I don't see how it could damage much his political carrier, but then I am not an american, and lack fine tuned information of the public view about religious freedom. I know it was granted, but what the masses thought about it? I guess some people we today would call christian fundamentalists won't like to see such person as vice president.
However I would love to know more about these things. All I know that USA was all like puritans and catholics going to each other churches and (unlike Europe) being ok with it.
And then, blam, sixties and seventies and a New Age happens.