Religious themes have been more likely to take center stage at recent Republican National Conventions than at Democratic gatherings. But politics and religion will be mingling all this week when Democrats convene in Denver to choose Barack Obama as their presidential nominee.
Spurred by a presidential candidate who freely talks about his religious beliefs, Democrats will go to great lengths to display their own religious fervor. Obama’s selection of Joe Biden as his running mate probably enhances the theme. Biden made a point of talking about his Irish-Catholic roots in Saturday’s joint appearance with Obama.
For the first time ever, Democrats have planned “faith caucus meetings” led by an array of religious and spiritual leaders, including Christians, Muslims and Jews. Democrats want to convince voters that they are putting their faith in action ”” and show that Republicans haven’t cornered the market on family values or faith.
“Everybody woke up after the last election and realized the Democratic Party had not done well dealing with religious voters,” says Steven Waldman, founder of the online spiritual center beliefnet.com.
“Faith based!!”
Ask the Catholic Archbishop of Denver if he will be there. (see discussion at GetReligion)
Years ago, one of Jim Wallis’s books really made a difference in my life, and for a long time I held him in very high esteem. However, a couple of years back, I recall him acting as a consultant to the dems to help them learn, for lack of a better term, religionspeak. They were concerned that they were out of touch with a large segment of evanglicals who vote, and wanted to find a way to tap into that segment, in order to help win votes for the coming election. It was about the same time as Wallis’ book on politics came out. If that wasn’t bad enough, a few weeks later, Wallis appeared as a guest on the Daily Show, to sell his book, I suppose. Nothing wrong with that, but I recall feeling pretty sad and disgusted after Jon Stewart essentially mocked Christianity…took a cheap shot at my faith… just for a few laughs. And instead of a response, Wallis sat there grinning. I haven’t watched the Daily show since then. Now Wallis is involved in the DNC, because dems want to “…show that Republicans haven’t cornered the market on family values or faith.” I hate to be skeptical, and I certainly have no bone to pick with Christian dems (other than abortion, perhaps), but I can’t help but feel that this is all contrived; just more politics. And I have lost what little respect I still held for Jim Wallis. I’ll be glad when this election is over, no matter who wins.
Same product in a new wrapper.
I am a registered independent, so take this for what its worth. But, I, shall we say, dubious of this new DNC kiss up to religion. I am not convinced that values voters of the Religious Right (or whatever you want to call them) won’t get thrown under the bus as soon as a Democrat is in the White House and its politically expedient to do so.
I hope I am wrong. If the Democrats gain power, I hope they will continue to listen to the Church for guidance, but I remain skeptical of the motive behind the sudden fixation on this demographic.
Both Biden and Obama are PRO-ABORTION.
I could not vote for them for that reason.
McCain is Pro-LIFE. That settles it for me.
The man who is pushing his Catholic background appear not to be welcome at a Catholic communion.
Hey, but Biden’s strongly Roman Catholic:
“The next Republican that tells me I’m not religious I’m going to shove my rosary beads down their throat.”
-Joe Biden
Not being RC, myself, I wasn’t aware that rosary beads were an instrument of the Inquisition.
This was ment to be a humor article. I hope.
Confusing politics with theology is like confusing wishes with reality. To appease one segment of the voters merely imposes impossible promises of making wishes come true on that party.
#5,
As a younger Evangelical I can say that thankfully most of us are moving on beyond such shallow voting ideals. There are a plethora of other ‘life’ issues on which the Republicans fail time and again. It is important to look at ALL the issues and make judgement calls on more than just this one issue.
Wow – who knew abortion was a “shallow voting ideal” – the preservation of life (which you are taking advantage of, adhunt – thank your mother for “choosing” to have you) should never be “shallow.” Does that also apply to the Born Alive Infant protection act – legislation drawn up to protect those babies born alive during an abortion? Legislation where some politicians see no problem with voting against in order to enshrine the sacred act of abortion, letting babies be left abandoned to die after hours of neglect? Those “shallow voting ideals”?
I am adamantly pro-life. I have never changed on that. But given the fact that the President will be the most powerful person in the world, with ramifications resounding on everything, domestic and international; then yes, by that standard, to me at least, to vote exclusively on one issue is to me to cast a shallow vote. Don’t try your apologetics on me: “Be glad your mom chose life” Such tactics do nothing but divide us. Perhaps if we took a more respectful tone to pro-choicer’s then we might be able to agree on a compromise bill. I would be willing to compromise here and now, with the hopes of further on eliminating abortion altogether. My, or our bruised conscience is worth a drastic reduction in abortions.
Adhunt,
I agree that there is a lot at stake in this presidential election, including foreign policy, defense against terrorism and terrorist states, economic woes worldwide, energy solutions, supreme court justices and so on, and I certainly don’t want to change your mind, and I don’t claim the moral tenacity to be a conservative apologist. But voting according to a candidate’s stand on abortion is hardly a shallow issue. For some of us, abortion is a historic and spiritual stain on the soul of this nation equaled only by slavery, if that. Some of us even believe that abortion will be the undoing of this nation. This isn’t something we just decided after a few beers, and few of us wish to compromise on, or move beyond, what we consider legalized genocide. I suspect that most who are voting against pro-abortionist candidates have other motives, as well, but they may not be the presenting issues. Beyond that, what does it matter if you’re a young evangelical, or middle-aged, or old? Does being young make you hip?
Shumanbean,
I think that we are really in substantial agreement. I appreciate your points and I think that the term shallow may have been a poor word choice on my part, not least because of my agreement against abortion. For that I do apologize to all here reading.
By making a point of being young I was not by any means attempting to make myself hip or whatever. But what I was trying to communicate is that whereas it tends to be a tendency of a different generation to rally around abortion as the single deciding issue, that is something that I believe a large number of younger Evangelicals are (rightly) reacting against. There are many many other ethical issues at stake in these elections, a large number of them, I believe, are trampled on by Republicans. There are many ways that abortions can be reduced beyond a long shot hope in a 4 yearly election. It has rightly been pointed out that the long reign of Republicans in DC has done little to actually reduce abortions. Even the reductions that are taking place are not a result of Washington, but of groups that council mother’s contemplating abortion and other such initiatives. I think history will judge irresponsible economic practices that keep millions of workers in virtual poverty, millions of people without proper health care, poor nations enslaved in debt, a terrorized global environment as harshly as the willful killing of innocent children. All of these, plus more, are our inheritance as Christians, and it is improper, in my opinion, to single out one issue against all others.
I think in the end we likely agree almost completely about the issues, just not how to accomplish the goals.
In Christ
Tony