BernieHund: The Political Watchdog

Reverend Jeremiah Wright’s controversial statements during the service at Trinity United Church of Christ, as reported in the Drudge Report, created a rousing round of cheers and applause from the congregation. 

To quote from Drudge:

Some argue that blacks should vote for Clinton “because her husband was good to us,” he continued.

“That’s not true,” he thundered. “He did the same thing to us that he did to Monica Lewinsky.”

I’m certain the reverend was trying to gain emotional and motivational support for Obama, a member of his congregation.  But, in light of a national election not so many months off, shouldn’t the preacher offer something more positive on behalf of Obama? 

Perhaps, that’s just one reason I stopped attending organized religious services.  The churches of our country have become more divisive and confrontational than is appropriate.  That puts our candidates in a rather precarious situation, Obama in this particular case. 

 Obama is a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ and has claimed Wright as his mentor.  At other times, he attempts to distance himself from the preacher… usually following some Rev. Wright’s more controversial comments.  Yet, he continues to return to the preacher’s guidance.

At the same time, Clinton stands beside Robert Johnson during a religious service while he sets it up for those in attendance to infer that Obama is or was a user of drugs while Hillary was out working for the rights of blacks.

Is the church an appropriate place to disburse division?  The candidates don’t seem to mind, for the most part.  But, aren’t we, in fact, modeling the religious fanatacism that led us to the War on Terrorism? 

Mitt Romney has been attacked for his personal religious beliefs and on one occasion said he would explain his religion.  He didn’t.  He only brought to light his belief that Christianity and U.S. government are tied at the hip. 

Mike Hukabee has courted the evangelicals, most recently stating

“I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution,” Huckabee told a Michigan audience on Monday. “But I believe it’s a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living god. And that’s what we need to do — to amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than try to change God’s standards so it lines up with some contemporary view.”

That approach may appeal to the evangelicals, but is holds no appeal for me.

The injection of religion into secular politics is fundamentally offensive to many.  We are not electing a national religion.  We are in a serious process of electing a leader of our country.  And, from all I have seen, those who bring religion into the fray are those who divide our country. 

To quote Jonathan Swift who had insight far ahead of his time:

We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.