Letters to the Editor
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It's Come to This
Three Hundred Years ago, people started to speak about theories of politics and governance without theological underpinnings.
We called that period Enlightenment.
In the first decade of the 21st Century of the Common Era, our public figures are openly discussing issues of sectarian doctrine and dogma as it relates to the qualifications to serve in the highest civil office of our Republic.
What do we call this period?
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A thousand clowns
Well it's clear that my opponent believes that an invisible man in the sky is controlling our every move and sending us messages retroactively with scribbles in ancient texts.
Chuckle. Now, not to put to fine a point on it, but this, I submit, is completely insane. Everyone knows that the Great Lord and Master lives in my Buick, and if I turn the radio to the right station I can pick up his messages from there.
Texts, shmects.
Of course, the important thing is to band together to fight the overlanders who believe, ridiculously enough, that the great overlord is made of three teapots that cross the great kitchen of the sky daily.
Now that's blasphemey!
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This country is a collection of nut cases, I swear. That this is the kind of thing being seriously debated, wasting our precious time....
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Blood brothers
This Jesus-as-bro-to-Lucifer thing makes a lot of sense. It is reminiscent of the theory that Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty may have been twins, serparated at birth. What we do know is that they were both created by Arthur Doyle, just as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide were both the offspring of R.L. Stevenson.
(It is no coincidence that Doyle and Stevenson were both Scottish authors, as Scotland is and was a home to austere Calvinism.)
Romney and Huckerbee may also be secret blood brothers, as clearly they were both created by J.K. Rowling, and like Professor Snape, they are ambiguous characters who may or may not be on the side of good or evil, depending on your point of view.
Hopefully one of their debates will get this Adam-and-Eve thing cleared up once and for all. I think we all want to know if they were real people. Maybe Prof. Dawkins can host the debate. And let's clear up how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, while we are in problem-solving mode.
But really, if Obama and Cheney are cousins, then anything is possible.
While this is going on the Democratic Party candidates need to be very careful. They cannot be seen to be mean-spirited towards the feeble-minded, and should maintain a neutral God-is-great posture while declining to get into specifics. Let J.K. Rowling handle that.
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I bet they Play Jesus Christ Superstar at the Repubilcan convention when the nominee comes out to make his acceptance speech
I know the Christian right is a formidable force in our social and political systems, but it is not a dominant force. I can't help but think this sort of hideous religious vaudeville will only marginalize them. Healthcare, global warming, energy independance, Iraq, Iran, outsourcing jobs, the mortgage crisis...I'm not sure silly fables are high on the minds of most people right now. This sort of discourse just makes the Republicans look tragically and frighteningly out of touch. My only hope is that the Deomcrats will stick to the issues and refuse to be engaged in this nonsence.
The Christian right has always screeched about abortion, but the majority of the public are to some degree or another pro choice leaning. They've gotten much better traction with gay bashing, but if this rediculous bickering over loony religious fairytales is the direction the campaign is going...well they're in big trouble. Huckabee is a certifiable oddball, and Romney stepped right into his trap.
I'm fully expecting stained glass and delegates in pews at the Republican convention. this could be VERY entertaining.
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The debate itself is frightening...
The notion that two candidates for the highest office in the land are debating/arguing/insinuating/whatever over whose religious belief system is more accurate and acceptable is simply disturbing.
Personally, I don't care if your Jewish, Christian, Mormon, Zorastorian, or Pastafarian, because we are not voting for you to be the leader of your chosen belief system, we're choosing you to be the leader of the American Republic. Actually, let me redact that, I do care. If your someone like Mike Huckabee, who seemingly cannot make the distinction between personal religious belief and secular government then how could I accept that you would be the leader of all Americans, how will the Jew or Catholic or Sikh or Muslim or atheist be assured that you are the leader for them and not just the American President of Evangelical Christians?
Romney is even more disturbing as he is trying to placate a religious vote by attempting to blur the distinction between Mormonism and Evangelical Christianity. Anyone with any inkling of theological understanding can tell you that they might be based on the same ideas but they are as different as Evangelicals and Catholics. And there is nothing wrong with having a religion that is not someone elses, or at least there shouldn't be. Or at least in America. Where your religion shouldn't matter. If you pander for votes in this fashion how can I trust that you're going to lead based on the ideals you espouse and not just be like the current President and pander to your big donors?
I don't follow an organized religion, like Micah said, I do good and I walk humbly with my God, but I have to admit the topic does fascinate me, did Jesus have a brother named Lucifer and if he did was he the root of all evil. It's fascinating from the notion of looking at the development of the moral tenants people follow within their respective religions. But this debate shouldn't be held during the Presidential campaigns between two of the leading candidates.
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Am I Alone In Thinking This?
It is 2007, right? I know that the media usually shy away from religious matters, afraid to offend anyone, but this is getting out of hand. Are two of the leading contenders for a major party's nomination for president of the United States actually — seriously, honestly — arguing about Jesus and Lucifer? This seems like some massive joke to me — it cannot really be happening, can it? The more we talk about this, the more it becomes the accepted wisdom that a candidate must believe in Jesus, the devil, Leviticus (oy!), and the rest. When are the media going to put the breaks on this? After almost thirty years of the moral majority becoming values voters (and they say they don’t believe in evolution!), when are people going to shut up about these 800 pound gorillas? Their own leaders do not take them seriously enough to enact the legislation so near and dear to their hearts, and yet everyone is forced to engage in this circus.
Brought up a Catholic, I learned (well, was taught) that all these groups that claim dominion over Jesus were heretics, schismatics, and unworthy to receive Christ in the form of the Eucharist. When are we going to have that battle? Why does someone not ask Rudy what he thinks of Southern Baptists? Then we will really see the fur fly!