The Religion and Political Views of James Patterson

James Patterson was born in Newburgh, New York.

There is no information that I can find on Patterson's childhood, his parents, his religious upbringing or his current views on religion. This guy is a closed book. All we can do is speculate that because he's a white American, some form of Christianity in his heritage is probable.

But now, he's either non-religious or chooses to keep his views to himself–which at his level of fame, is probably no easy task.

If anybody out there has some info on this topic, please let us know.

Pandering to the left while supporting the right

Patterson is a bit more transparent when it comes to his political views–though it would seem he wouldn't like to be. During election day, 2012, Patterson tweeted:

Watching all of the election coverage tonight. Don't like entertainers who get up on a soap box about their politics–so I won't.[1]

But CNN reported that Patterson had given quite a bit of money–almost $50,000–to Republicans and conservatives during the 2012 election cycle. Among the recipients of some Patterson cash were Texas governor Rick Perry, who failed to obtain the Republican presidential nomination, and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell.[2]

And at times, Patterson says things that would align with the conservative ideals of family values and self-reliance. For example, he said of getting kids to read:

Sorry, moms and dads, but it's your job — not the schools' — to find books to get your kids reading and to make sure they read them.[3]

However, there are times when Patterson's books appear to favor the positions of the left, such as his book, Maximum Ride: The Final Warning. The central theme of this book, geared toward younger readers, revolves around the dangers of Global Warming,[4] a common liberal rallying point.

Could it be that Patterson doesn't take a rigid view on society's many problems, that he is concerned with the climate but holds closer to the social values of the Republican Party? Or could he just be breaching a popular topic to sell books to more liberal parents? I don't know, only Patterson could tell us. But something tells me he won't.