Tomorrow is World AIDS Day. But “Christians” would rather complain about choice, condoms and cause a commotion than do the work that needs to be done to make a difference. Evidently, being a Democrat matters more than the millions who are dying from AIDS, with abstinence more important than effectiveness. Now you know why I refer to these “Christians” in quotes.
'Tis the season to contemplate faith. So what does it say about the largest
organized evangelical movement, the “Christian Coalition of America,”
when the newest
leader steps down because the group won't expand its outreach to include
poverty and God's green earth in their mandate? Instead, the “Christians”
are going to be all anti-women, anti-gay marriage all the time, as in ad nauseam.
Evidently, the board decided that poverty and protecting God's creation just
won't reach the base. Excuse me, but wow. No wonder we're caught in a never
ending civil war in Iraq, though Bush, evidently, hasn't gotten the word.
As you likely know by now, Barack Obama has run up against the tunnel vision “Christians,” too. First he got the invite to speak on World AIDS Day, then he got the right-wing pulpit push back.
Famed pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren on Wednesday defended his
invitation to Sen. Barack Obama to speak at his church despite objections
from some evangelicals who oppose the Democrat's support for abortion rights.Obama is one of nearly 60 speakers scheduled to address the second annual
Global Summit on AIDS and the Church beginning Thursday at Warren's Saddleback
Church in Lake Forest, Calif.(snip)
Conservative evangelical Rob Schenck, president of the National Clergy Council,
e-mailed reporters Tuesday to protest the visit because of Obama's support
of abortion rights. “Senator Obama's policies represent the antithesis
of biblical ethics and morality, not to mention supreme American values,”
Schenck wrote.Saddleback responded with a statement acknowledging “strong opposition”
to Obama's participation. The church said participants were invited because
of their knowledge of HIV/AIDS and that Warren, author of “The Purpose
Driven Life,” opposes Obama's position on abortion and other issues.
…
Via TPM
Election Central, we get the full script of the National
Clergy Council's dissing of the popular Democrat. Here's the bottom line.
Rev. Schenck continued, “As a supporter of abortion, Senator Obama nullifies
the first of all human rights, the right to life. Only God gives life, and
only God can determine when life ends. Our Founders assured this when they
enumerated in the Declaration of Independence the rights endowed to us by
our 'Creator,' among them “Life.” This first of all rights was later
secured by the Constitution. Senator Obama nullifies this foundational principle
by his public position on abortion.”
It's also the reason the “Christian Coalition of America's” president-elect
resigned. All abortion, all the time, with detours occasionally to discriminate
against gays and lesbians, does not a Christian make.
Mr. Bush is the most overtly religious president we have ever had in office,
someone who uses his “Christianity” every chance he gets. It's what
has caused the demise and complete collapse of the Republican Party, and aided
the rise of libertarian Democratic fervor out here in the West, especially.
Inspired, or maybe to smite the overt Republican religiosity, Democrats have
entered the faith fray more overtly. Obama, in one of his first ventures forth,
made the effort to also castigate fellow Dems for our supposed fear of talking
about faith, for which he earned a
smackdown from yours truly. I don't want to be lectured about faith from
anyone, least of all a fellow Democrat. Before Obama, Howard
Dean visited the 700 Club, but blew the message, which he had to correct,
something that also drew a smackdown from moi.
But any fear of the “Christian Coaltion” we once had should be replaced
with new confidence. A group like this, who won't even take up poverty and protecting
God's green earth, can be easily matched and topped with our long standing Democratic
principals alone. However, now many evangelicals are redrawing their script,
expanding it to include the poor, the protection of God's green earth, and other
issues that spiritual people care deeply about. It could change the face of
activism, but also has the potential of dealing a mortal blow to the Republican
monopoly on all things religious.
As for Senator Barack Obama being shunned by a bunch of “Christians” on World AIDS Day, it says all you need to know about the Republican “faithful”: Who's giving the message matters more than the message being given. The Republican message of faith is antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and all Christianity means to most of us. It's why even their own are walking away to find a road less traveled. It also signals hope for the rest of the faithful going forward, which includes myself and other Democrats who long ago became fed up with the right's brand of faith, which has no foundation whatsoever to anything most of us were ever taught in Sunday school.
Comments are closed.