Obama: Democrats Must Court Evangelicals
Democrats should do more to court evangelicals and people of faith. But that doesn’t mean they should be stupid about it. Stupid would mean supporting flag burning and displays of the Ten Commandments and backing off of their support for the civil rights of gays and lesbians and women - all to woo supposed people of faith. Stupid would also be worrying about the Pledge and school prayer (sorry Obama, you’re pandering). That’s not how you court THE RIGHT people of faith. The people of faith who make gay-bashing and abortion and the Pledge their number one priority will never support Democrats. Hell, they barely support Republicans. And in any case, do we need to become as phony as the Republican party, supporting these feel-good-but-do-nothing issues rather than trying to solve real problems in America, in order to convince believers we’re actually okay?
One of the political fallacies so prevalent in the American political dialogue today is the idea the being a Christian equates to be an intolerant, judgemental, self-righteous Evangelical zealot. Nothing could be further from the truth, and in fact I would submit that it is highly likely that the silent majority of Christians are people who actually believe in things like tolerance, charity, and acceptance. I happen to be married to someone who is living proof of this. She Who Endures My Myriad Eccentricities is tolerant, understanding, decidedly Liberal- and a committed Christian. So why is it that a strident, intolerant, self-righteous minority have managed to associate Christianity with rigid Fundamentalism?
Well, it might have something to do with the fact that these zealots are organized, well-financed, and willing to make a lot of noise. While they certainly have the right to believe as they choose and to pursue their agenda as they see fit, they do not have the right to assume the mantle as the Representatives of the One True Faith. Wrapping your ignorance, intoleance, and xenophobia in the teachings of Jesus Christ does not make one a Christian. Living the teachings- things like charity, tolerance, and understanding- is what defines a Christian, not the degree of hatred and distaste one can express for those who don’t share your narrow view of acceptable behavior, belief, and lifestyle. This is where Democrats and people of faith can, and should, find common ground.
WASHINGTON — Sen. Barack Obama chastised fellow Democrats on Wednesday for failing to “acknowledge the power of faith in the lives of the American people,” and said the party must compete for the support of evangelicals and other churchgoing Americans.
“Not every mention of God in public is a breach to the wall of separation. Context matters,” the Illinois Democrat said in remarks to a conference of Call to Renewal, a faith-based movement to overcome poverty.
No one, least of all myself, has said that any, or every, mention of God in public is a breach of the wall separating Church and State. I think what most of us on the Left have contended for a long time now is that God is not a Republican, God does not VOTE Republican, and He is not more sympathetic to Liberal causes than Conservative ones. The problem is that too often Evangelicals see themselves as the “Chosen Ones”, completely ignoring the reality that America is not limited to, nor defined by, their world view or their narrow, intolerant morality. It’s not without reason that this country has always been referred to as a “melting pot”. For Evangelical Christians to claim the mantle of political and moral superiority simply because of their beliefs is the height of arrogance and insensitivity.
What many seem not to realize, or have conveniently forgotten, is that being a Christian isn’t a “Conservative” or a “Liberal” thing. It’s not about political viewpoints in any shape, manner, or form. A Christian can just as easily be a Democrat as a Republican, which the Evangelical community seems to have completely lost sight of.
I would agree with Obama that Democrats need to reach out to the Evangelical community, but let’s not be stupid about it. Let’s not compromise our principles and our beliefs in the basic humanity of ALL Americans in a cheap, transparent effort to woo a few more votes come November. Our greatest strength is that we’re NOT Conservative Republicans. We believe that the spectrum of human belief and morality is a wide and varied thing. That doesn’t make people who think and live differently by definition bad or wrong. It just makes them different…and those differences have always helped to make this great country what it is today.
Let’s keep that in mind as we reach out to people of faith. Our principles, beliefs, and values are no more or less valid or worthwhile that those of Republicans. They’re simply different. Once people recognize the Democratic Party for it’s inclusiveness and willingness to welcome people from ALL walks of life, I firmly believe that America will make a turn for the better, away from the narrow, hate-and fear-based politics that dominate our national discourse today. And we DO deserve better.
America should not be about vengeance, pointless wars, flag burning, gay marriage, and prayer in public schools. It should be about equal opportunity, affordable and accessible health care for all, equal economic opportunities, a place where all faiths, creeds, and lifestyles are welcomed, and the willingness to co-exist peacefully with the rest of the world.
WE DESERVE BETTER.
Great analysis
I'm curious -- what do you call a candidate who declares herself "God's gift to the Senate"?
A Democrat. You would think such talk undermines the whole notion of church/state separation, wouldn't you?
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