(U-WIRE) BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – I’ve always thought that Jesus has bad spokespeople. When your best mouthpieces are President George W. Bush and Pat Robertson, you might want to reconsider the hires. It was apparently on God’s advice that Bush decided to strike Al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. This actually helps explain the missteps during and after the invasion of Iraq. I mean, when you have God on your side, why waste money on body armor?
If you think that invocation of Christian teachings is just limited to Republicans, you’re wrong. Even after watching the disastrous consequences of combining religion and politics, Democrats haven’t seemed to learn a thing. From Sen. Barack Obama’s sermons … uh, speeches to efforts by Sen. Hillary Clinton to portray a “moderate” stance on abortion, religion is thoroughly entrenched in the ranks of the party.
The latest foray into the “What would Jesus say?” debate was made by former Sen. John Edwards. In an interview with the Web site www.Beliefnet.com, Edwards claimed that Jesus would be appalled by the selfishness of Americans. He also discussed his faith at great length and commented on the doctrine of separation of Church and state – which he supports.
Now, I should clarify that I am not against organized religion as such. However, I do have a problem with politicians using religion as a moral impetus. By declaring that Jesus would be disgusted by poverty, one assumes that morality is derived from religious thought, which is not necessarily the case. Take the example of the disgraced Rev. Ted Haggard who left his church after it was revealed that he had sexual relations with a male escort and had used methamphetamine. Or the fact that a “Christian Nation” like America spends around $10 billion a year on adult entertainment.
For years, conservatives have bandied about the term “secular” like it was a bad thing. It was only a matter of time before Democrats started believing it too.
It’s important to point out that while it may be acceptable to talk about one’s Christian roots, mention of a Muslim background might just be the kiss of death. Remember the furor caused by Rep. Keith Ellison when he was sworn in with a copy of the Koran?
Republican attempts to blur the line between religion and government have been slow, insidious and obviously illegal. As I write this, the Supreme Court is considering the constitutionality of the Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives, created under the auspices of President Bush.
I was always under the impression that religion symbolized a private and deeply personal relationship between God and you. However, as the Christian voices in government get louder, attempts to proselytize will become more commonplace.
The Democrats seem to have resigned themselves to the “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” game. I wouldn’t necessarily object to such posturing but consider the target audience – Christians. They are a group that largely disregards evolution and their opposition to abortion and equal marriage rights is also fierce. All I can say is, it’s nice to be in such good company.