Politics and God
From the outside looking in I am one of those Oxymoron Liberals that happens to have a very strong belief in God. I don’t push my faith, my belief, or my church on anyone because in my own belief system, that would be wrong. My relationship with God and my church has been defended by our Constitution and it is in fact nobody’s business other than my own. Do I always agree with my own Catholic faith, hell no, and for many reasons that I could go into a very long post on. Protecting and defending children would be numero uno!
Thomas Jefferson was correct in his understanding that this nation of many nationalities and religions would best be served by the separation of church and state. Many people to this very day still disagree with Jefferson but it is part of our Constitution and should never be ignored. We can not and should not allow one theology of God to be the basis of our government that has to be of service to all religions or lack there of for all of our people.
One thing that I honestly believe in is that faith and electing a political leader should not mix. Leave the religious doctrine to the leaders of the churches and leave the politics to the politicians. In my thoughts it is one thing to say a blessing by a religious leader at a wedding, or even at a private run civic organization. Using God’s name or for that matter Jesus Christ, Buddha, Allah or any other prophet from any religion should not be the introduction speech from the clergy at any political rally for any political party. Granted the first amendment comes into play in this very difficult topic.
Not for a moment do I think that God should be stripped from our government or our currency. Common sense dictates where religion belongs in our government, our courts, our personal lives, and in our national election process. Using God as a political euphemism to denounce your political opponent is not only not Christian, it is unethical if you are a member of the clergy.
Unhelpful for establishing the tone McCain sought in Davenport was the Rev. Arnold Conrad, past pastor of the Grace Evangelical Free Church. His prayer before McCain arrived at the convention center blocks from the Mississippi River appeared to dismiss faiths other than Christianity and cast the election as a referendum on God himself.
"I would also pray, Lord, that your reputation is involved in all that happens between now and November, because there are millions of people around this world praying to their god — whether it's Hindu, Buddha, Allah — that his opponent wins, for a variety of reasons," Conrad said.
"And Lord, I pray that you would guard your own reputation, because they're going to think that their god is bigger than you, if that happens. So I pray that you will step forward and honor your own name with all that happens between now and Election Day," he said. - MSNBC
The context from Rev. Arnold Conrad is confusing but the intention is pretty clear. God has a McCain bumper sticker on the pearly gates! Well I’m screwed then! Or am I or you as an Obama supporter? If you have any religious upbringing then you know this to not be true.
Religion and politics do not mix. I understand the reason why religious organizations want to be involved and reach out to their flock to get involved in the process. I just don’t agree when a religious leader uses their pulpit message at a campaign event for President of the United States.
I keep thinking of why Mitt Romney had to defend his faith and he should not have had to do so. Then I think of Kennedy having to tell the nation that he would not be a puppet President to the Pope. Then I think about anyone demanding to me to defend my faith, my belief, or who my God is? What would you do if faced with that very same question?
Then I think about the crisis this nation is facing and religion takes a back seat. Having faith in God is one thing, having faith in our elected leaders to actually lead “We the People” out of this mess is another issue.
That is why we have national elections for President and religious leaders are elected by the elite of their faith based organizations.
God bless America and the American people! That is as far as a prayer before a political rally should go. Or does God only love only the people that are politically aligned with he or she? If that is the case then 50% of American’s are going to hell! I’ll let you decide who is in and who is going to need some serious sun block lotion post election day come November.
Papamoka
Thomas Jefferson was correct in his understanding that this nation of many nationalities and religions would best be served by the separation of church and state. Many people to this very day still disagree with Jefferson but it is part of our Constitution and should never be ignored. We can not and should not allow one theology of God to be the basis of our government that has to be of service to all religions or lack there of for all of our people.
One thing that I honestly believe in is that faith and electing a political leader should not mix. Leave the religious doctrine to the leaders of the churches and leave the politics to the politicians. In my thoughts it is one thing to say a blessing by a religious leader at a wedding, or even at a private run civic organization. Using God’s name or for that matter Jesus Christ, Buddha, Allah or any other prophet from any religion should not be the introduction speech from the clergy at any political rally for any political party. Granted the first amendment comes into play in this very difficult topic.
Not for a moment do I think that God should be stripped from our government or our currency. Common sense dictates where religion belongs in our government, our courts, our personal lives, and in our national election process. Using God as a political euphemism to denounce your political opponent is not only not Christian, it is unethical if you are a member of the clergy.
Unhelpful for establishing the tone McCain sought in Davenport was the Rev. Arnold Conrad, past pastor of the Grace Evangelical Free Church. His prayer before McCain arrived at the convention center blocks from the Mississippi River appeared to dismiss faiths other than Christianity and cast the election as a referendum on God himself.
"I would also pray, Lord, that your reputation is involved in all that happens between now and November, because there are millions of people around this world praying to their god — whether it's Hindu, Buddha, Allah — that his opponent wins, for a variety of reasons," Conrad said.
"And Lord, I pray that you would guard your own reputation, because they're going to think that their god is bigger than you, if that happens. So I pray that you will step forward and honor your own name with all that happens between now and Election Day," he said. - MSNBC
The context from Rev. Arnold Conrad is confusing but the intention is pretty clear. God has a McCain bumper sticker on the pearly gates! Well I’m screwed then! Or am I or you as an Obama supporter? If you have any religious upbringing then you know this to not be true.
Religion and politics do not mix. I understand the reason why religious organizations want to be involved and reach out to their flock to get involved in the process. I just don’t agree when a religious leader uses their pulpit message at a campaign event for President of the United States.
I keep thinking of why Mitt Romney had to defend his faith and he should not have had to do so. Then I think of Kennedy having to tell the nation that he would not be a puppet President to the Pope. Then I think about anyone demanding to me to defend my faith, my belief, or who my God is? What would you do if faced with that very same question?
Then I think about the crisis this nation is facing and religion takes a back seat. Having faith in God is one thing, having faith in our elected leaders to actually lead “We the People” out of this mess is another issue.
That is why we have national elections for President and religious leaders are elected by the elite of their faith based organizations.
God bless America and the American people! That is as far as a prayer before a political rally should go. Or does God only love only the people that are politically aligned with he or she? If that is the case then 50% of American’s are going to hell! I’ll let you decide who is in and who is going to need some serious sun block lotion post election day come November.
Papamoka
Labels: election, McCain, Obama, Politics, President 08, religion in politics, Reverend Conrad
posted by Papamoka at
7:52 PM
2 Comments:
To be honest, and this is looking from the outside in, right-wing Christians seem to use god as a political tool, whereas liberal Christians use god as a truly spiritual tool. While you all call yourselves Christians and claim to worship the same god, conservatives and liberals definitely do not worship the same god.
Very good point DB! I can't argue with you on that one.
Like I said in the post, religion and politics should never mix when electing a President. When they do, it is a recipe for a nation hijacked just like the religious run states in the Middle East.
"One nation under God" had a very different meaning than most people interpet. Times like these I hate politics!
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