Presidents and Religion
Some brief thoughts on religion and the Presidential process. For a longer version, go here.
* Our country was founded on a limited kind of freedom. Our founding fathers were white, privileged deists who owned slaves. We've had to take things one step at a time and we're not done.
* Not only is it untrue that Obama is a Muslim, but it is offensive to me that this is such a problem. Saying that we shouldn't vote for a Muslim because they might be a terrorist is like saying we shouldn't vote for an Evangelical because they might be an abortion-clinic-bombing- gay-person-murdering- woman-oppressing- Conservative.
* Obama is a professing member of the UCC. In fact, the UCC members in my acquaintance are some of the most racially and socially inclusive people I know.
* Meanwhile, George W. Bush is a United Methodist who doesn't have much in common with the UMC social positions, but aligns himself instead with more conservative religious leaders.
* Hillary Clinton, who is considered too secular by a lot of people, was apparently pretty active at Foundry UMC, and takes part in a bi-partisan Bible study with other Senators.
* John McCain is a fairly secular candidate, who called the likes of Jerry Falwell "agents of intolerance" because he does things like blame the 9/11 Attacks on gays, feminists, and lesbians, but now he has to suck up to them to secure his party's support.
* As for Obama's pastor, I don't know the larger context of his "God Damn America" speech, and his words are definitely incendiary, but the frustration over racial inequality is real. Lets not forget that challenging our nation does not make us "unpatriotic." We are the land of free speech, after all.
PS. Why is it that Republicans have to suck up to people who blame homosexuals for the ills of society, and Democrats have to apologize for being associated with people who cross the line in the fight for racial and gender equality? I'm not sure either one of those things is fair.
* Our country was founded on a limited kind of freedom. Our founding fathers were white, privileged deists who owned slaves. We've had to take things one step at a time and we're not done.
* Not only is it untrue that Obama is a Muslim, but it is offensive to me that this is such a problem. Saying that we shouldn't vote for a Muslim because they might be a terrorist is like saying we shouldn't vote for an Evangelical because they might be an abortion-clinic-bombing- gay-person-murdering- woman-oppressing- Conservative.
* Obama is a professing member of the UCC. In fact, the UCC members in my acquaintance are some of the most racially and socially inclusive people I know.
* Meanwhile, George W. Bush is a United Methodist who doesn't have much in common with the UMC social positions, but aligns himself instead with more conservative religious leaders.
* Hillary Clinton, who is considered too secular by a lot of people, was apparently pretty active at Foundry UMC, and takes part in a bi-partisan Bible study with other Senators.
* John McCain is a fairly secular candidate, who called the likes of Jerry Falwell "agents of intolerance" because he does things like blame the 9/11 Attacks on gays, feminists, and lesbians, but now he has to suck up to them to secure his party's support.
* As for Obama's pastor, I don't know the larger context of his "God Damn America" speech, and his words are definitely incendiary, but the frustration over racial inequality is real. Lets not forget that challenging our nation does not make us "unpatriotic." We are the land of free speech, after all.
PS. Why is it that Republicans have to suck up to people who blame homosexuals for the ills of society, and Democrats have to apologize for being associated with people who cross the line in the fight for racial and gender equality? I'm not sure either one of those things is fair.
posted by Unknown at 10:57 PM
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