Barack Obama
The Associated Press

Barack Obama and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Featured Topic | Posted 35 weeks 6 days ago

Why is religion such a touchy subject in the presidential campaign?

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's involvement with a fiery preacher is only the latest in an unusual number of religious controversies so far in the 2008 race for the White House. In the 2008 presidential campaign, religion has been the focus as seldom before, with Democrats attempting to close the "God gap," Republican John McCain trying to make amends with the GOP's evangelical base, Mitt Romney trying to become the country's first Mormon president and Mike Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister, surviving much longer than expected in the Republican contest on the strength of support from evangelical Christians.

Why is religion such a hot topic in this contest?

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Ben likes: Obama, a faithful Democrat

Joseph M. Knippenberg/Ashbrook Center

Obama professes to be concerned that the contact between church and state can impinge upon religious freedom. As he says, "One of the things that I think churches have to be mindful of is that if the federal government starts paying the piper, then they get to call the tune." In itself, this isn’t an unreasonable concern. But in the context of Obama’s conception of the political role of churches and prophetic witness, it doesn’t ring altogether true. Churches that have as significant a role in political advocacy as he ascribes to them are going to be sorely tempted to conform to the world for the sake of influence in it.

That Obama apparently isn’t troubled by this may be a product of his rather worldly conception of the role of religion in our social and political order. For him, religion is principally a source of reformist energy, to be checked in its excesses by a rationalist, non-majoritarian judiciary. The reformist energy that supports and promotes the agenda of the Democratic Party is to be welcomed and harnessed. Those who have other ideas in mind can be treated with a disarming respect, as conversation partners who can be persuaded but won’t be permitted to persuade. Or they can be criticized and resisted as irrational, divisive, and unconstitutional, not to say hypocritical and un-Godly.

They do worship an awesome God in the blue states. And He unfailingly votes Democratic.

 

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Joel likes: Democrats and religion

Kevin Drum/Washington Monthly

Two Democrats, two committed Christians. So what's it gotten them? In the case of Hillary Clinton it's gotten her Barbara Ehrenreich, who used Hillary's religious ties a couple of days ago in the Huffington Post as a launching pad for an unusually ugly character assassination. And Obama? Well, we all know how that story turned out.

If this is what being a sincerely committed Christian gets you in the Democratic Party, why should we bother? Are the benefits really worth the costs? There must be more than a few Democrats surveying the rubble of the past week and thinking that maybe we'd be better off leaving the God talk to the Republicans and keeping our own faith private.

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Thoughts

Tired of "faithful" candidates

Submitted on April 1st, 2008 by Anonymous

I long for the day when a candidate can freely admit being an atheist. The last thing we need is a president who puts faith in a deity that cannot be seen, felt, heard and not in objectivity and logic.

Presidents should be scientifically literate people who are used solving problems in a highly objective manner succumbing as little as possible to bias. Of course though, the masses of America are ignorant of objectivity and tend to be rather hot-blooded and passionate about things that require a detached way of thinking.

None of the main-field candidates seem to offer an acceptable change to America because they will always be pawns of their religions' doctrine.

You're half right about Lincoln

Submitted on March 27th, 2008 by Anonymous

He did, in fact, free the slaves. And a good deal of people look at this and say to themselves, "Wow, what a social progressive"

But if you are to read his actual words, primary source documents, (especially his debates with Stephen Douglass) you will see that his message was of an ever-lasting domination of the white race over the African race.

What Ever Happened To...

Submitted on March 27th, 2008 by Anonymous

Free-speech?
I will admit that I do not know an exact quote from this "radical minister" but I can tell you that, as a young, white, American male, who respects the constitution, I can tell you that even if the pastor's message was "One of you infiltrate the White House, so as to destroy the white race forever!" I would be flocking to this church to finally hear an interesting sermon.

Republicans perfected prostituting religion

Submitted on March 25th, 2008 by Bull Moose

The oral majority of Falwell,Robertson,Dotson,etc.made a cottage industry out of using Jesus as a source of income. They would have to get a real job but for their excellent pimping abilities.

As the country song goes, "send your money to the Lord, but send it to my address".

Youthful enthusiasm

Submitted on March 25th, 2008 by Anonymous

Dear Anabelle,

As you are only 14 you can be excused for the simple approach you take to very complex problems in your letter. Religion and faith are part of who we all are, therefore they will always be part of everything we do - including politics, elections, and everything else. They cannot be set aside or turned off like a light switch. So get used to it. Race is also a a very big part of who we are and it is a touchy subject in America primarily due to the fact that slavery existed here until 1863 when Pres. Lincoln freed all slaves. But the wounds remain 145 years later. Race cannot be just ignored. Barack Obama is not being treated differently because of his religion, though he is being questioned about his relationship to his pastor of 20 years who has made some very angry and hateful comments about America and about white people. This is not wrong, it is part of the political process and it is justified as Sen. Obama has made much of his values and ability to make good decisions if he is elected President.

point

Submitted on March 25th, 2008 by Anonymous

Well, religion shouldnt be a descusion in this debate. Beacause of this, there is race, involved with the presidency. RACE shouldn't be a problem in with this, because for I am just a 14 yearold. I do have some perspections on the presidency. Beacuse YOU say that CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE! for that. I say that there shouldn't be a race in this countrey. For that i stand in the constatution, "Every man should be created equal." so that states that Barack Obama shouldn't be treated difrently for his religion.
-Anabelle Howard

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