Republicans and God
Did the Christian right sink the GOP by driving away other conservatives?
John McCain at Rick Warren's church
(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Three letters explain the Republican defeat—G-O-D, said Kathleen Parker in The Washington Post. “To be more specific, the evangelical, right-wing, oogedy-boogedy branch of the GOP is what ails the erstwhile conservative party.” This “armband religion” is killing the party by alienating the rest of its “non-base constituents" and driving away secularists and conservative Democrats too.
With the possible exception of hardcore creationism, said Jonah Goldberg in National Review Online, it’s hard to figure out where Parker believes the GOP embraced “oogedy-boogedyism.” Does she mean “opposition to abortion? Opposition to gay marriage?” Support for school prayer? These are legitimate conservative positions that deserve respect, not the kind of insults conservatives are accustomed to finding at the Huffington Post and DailyKos.
Faith in God isn't what's hurting the GOP, said Carol Platt Liebau in Townhall.com, "although a certain clumsiness in invoking Him and discussing moral issues generally occasionally does." But going atheist like the liberal left will only guarantee failure. Sure, the party's in a jam, but "it's always a bad thing to throw the baby out with the bathwater. It's even worse to throw out the Almighty."
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9 Comments
Posted by Gene, Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 10:18 pm The Bible, The Quran, and The Book of Mormon are NOT preambles to The Constitution. Keep your God-Damning religons out of my secular life.
Posted by Leftie, Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 10:23 pm It's completely arrogant to label everyone on the "liberal left" (as Platt does) as atheist. Perhaps many of us on the left see a compassionate Jesus, wsho came NOT FOR THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS of this world...but for the rest of us who struggle. Show me ONE place in the Bible where the Savior marched to Rome to demand lower taxes, or to fight for business, or to advance the arguments of the wealthy and the Pharisees. Show me ONE place. You can't! You folks have tried to turn Jesus into some snake-skin, boot-wearing, jet-owning, millionaire who only loves the rich and the holy-rollers. Just stop with it already. It's getting old!
Posted by uh..., Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 11:14 pm Agreed with Leftie and Gene. It is very arrogant to call all 'leftist liberals' atheists, but hell, I'd gladly be called a liberal than be associated knowledge hate'in, abortion banning, gay segregationist, war-mongering conservative right. I know, that is an unfair generalization to toss against people on the right, but you must admit, it doesn't feel very good. So please right, let's cut this childish behavior out... and I am talking to you Carol Platt Liebau. Cons, stop using God as justifications for your draconian policies, stop with the partisan BS, and start reaching out "fake America."
Posted by immanuel, Thursday, November 20, 2008, 1:00 am hallelujah
Posted by kate, Thursday, November 20, 2008, 3:00 am I am Fake America! (i.e. a spiritual person who doesn't want religion in her country's laws and policies) I'm an independent who is getting sick of only having one legitimate choice in this ridiculous two party political system. Why didn't we listen to Washington when he warned against party politics?
Posted by Michael, Thursday, November 20, 2008, 4:47 pm I recently came across a quote from Arthur Clarke in which he stated that the mixing of religion with government was a "lethal cocktail that keeps millions in misery." How true.
Posted by Bruce Anderson, Thursday, November 20, 2008, 5:41 pm I am a conservative and the Christian right is 80% of the reason I voted for Obama. The lack of tolerance (christian values) and the interference in others lives, as well as the anti-science, anti-intellectual attitude and name calling of all those who disagree makes the Christian right is beyond being acceptable for someone like me. I will not vote Republican until their influence is diminished greatly.
Posted by swikabi, Thursday, November 20, 2008, 9:24 pm wasn't it Lincoln who said that he hoped that he was doing god's work? wasn't it Bush who said that he was doing god's work. Watch out for messengers of god... they are very dangerous.
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