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October 27, 2004

Meanwhile back in the Twilight Zone...

... The Sydney Morning Herald (subscription required) is treading where our domestic media apparently fears to tread.

Yesterday they reported on Bush's Religious Right base and how many of them believe that God wants Bush to win.

Does God favour the Republican George Bush or the Democrat John Kerry? Bush supporters have no doubts.

"God is out there, actively campaigning for President Bush," said Beverly Ryan, a retired legal secretary and born-again Christian from West Palm Beach, Florida.

But Barry Lynn, a United Church of Christ minister and the executive director of the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, said: "It is, I think, extremely dangerous for people to believe that God is a Republican or a Democrat or a Naderite or even a Libertarian."

When Mr Bush sought the presidency in 2000 he played down his religious convictions and played up his "compassionate conservative" values. But his political strategist, Karl Rove, realised that about 4 million evangelical Christian voters had not turned out in 2000, and set out a plan to get them on board in this year's re-election campaign.

I'm sure that nobody is surprised that Karl Rove's fingerprints are all over this particular spin job. Kerry for his part has started to fight back with the most appropriate tool for the task - the Bible.

Senator Kerry, after months of saying little about his own Catholic faith, has in recent weeks started to criticise Mr Bush obliquely.

At the urging of advisers, he has also started speaking seriously about his own Catholic faith.

At the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Miami he spoke of politicians who "talk a lot" about faith but who don't back up the talk with programs to help the needy.

"It is written in James: 'What does it mean, my brother, to say that you have faith if there are no deeds?"' Senator Kerry told a predominantly black congregation.

"Faith without works is dead."

Exactly! Talk is cheap. I could claim to be the Jolly Green Giant. But, does that assertion make it fact? Of course not! Likewise, I can claim to be a man of faith. But, if I don't walk what I'm talking then I'm just blowing hot air.

One last quote from the Herald piece:

Beverly Ryan said: "George Bush did what God wanted him to do. Who cares what the rest of the world thinks?"

I think that just about sums up the mentality of the extreme religious right.

Posted by Kevin at October 27, 2004 12:50 PM