John Kasich Says He Doesn’t Use The Bible To Figure Out What He Thinks

John Kasich may be outspoken about his Christian faith, but the Governor of Ohio and Republican presidential candidate says he doesn’t look to the Bible to “figure out what [he thinks].”

Mr. Kasich was talking about his stance on several issues and whether his faith has an impact on the decisions he makes. As CNN reported, Kasich’s positions on issues are made from his “heart for people,” as he described it in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash. During his interview, Governor Kasich made it clear that his decisions on issues like expanding medicare were not based on the Bible.

“I just have a heart for people who have been disabled or disadvantaged.”

No single issue is as aggressively opposed by religious people and organizations as abortion. Despite his Christian faith, Kasich hinted that he may be pro-choice. The Ohio Governor seems to think that Republicans focus on abortion too much.

“I think we focus too much on just one issue, and now that the issue of gay marriage is kind of off the table, we’re kind of down to one social issue.”

Kasich also talked about what actions he would take against the growing threat of the Islamic State. If Kasich were president, he would collaborate with allies to aggressively put an end to ISIS.

“I would have a coalition of countries, including us, on the ground, beginning to degrade and destroy ISIS. Because as you begin to do it, that whole caliphate begins to fall apart in my judgment.”

It’s currently unclear if Kasich will be able to gain traction in the crowded GOP field. Some see him as a dark horse candidate that will emerge as the popular candidate later on in the race. There’s still a lot of time for the candidates to move around in the polls.

While Governor Kasich has risen in the polls lately, he’s still not close to the top. According to multiple national polls, John Kasich is polling at around 10th. Donald Trump continues to lead all his rivals by a sizeable margin. Still, a number of analysts and commentators think that the odds of Trump grabbing the Republican nomination are slim.

Many believe that Kasich will be able to appeal to both Republicans and Democrats. His somewhat left-leaning stances on key issues like healthcare make him a candidate that is marketable to Democrats. At the same time, he may be too liberal for many Republican voters.

[Photo by Scott Olsen / Getty Images]