.

Religion can have a somber side, though, in truth, it is something wonderful.

Mehmed II’s feat of transporting his ships across land is like a terrestrial version of Moses parting the sea; it must have been absolutely earth-shattering at the time—and likely still is today.

Constantinople had been weakened by the earlier Crusades—launched by fellow Christians—leaving it unable to respond to the proposal brought by Orban; ultimately, the city that had stood for a thousand years was surrendered. However, Mehmed II governed with religious tolerance, a legacy that can still be seen today in the Hagia Sophia.


I believe that Christian principles—or, more broadly, concepts like religious tolerance and compassion—are vital to politics.

However, it’s not just about the ideas themselves; who is expressing them matters just as much. For instance, when Jesus—a humble shepherd—preached his teachings (such as the Sermon on the Mount), he was met with suspicion, which ultimately led to his fate. Yet, when the Roman Emperor Constantine officially recognized Christianity, those same teachings were readily embraced. It seems that, in order to truly persuade people, one’s background—in every sense of the word—is also essential.