Ford grew up in Grand Rapids, Mich., and was raised in the Episcopalian Church. He would retain this affiliation throughout his life. Although his family attended Sunday worship services, Ford's religious upbringing was not particularly strict. He later noted that on Sundays he would "just go out and play baseball," something many of his friends in the more conservative Dutch Calvinist Church were not allowed to do.
While serving as a member of Congress, Ford attended weekly Bible study meetings with colleagues in the House of Representatives. There he met Billy Zeoli, the head of a large evangelical organization, and the two quickly became good friends. Starting in 1973, when Ford was serving as vice president under Richard Nixon, Zeoli began sending him weekly devotional notes, each containing a Bible verse and a short prayer. Zeoli acted as Ford's spiritual mentor throughout his time in the White House, and the two met frequently for Bible study.
Ford framed the contentious pardon in religious terms, declaring: "The Constitution is the supreme law of our land, and it governs our actions as citizens. Only the laws of God, who governs our consciences, are superior to it. ... I do believe, with all my heart and mind and spirit, that I, not as president but as a humble servant of God, will receive justice without mercy if I fail to show mercy."
Although Ford considered himself a religious man, he avoided using his spiritual convictions as a political tool. In the 1976 presidential election, which pitted Ford against the self-declared "born-again" Christian Jimmy Carter, Ford refused Billy Zeoli's advice to publish a book on his faith. He later stated: "I have always felt a closeness to God and have looked to a higher being for guidance and support, but I didn't think it was appropriate to advertise my religious beliefs."
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