Beware Candidates Speaking On God's Behalf
BY MICHAEL LINN JONES
The Iowa Caucus is soon approaching, and it's getting ugly. Mind you, while Hillary and Barack are poking around for the jugular, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney seem involved in a religious war for the religious vote. Whatever that is. And they're not poking, but using Medievil battle gear.
I have to admit that God has never spoken to me directly. By my religious upbringing I hold firm to the belief that I can talk directly to God anytime I want. Governor Huckabee is a Baptist. So am I. Sort of.
Growing up we attended a small church regularly. One day my Old Man and the pastor got into it about a mutual acquantance who was Jewish. The pastor held to the belief that Jews were not white people (???) so that was the end of our attending church. The Old Man and my Mom made it quite clear that as we grew we would encounter people of many different faiths. That to condemn someone different from us was NOT what the Lord had in mind. Mom lost a brother fighting the nazis and held very strong feelings about Jews having had enough mud thrown at them.
So I evolved in the sense that is actually the most accurate description of the difference in faith and denomination:
Jews don't recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
Protestants don't recognize the Pope as Christ's representative on earth.
And Baptists don't recognize each other in a strip joint or a liquor store.
Now Governor Huckabee is going after Mormons just to drive a wedge into the candidacy of Mitt Romney. Something about Jesus and satan being brothers according to the Latter Day Saints. When I read that I thought "eww boy" here we go again.
Here's what I have to say about Mormonism; something that Mitt Romney should have said himself in his recent speech but dared not to. It is this: Mormonism is a legitimate faith. It addresses that which we cannot see here on earth; that greatest of mysteries as to what lies on the other side of earthly death.
Huckabee seems to be making it clear he will bring HIS faith into the White House, while Romney doing the same poses a dire threat to us all. Huckabee frightens me because to garner support from what is known as the "religious right" he must exclude those who are not.
With all due respect, we've had 7 years of that bullshit. As one who never had much desire to drink alcohol the liquor store issue never arose. As for the strip joints, well that's kind of pointless too since I couldn't see what was on display anyway. Nevertheless, in true Baptist fashion I believe I'm being punished just for WANTING to have all the fun I never did.
A President Huckabee assures voters that he is a pious man who would follow the Lord. I'm not doubting him personally, but as the saying goes, I've seen that movie already. In fact I'm still being forced to watch it.
For a man to swear on the Bible that he would preserve, protect, and defend something that he refers to later as "nothing but a goddamned piece of paper" goes beyond political rhetoric. It is a betrayal of an oath. What words can be used to describe a "compassionate conservative" who is blind to little things like wounded soldiers being charged for meals in a military hospital, or wounded soldiers living in conditions that would shame most decent people?
Preaching one's own piety poses challenges to reality sometimes. With Jim Bakker or Jimmy Swaggart we've had good examples of the preacher falling for the very sins they rail against on Sunday.
With President Bush we've had a man who professes a deep belief in God yet believes in expediency (and the advancement of his economic class) more. So be it. That's political reality, etc.
Just don't turn to Jesus or God at election time and claim that He is in your corner. If you want to preach about something, how about a plan to wean us off oil and finding alternative sources of clean energy? Or how about restoring some semblance of what Lincoln said about a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people?"
After 8 years of one "deeply religious" man the nation is in need of something beyond smoke and mirrors. We want the real McCoy, not some glad-handler walking into the White House, wrapped in the American flag and carrying a Cross.
Just get on with it, boys, and leave God out of this. I can speak for Him as well as you can, and I figure He's getting tired of being dragged into schoolyard brawls.
Oh yeah....and stop offering us goodies. Offer us challenges; it'd be a nice change. The challenges are there awaiting someone with the gumption to actually address them.
The people might be more ready to tackle them than you think.
***************************
Cross-posted at Michaellinnjones.com
The Iowa Caucus is soon approaching, and it's getting ugly. Mind you, while Hillary and Barack are poking around for the jugular, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney seem involved in a religious war for the religious vote. Whatever that is. And they're not poking, but using Medievil battle gear.
I have to admit that God has never spoken to me directly. By my religious upbringing I hold firm to the belief that I can talk directly to God anytime I want. Governor Huckabee is a Baptist. So am I. Sort of.
Growing up we attended a small church regularly. One day my Old Man and the pastor got into it about a mutual acquantance who was Jewish. The pastor held to the belief that Jews were not white people (???) so that was the end of our attending church. The Old Man and my Mom made it quite clear that as we grew we would encounter people of many different faiths. That to condemn someone different from us was NOT what the Lord had in mind. Mom lost a brother fighting the nazis and held very strong feelings about Jews having had enough mud thrown at them.
So I evolved in the sense that is actually the most accurate description of the difference in faith and denomination:
Jews don't recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
Protestants don't recognize the Pope as Christ's representative on earth.
And Baptists don't recognize each other in a strip joint or a liquor store.
Now Governor Huckabee is going after Mormons just to drive a wedge into the candidacy of Mitt Romney. Something about Jesus and satan being brothers according to the Latter Day Saints. When I read that I thought "eww boy" here we go again.
Here's what I have to say about Mormonism; something that Mitt Romney should have said himself in his recent speech but dared not to. It is this: Mormonism is a legitimate faith. It addresses that which we cannot see here on earth; that greatest of mysteries as to what lies on the other side of earthly death.
Huckabee seems to be making it clear he will bring HIS faith into the White House, while Romney doing the same poses a dire threat to us all. Huckabee frightens me because to garner support from what is known as the "religious right" he must exclude those who are not.
With all due respect, we've had 7 years of that bullshit. As one who never had much desire to drink alcohol the liquor store issue never arose. As for the strip joints, well that's kind of pointless too since I couldn't see what was on display anyway. Nevertheless, in true Baptist fashion I believe I'm being punished just for WANTING to have all the fun I never did.
A President Huckabee assures voters that he is a pious man who would follow the Lord. I'm not doubting him personally, but as the saying goes, I've seen that movie already. In fact I'm still being forced to watch it.
For a man to swear on the Bible that he would preserve, protect, and defend something that he refers to later as "nothing but a goddamned piece of paper" goes beyond political rhetoric. It is a betrayal of an oath. What words can be used to describe a "compassionate conservative" who is blind to little things like wounded soldiers being charged for meals in a military hospital, or wounded soldiers living in conditions that would shame most decent people?
Preaching one's own piety poses challenges to reality sometimes. With Jim Bakker or Jimmy Swaggart we've had good examples of the preacher falling for the very sins they rail against on Sunday.
With President Bush we've had a man who professes a deep belief in God yet believes in expediency (and the advancement of his economic class) more. So be it. That's political reality, etc.
Just don't turn to Jesus or God at election time and claim that He is in your corner. If you want to preach about something, how about a plan to wean us off oil and finding alternative sources of clean energy? Or how about restoring some semblance of what Lincoln said about a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people?"
After 8 years of one "deeply religious" man the nation is in need of something beyond smoke and mirrors. We want the real McCoy, not some glad-handler walking into the White House, wrapped in the American flag and carrying a Cross.
Just get on with it, boys, and leave God out of this. I can speak for Him as well as you can, and I figure He's getting tired of being dragged into schoolyard brawls.
Oh yeah....and stop offering us goodies. Offer us challenges; it'd be a nice change. The challenges are there awaiting someone with the gumption to actually address them.
The people might be more ready to tackle them than you think.
***************************
Cross-posted at Michaellinnjones.com
Labels: Elections 2008, Iowa Caucuses, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, President Bush, President Religion, Presidential Primaries
posted by Papamoka at
3:18 PM
1 Comments:
"Jews don't recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
Protestants don't recognize the Pope as Christ's representative on earth.
And Baptists don't recognize each other in a strip joint or a liquor store."
I nearly pissed my freakin' pants with that one ROFLMAO!
Just for arguement sake, I heard on talk radio today that the Democrat's would love the good Reverend Huckabee to be their opponent against anyone from their party. They threw out some poll and the top three Dem's would wipe the floor with him in a landslide election. All the rest would beat him by a safe margin as well.
Great Post Mike
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