A prominent local Democrat, Augusta County Supervisor Tracy Pyles has raised Curren’s faith as a potential problem in November, even as Republicans scramble to field a candidate in the wake of Chris Saxman’s withdrawal from the race. Pyles said Tuesday that Curren is a strong candidate, but erred in failing to reveal his Buddhist faith. Pyles said he spelled out his concerns to Curren during an April meeting with the candidate.
“I told him it could be a killer issue. It could be a tough one,” Pyles said. “... [I]t is better to be out front and honest about things and trust people to make the right decisions.” Curren’s campaign Web site makes a brief reference to religion, but says nothing about Buddhism: “Erik attends Crozet United Methodist Church with his fiancée Lindsay Howerton and her two daughters, Anwyn, age 14, and Chloë, age 12.”
Curren said he did not expect Buddhism to emerge as a campaign issue. “The whole thing really surprises me,” Curren said. “My religious faith is really important to me...it’s been an impetus and an inspiration to support the community and show empathy for others.” Curren began practicing Buddhism after inquiring into the religion more than a decade ago. He later authored a book, “Buddha’s Not Smiling,” exploring corruption among Tibetan Buddhist leaders.
More than two-thirds of the state House is split up between five mainstream Christian denominations, according to personal biographies listed on the General Assembly Web site. Five lawmakers cite no religion, three are listed as Jewish and one other as Unitarian. Twelve senators cite no religion, one is listed as Jewish and the rest are all Catholics or Protestants. More>>
