Next Topic: Religion
Now that Obama has so gracefully opened the floodgates to dialogue and diatribe on race, let’s tackle the next topic: the role of religion in a democratic society.
Not yet, Barack, let’s wait until after November to tackle this one.
As a seeker, I’ve had the opportunity to visit churches of many faiths. In my experience with African American churches, Reverend Wright does not represent the norm. There is a lot of truth told within those walls on Sunday mornings, but I haven’t witnessed hate speak and vitriol. And more importantly, there is an amazing amount of anti-gay and anti-Semitic rhetoric being spouted from white Christian pulpits.
Some African Americans believe that the US government was behind the AIDS epidemic. You think that’s wacky? What about some Catholics’ belief that Jews are damned? And don’t get the Methodists or the Episcopalians started on gays.
Would someone please sneak a video camera into Hillary’s church and capture her minister on the record? Her faith is particularly anti-gay. And what about John McCain? Does he belong to a church? Maybe it’s better if he doesn’t. What we need is a secular President. Let’s get God out of our government.
How can religion play such a big part in our political discourse when much of what is “believed” and sermonized is so hateful? There’s nothing Christian about the prejudices that pass for faith in this country. As our society continues to diversify with huge populations of followers of religions from Hindi to Islam, we’ve got to separate religion from politics. So what if 25% of Americans are Evangelical Christians. Here’s a statistic – 75% aren’t!
Speaking as a Unitarian Libertarian, your faith is perfectly fine by me. Just keep it to yourself.
Recent Posts By maggiewells
- Hissy Fits - January 23rd, 2009
- End of the Line - December 27th, 2008
- Summon Your Anger - September 7th, 2008
- Sarah Who? - September 1st, 2008
- Fall Rituals - August 31st, 2008
Tags: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, McCain, religion
Your posts are awesome. I love them all!
While I am in no way a supporter of Reverend Wright or what he believes (I certainly don’t like that he says that he is speaking what is heard in African American churches across the nation), but I think he has the right to say what he believes. If nothing else, it is opening up a dialogue that has long been kept behind closed doors. To some extent, this country has been built on lies, deception and the subjugation of minorities. To say differently would deny the heritage of African Americans who were enslaved, Native Americans who lost their lands in questionable dealings and Japanese who were relocated to internment camps. Our government is not without sin, but it’s time to stop casting stones and move to a place of forgiveness.
I (also UU) agree with religion getting in the way- It’s extremely evident in the South. They don’t actually even look at a candidate they vote for, instead only voting on two issues (gay marriage & abortion)- which in their opinion are always Republican. Yikes!