Religion

I wouldn’t go so far overboard as Chris Matthews and declare it a speech worthy of Abraham Lincoln. But I was most impressed with Barack Obama’s powerful and important speech on race.

He reminded us how deep racial wounds still exist in this country — and how both whites and blacks must make an effort to better understand each other before we can put racism behind us.

He condemned the racist, divisive statements of his former pastor — and admitted he hadn’t quite told the truth when he denied, earlier, having been present for any of them. And he set forth, again, the goal of uniting this nation in common purpose — a goal that he, perhaps more than anyone else, could achieve. Read more...

Barack Obama, who took on the candidate of experience, has gambled that the voters will choose leadership and judgment instead. He's gotten this far because many of them did. But as he struggles to try to stop Hillary Clinton, the story of his controversial pastor will raise questions about Obama's leadership and judgment in the critical contests to come.

To suggest that Obama wasn't aware, during his 20 years at Trinity United Church of Christ and his close relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., that the man had made anti-American, anti-white and pro-Palestinian statements would require — to borrow the words Clinton used with Gen. David Petraeus about the success of the surge — “a willing suspension of disbelief.” Read more...

It is impossible for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and his wife to have attended the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's church and not embraced his teachings and vision of America.

My minister does and has always had a profound impact on my outlook on life and strengthening my spirit to forgive the transgressions of this world and not to induce more hate and separation. I find it difficult to believe Sen. Obama when he tells us that he was unaware of his pastor's vicious message from the pulpit and that had he known, there would have been condemnation. Read more...

“But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.”

That was Thomas Jefferson’s view of religion, in a nutshell.

So why should Mitt Romney have to give a speech about his religion? Why should we care? Read more...

Mitt Romney’s speech yesterday on the place of religious values in politics was, by most accounts, a political, intellectual and philosophical home run and its theme was one with which most Americans agree.

He had to deliver the speech, however, for reasons that go more to the ways in which the major media views people of faith than because of a realistic fear that his candidacy might be rejected by millions of religiously active voters for doctrinal reasons.

Many in the media believe that religious voters are, by their nature, narrow-minded and intolerant when, in fact, the opposite is usually the case. This is not to say that there aren’t some voters who might refuse to vote for Romney because he’s a Mormon, just as there are some who might reject Hillary because of her sex or Obama for racial reasons. But very few voters today are driven by such considerations. If these candidates lose, it won’t be because of their sex, race or religious beliefs but for other, more substantive and more legitimate, reasons. Read more...

Delivering one of the most widely anticipated political speeches of the year, Mitt Romney spoke about his faith and how it informs his views on public issues. It was widely described as a speech similar to the one given by John F. Kennedy in 1960, when he sought to limit the uproar over the possibility of a Catholic becoming president. However, while both speeches may have centered on religion, there are important differences. Read more...

Well, he's finally going to do it. Mitt Romney has finally decided he has no choice. He's planning on Thursday to make his "I'm Mormon but Not a Nut Case" speech.

I must say that I sympathize with him. I mean, why should he have to justify his religious beliefs while the others don't?

After all, the candidates, particularly the Republicans, like to wear theirs on their sleeves. If we're going to question how Romney's faith would "inform" his presidency, shouldn't we know how Huckabee's Baptist fundamentalism would, or Giuliani's adherence to his Catholicism, or lack thereof? Read more...

You may have heard these words before: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven.”

You may have heard these, too: “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Those are the words of Jesus, of course, right out of the New Testament. But some so-called Christian ministers have turned Christ’s teaching upside-down — and replaced it with their “Prosperity Gospel.” Read more...

Is this a great idea or what? How about John McCain as a third-party candidate?

I mean, here he is, obviously doing everything he can to cater to Christian conservatives so they can resurrect his campaign (and yes, the pun was intentional).

His declaration that the United States is a Christian nation has been construed as the latest pandering to the fundamentalist right that did him in last time.

And now there are rumbles from some of those religious activists that they might abandon the Republicans and establish a third party if Rudy Giuliani or someone else unsuitable becomes the GOP candidate. Read more...

This is a crucial moment in world history; wars are raging, countries are forming and terrorists are plotting. The opportunity to make positive change and bring about good in the world is right at our fingertips. But in order to make a lasting impact, we as a global community need to be united. This is why I was so disappointed in Pope Benedict XVI and the Vatican for releasing a document stating that Roman Catholicism is the only true path to salvation. The document also said that other Christian and Orthodox communities are either defective or not true churches. These actions by the Catholic Church are a big blow to the movement for peace and unity amongst religions and nations. Read more...