http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm

http://www.forumprofi.de/forum10033/

ausyiv jetdgoq rumiqdzov pibl pchixef szhqtcm yszrbtk

ausyiv jetdgoq rumiqdzov pibl pchixef szhqtcm yszrbtk

ausyiv jetdgoq rumiqdzov pibl pchixef szhqtcm yszrbtk

ausyiv jetdgoq rumiqdzov pibl pchixef szhqtcm yszrbtk

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend....

Hum?

The Bible may not say for Christians to stand against abortion, gay marriages, etc., but the Bible at the same time does not say anything against Christians getting involved in the politics or government. What we do find is that in the book of Genesis and Daniel, Joseph and Daniel are elevated to such governmental position of influence. Disliked and despised they learned to make a stance for God, and against what was considered evil.

Christians are not prohibited from influencing the world or governments.

Thank you very much!

m287k

Interesting conflict of statements,

you object to individuals believing God cares about the individual - about little things, like their weight and health, or smoking, but

"So the candidates themselves will choose how they portray the Creator.."

God IS concerned about the egotistical power hungry needs of politicians?

??

The tone of your letter is combatitive assigning catholics to democrats and christian to republican. You are creating a fight, not bringing anyone together. While I'm sure riding on your relatives coattails will get you any where you'd like to go in politics, You are out of touch with regular people. But, then, that would make you a modern day politician wouldn't it? Stick to the relatives coattails and leave God out of it.

The title of the article is Stop Shrinking God but upon further reading I come to the conclusion that the author did not learn much from her uncle John F. Kennedy and her father Robert F. Kennedy either, both lives cut short before reaching their full potential, because she resorts to the same blame game that is now crippling a once United States of America. The new tribalism in politics....brrrr.

The apparent generosity of Democrats is more about power and politics than it has to do with God. Both men must be turning in their grave....because it seems that all their labor was in vain. American History 101.

C.F.:

"Ms. Kennedy should read her Bible if she wants to know what God is burdened with and for the definition He provided of Himself. Christians are suppose to be people of the book not people of individual designer gods. Please read your Bible because this is how God wants to be understood."

Please insert "... this is how I THINK God wants to be understood."

The old overbearing know-all attitude of the "saints". The idea of God is and always has been man-made, but for the sake of honesty you should acknowledge this by inserting "I THINK".

Terra,

I have every respect for your point of view. Just not the ability to understand it.

Here's a little poem I wrote that might be relevant:

LINES TO A DRILL SERGEANT
[(c) 2005 by John Conolley. All rights reserved.]

All poetry is rubbish, so you say.
My first reaction is sympathy.

I say rubbish all religion is,
And you're appalled at all the joy I miss.

Are you a believing man?
Have you a god?
Then you have entry to a world I cannot see.

I have poetry.

John,
I too love the mountains. I moved here to Louisiana a number of years ago...but I have to visit the montains at least once a year. In the fall I will be in West Virginia at Snowshoe mountain with my group.

I agree that there is a pettiness in a god that claims he is a jealous god..what kind of god if petty and jealous? That is not a god, that is a younger sibling.

There is a story about the gods..and Johovah was just the youngest...one day he wanted to follow his older siblings and they would not let him so he created his own people in a garden. The other Gods, the older and more experienced created The Others...I am of the Others. lol.

A Pagan story only. But the elder gods did not worry so much about the petty things..like wearing clothes unless it was cold out, or the man always having to be obeyed, or keeping people ignorant, or sex...not like the younger brother who was always getting into trouble...he wanted his people to always obey him. He liked to be bossy. But the elder gods let him be, they figured he would learn and so would his people...eventually.

You are seperating god from creation. To many Pagans each thing born has the DNA of the parent..the DNA of the Creator. Each thing has the spark (and only a spark, it is not Divine) of the divine within...that is spirit. So all things are part of the divine that created it. There is no containment, unless it is at the end of all universes and my mind can not deal with that...and when I see a mountain or an ant, I see the bit of the gods. We are a web of life... the same things the stars are made of, make us.

It is a matter of perspective, and how we see life, death and the universe. The Christians and so many others see things in a linear way,we do not. So we are not so much into limits...or fake morality. Too many will walk over a poor person that is hungry, to shove signs in a poor woman's face about abortion. This is linear thinking.

You need to read about the gods...not the classical Greek Ones..But start in the middle east, the place we now call Iraq...Mesopotamia...go to Crete; that never had a word for war...look into what things mean from the ancient religions. The Greek gods started some where else, as did the Celtic gods and the Heathen gods of the north...
I recommend When God was a Woman by Merlin Stone.

Most Pagans see nature as part of the Gods...it is the manifestation of the gods. We just do not see our gods as small or something you can put in a box...it is like the air you breath or fire or the oceans... they are one with our Gods. Part of each other..part of us.

Petty, no. Never...contained? only to what we view as what the gods are.

Terra,

Thanks for your reply. It's a difference of perspective. When I look at the sky, the ocean, or my beloved mountains (how I miss them), I'm content with what I see. I don't feel a need to go looking for something bigger to contain them. I'm pleased to let them contain me. I'd be curious why that isn't enough for you.

And everything I've heard or read about gods (which is a lot; you'd be amazed) seemed either petty or nebulous. "My name is Jealous and you shall have no other gods before me," seems pretty small compared to a mountain. And what could be more nebulous than the matter in interstellar space? Give me a West Virginia hillside any time.

John,

Sorry I did not reply to your comment.

When you see God as all there is...that God fills the universes and all life, then God is pretty darn big. They now know that the vaccume of space is not a vaccume, that it is filled with a matter that is energy...there is no vaccume that is not filled with something...I call that Godhood.

But then I do not see God/dess as a old white man with a judgeing book, magic marker and a grimmace.

So God is the sky, the oceans, the mountains, each grain of sand and each kitten, puppy, deer, lion, child and elder...God to me does not fit in the box...S/He is the box...and what is in it. That is why it matters how we treat the planet and each other.

But then I am an old Pagan...and all life is filled with the presence of the divine.

Blessed are ye within this Circle
Cleanse thy heart and mind
See the Divine in Nature
And the Nature of the Divine

Could we also ask for the embargo on Cuba to be lifted too? I wanna smoke a decent Cuban! Haven't had one in over 4 years cause of that!

oh kate dear all that religious stuff is pure nonsense its mostly a scam run by homophobic moneygrabbing priest/mulahs/ministers/rabbis its all hokus pokus lets forget about all that bs and get back to reality! religion is the problem and NOT the answer!
god/jesus she just doesnt exist! ok but if she can bring back our greatest prez ever (jfk) your uncle, i might reconsider!!

E Favorite,

Good to see you again!

Regarding the other forum, you have stumped me!

Sorry, I was errant in responding in a timely manner. I hope you know I did not mean to snub the question.

On matters of faith such as that, I would definitely have to go to my priest.

Peace,

Danny B.

Franco,

Yes, that is indeed where we part ways.

As a Catholic, I was taught (and believe) that Jesus made Peter the first Pope, and that the Catholic church is the very church he himself founded.

Evidence of this is found in scripture:

Matthew 16:18: And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Non-Catholics will disagree with me. That is not only their right in this country, it is a right that I value as much as my own faith. I would never presume that they are spirtually lost, nor would I assert that they are "just plain wrong".

To assert that scripture is not subjective is where we part ways, not because one of us is not Christian, but because one of is unable to focus on our likenesses rather than judge based on our differences.

My faith does guide my vote, but more in the way Ms. Kennedy describes. I cast my vote based on who can help ensure that we all are treated as equals, that no one is denied the freedom to earn a fair and living wage, that an unpopular minority does not suffer at the hands of a bullying majority, that we lead the world by example.

If I cannot find a way to live in peace with my neighbor, despite our differences of faith, I am not being true to what I claim to believe. I believe in Christ's message that I should love my neighbor without judgement. In not judging, I cast my votes accordingly. If the only reason I am casting my vote is because of a line of scripture, I am also humble enough to realize that I have not done my homework the way our Christian founding fathers would have.

Insults and scripture are not a viewpoint, nor an original opinion.

The notion most atheists have of God, of course, is that he is not there, period. Apparently, to atheists, all Chrisitans and those that lived prior to Christ, all these millenia, have been duped into some sort of belief that somehow never goes away. Those in the family of man who believe there is a God, for one reason (among many) believe so because they realize they are an amazing creation. They see how all the physical wheels and cogs within us can work in perfect harmony, just as something we might create ourselves, on a smaller scale, can also do. The inherent disdain some atheists show to Christians is partially due to the fact that they cannot sway the majority, yea verily even a small percentage, of believers. The creator God did not leave the world alone after 'doing His work'. His creation has rejected His authority and purpose since Eden. Lets put the blame on the ones set this in motion, not the Creator. If you have lost your job, or see a storm approaching, a prayerful relationship with God has availed much for many. Sadly, overall there are few in this world who really believe this. As for Aunt Mary's cancer, most will admit we have brought it all (diseases, etc) upon ourselves. And yes, it is true that it is very hard to lose a loved one. But, if one really knows God and studies deep into scripture, commentaries, etc...we see a loving God who will step in at the time He appoints, and also resurrect those who have not really known Him, and give the same an opportunity to do so, or to even still reject Him when given a chance to know Him. So, Aunt Mary will be back with her loved ones, and will most likely chose life..a life that God will provide in His kingdom when the time comes for Him to save mankind from himself. With all the headlines and sorrows in the world, atheists, there is hope.

Got news for you Franco,

The two political parties have the same God, just they look at Him in different lights.

That is the way it has always been with this, hasn't it? Interpretation. You'll look at it one way and I'll see it another way. Respect the opinion and keep your snide comments to yourself.

Danny b: Nothing subjective about scripture. If you think that sin is subjective, then we part comapny here. Moreover, Kennedy believes that her Democratic God is superior to the Rebublican God. What a crock!

The notion most people have of God is that he is there to listen to all your petty requests. If there is a God -- and that is doubtful -- he is a creator God who left the world alone after doing his work. He doesn't care about your lost job, about Aunt Mary's cancer, about surviving a storm, etc. Grow up Christians!

Ms. Kennedy should read her Bible if she wants to know what God is burdened with and for the definition He provided of Himself. Christians are suppose to be people of the book not people of individual designer gods. Please read your Bible because this is how God wants to be understood.

Sorry John for the horrible sentence structure.

To some of you others..is there a reason that everyone goes back to your book to make a point to those that do not believe in the Book, or at least not the way you all translate it?

What if you all trample on others? Preach hate and discrimination and then discover it was all mistranslated?

I know of a little girl that was harrassed into suicide over a mistranslation of the bible. She was 12 years old and the sweet, and godly children of her school harrassed her for years, why? because she was Pagan. Her name was Tempest Smith...she hung herself leaving a diary and a griefing Mother. In her diary was...why am I alone? Why do they hate me?

She was ganged up on in the hall ways...Suffer not a Witch to live.. the kids would call her...God hates you. Then they would surround her singing hymns..no one played with her, no one sat with her at lunch...Suffer not a Witch to live, which really is...Suffer not a person to live that uses hebs to harm. In other words a poisoner. IOt has nothing to do with the Witch. How could it? Witch is an english word that comes from the Anglo Saxon word Wicca..pronounced Wit-cha.

But millions of men amd women were tortured and killed in the most horrible ways over this bad translation.

Tempest was 12 years old and hung herself with a pretty print scarf. A pretty child with blue serious eyes and a blond ponytail.

So keep your bible to yourself..it will say what you want it to..hate or love it's your choice.

Kathy
I'm sorry to hear that your heritage hasn't provided you with a better understanding, a stronger faith, and a firmer hope that God can actually heal you personally. Have you ever heard of the bible story of the woman who was found in the very act of adultery and was bullied by a mob of hateful men who wanted to stone her? Jesus treated her very kindly, challenged the mobsters' morality, and then frankly forgave her for her sin. He did call it a "sin", but he forgave her and told her to "sin no more". He took the time to heal this individual because he loved her personally. Not because he knew the story would be written in a book which would then eventually change the world.

Who is shrinking God? The one who says He does, or the one who says He doesn't have time for the individual?

If the only place you go to learn religion is the political debate then I can see why you might have a warped perception of who God is, Republican or Democrat.

OK, the above post was supposed to contain this quote from Terra Gazelle:

"How could anyone look at the sky and the ocean and not see a creator that no human mind can encompass?"

Terra Gazelle:

>

When I look at the sky and the ocean, any god I've ever heard of looks pretty small.

"[I]f we cannot fix ourselves individually (through God's leadership), how can we expect to fix the rest of the world?"

Or, in the words of the philosopher Brother Dave Gardner, "If you think the world is wrong, you just right your ownself."

Hi, Danny B -- I hope you go over to the Pagels "guest voices" thread and answer my most recent question.

Mayan elephant - between the two of us, I think we've made an excellent point.

Franco, Franco, Franco...

Start with an insult, then straight to subjective scripture to make your point. Then a pat on the back to Bobster who so, as you say, eloquently stated:

--But then your middle name is Kennedy--

No, Ms. Townsend's maiden name is Kennedy. But, also more importantly said:

--When politicians and people finally realize that no-one has the right to use God and or religion to manipulate people I think that we all will be able to think and speak with a little more freedom and less fear from being different in our beliefs.--

This is pretty close to the point of Kathleen's article.

Kathleen said:

--The young President asked that we take on “tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself . . . for God’s work must truly be our own.” He called on faith in a God that sees the sweep of struggles that beset human kind and is unafraid to deal with them.--

This was a politician who could see the God we all share, and how we as a sceular society can be cohesive despite religious differences.

That's the kind of Christian-American I would like to be.

I, for one, will not waste my precious vote by missing the forest for the trees. I won't waste it by picking peanuts out of poop. I will not be pulled away from greater issues by political smoke screens and wedge issues. I try at all times to be so fully informed so as not to fall for those political tricks, regardless of the party.

Hey Kathleen,

Stop setting up this false polemic between those who care about the poor vs those who only care about sexual morality. The fact is conservative Christians give millions of dollars and minister to millions of people every day.

1. The Catholic Church has consistently held an anti-abortion message. It is you, Madam who are hyperventilating and challenging the issue.

2. The Catholic Church has held a consistent view on artificial contraception. (in fact every church did until 1930) it is Ms. Townsend who has made it her obsession that the Church should change.

3. The Church has a pastoral responsibility to its members to oppose contraception. That is not an obsession.

4. Gay marriage denies children mothers or fathers and underminds the functions of motherhood and fatherhood. It is a lie in the name of equality.

Ms. Townsend needs to grow up and be a good Catholic or get lost.

It seems to be popular now to have a god that just belongs to "certain" people. How dare those "Others" have a connection to god...after all it has to be a false god, after all mine preached that those "others" are evillll.

My book says it like it is...their sacred beliefs are Wrooonnggg! My god made all things...except for those "others" of course, because my book says they are evviiilll.

-----------
Why do those who scream god's name the most make Him/Her the smallest? They make the creator of all Universes fit into a small and petty box. They have taken the life we have been given as a blessing and made it a burden for so many.

How could anyone look at the sky and the ocean and not see a creator that no human mind can encompass? Those who make the life force behind all things jealous and narrow and mean spirited, see only their reflection when they seek for God.

I do not think that the Creator, creates garbage.There is no sin in being who you were created to be. Being true to that Godhood in you and seeing it in others is what I think we are here for.

May be those who worry about other's sexual habits need to get one of their own.

Try to be nice... try to be nice...

Ms. Kennedy Townsend probably displays the WORST understanding of Catholicism I have ever seen. She should apologize and go to confession, then when she is done, take a crash course in being a Catholic.

UGggg!!! this is terrible!!!!

Enough, PLEASE DELIVER ME FROM IDIOTIC POP PSEUDO- CATHOLICISM!!

Mayan's Blasphemy!!

My Goodness!! "A global and diverse God who would serve ALL people, despite religious differences."

You mean not just Christians?!!??
You mean even people who are Gay?!
You mean Muslims and Buddhists, who don't even believe in the same God "we" do?

What next?
This would be the end of civilization as we know it.

E Favorite,

Well said. Excuse my poor vocabulary and weak communication skills.

I too tend to favor humanity over a specific God. Though for those that find value in a God, humanity is better served, or as you say it, humanity serves, when that God is inclusive.

Mayan Elephant --

May I suggest that "a Global and diverse God that would serve all people, despite religious differences" is not a god at all, but is humanity at its best.

Ms Townsend:

Thank you very very much for your comments. I recently had the opportunity to care for a dear friend who is very ill in the later stages of his life. He worked very closely with your uncle and his immediate family while they were in Washington. He maintained contact with your extended family and speaks very highly of them. During my friend's extended hospital visit he spoke often of his years with the Kennedy family. Also, we spoke much about religion and God.

I agree with you that God has been co-opted and tranformed. This new and improved God fails to serve all people when His intentions are translated into black and white, all or nothing proposals. My friend and I are from very different religious backgrounds, and as I sit and visit with him I can't help but appreciate the value of believing in a Global and diverse God that would serve all people, despite religious differences.

Thanks for your comments.

Ms. Kennedy Townsend,

Please remember this, he who is faithful with little things will be faithful with much. If someone can not be faithful with little things, how can we trust them with much. Personal morality is where most people live, because they do not live in the oxygen starved stratosphere of the Kennedyesque inheritors. However, if those of us down here in the lowlands know that you power-bred care about the little moral things in your personal life, it reassures us that you won't forget about our little lives as also being moral. When you act like the little moral things don't matter, we begin to wonder at what point you will forget little moral things like me.

The best way to handle all this is to keep god and religion out of politics and in the homes and churches where it will not be debated. we can still have christmas and hannuka, ramadan and the rest of man's celebrations without the fight that politics brings. I lost it all when god became a republican. Every night on the TV talk shows I listen to theocrats espouse how this country was a theacracy before secular progressives ruined it. Now even democrats are getting religion. I won't vote for any candidate that talks of his or her beliefs. Mitt Romney says it doesn't matter what faith a candidate has as long as that candidate is a man of faith. Did he not hear the bigotry in his statement. He lost me. I fear for this country's religious freedom. It is slowing being attacked and will die at the feet of the religious group that has the most money.

Bill Richardson does sound like a good choice, but I just can't bring myself to support anyone who will help promote or defend abortion. My children were both born premature; one at 27 weeks, and one at 25 weeks. Neither of them had medical or developmental problems. People are aborting babies at this stage. Women need to know that they have a BABY inside them, not a blob of cells.

I respectfully disagree with Ms. Townsend. If we cannot humble ourselves enough to ask God to forgive us and for wisdom in dealing with our own personal sins, how can we ask God to help us with our national and even global problems? In other words, if we cannot fix ourselves individually (through God's leadership), how can we expect to fix the rest of the world?

Anonymous wrote:
"And who would be a better Democrat choice than Obama?"

If you want to talk qualifications, then I would take Bill Richardson over Obama or Hillary or many of the others.

Anon - Obama is speaking for himself - not his party -- Notice that he chastises his party.

I think his line about “walking down the aisle” at the UCC church is shameless. He makes it sound like he's answering a fundamentalist church "altar call" to accept Jesus as his savior, when in fact he was going to get baptized -as an adult - because neither his parents nor grandparents had raised him in any religion and (my interpretation) he thought he better get religion if he planned to run for public office. Too bad, because he obviously turned out all right without religion and the UCC is probably the most liberal Christian group there is. They actively welcome gays. Wait til THAT comes out! He goes on to say, on page 226 in his newest book “The Audacity of Hope” --“I’m not sure what happens when we die, any more than I am sure of where the soul resides or what existed before the Big Bang.” Doesn’t sound terribly “Christian” to me. Wait til THAT comes out.

It is a shame that political candidates feel they have to profess their “faith” in order to be taken seriously. I’m hoping that at some point in the campaign, Obama will be prompted to stand up for non-theistic Americans (like his dear Mom and grandparents) with his usual eloquence and sincerity.

PS – Pete Stark, Democratic congressman from California is the first member of Congress to “come out” as a non-theist. He’s in his 18th term, a Unitarian and he represents Berkley, but it’s a start!

And who would be a better Democrat choice than Obama? Certainly not Hillary, who changes her religious and ethnic background as often as her hairstyles...

Sorry, I couldn't help myself with that one! :)

I'm really not that catty!

Bobster, eloquently said!

Ms. Townsend,

Your article about the "right god" makes me remember why I don't get involved with politicians and or politics anymore. Its humorous how politicians have a God for each party. I could not help but notice how your Democratic God is better than the Republican God. But then your middle name is Kennedy. Is there a connection you think? You are carrying on a grand old tradition of politicians from both parties: using religion and God as tools to pit people against each other. When politicians and people finally realize that no-one has the right to use God and or religion to manipulate people I think that we all will be able to think and speak with a little more freedom and less fear from being different in our beliefs.

Anonymous quotes Obama."

You've pointed out THE reason that I won't support Obama at this point. Shameless pandering...or worse, he actually believes what he' saying!

E Favorite, I beg to differ. Here are some recent quotes from Barack Obama, just BEFORE he announced he was running for president:

"Sen. Barack Obama chastised fellow Democrats on Wednesday for failing to "acknowledge the power of faith in the lives of the American people.""

"It is doubtful that children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance feel oppressed or brainwashed as a consequence of muttering the phrase `under God,'" he said.

"Kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side of Chicago, I felt I heard God's spirit beckoning me," he said of his walk down the aisle of the Trinity United Church of Christ. "I submitted myself to his will and dedicated myself to discovering his truth."

"Secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering the public square."

As a result, "I think we make a mistake when we fail to acknowledge the power of faith in the lives of the American people and join a serious debate about how to reconcile faith with our modern, pluralistic democracy."

Ms townsend: What a blow hard! Even in this religious discourse you cannot refrain from taking a shot at the republican party. God is a personal God. You only have to read the David's Psalms to understand how personal he is.

Bitter obsession of sexual pratices? What part of sin do you not understand? The Bible condems homosexuality. it is clear throughout Scripture. And I would not use your uncle JFK as a paragon of virtue! I think you understand, right?

Anon --

Unlike today's Republican party, the Democrats do not espouse a set of religious beliefs.

Democrats understand they they are not a relgion. They are a political party. As such, they espouse a set of political beliefs.

"But it becomes a religious issue when a person will not support it because of their religious background."

I'm saying that some people can view such issues as religious issues, based on their own beliefs. But that doesn't mean the issues are inherently religious ones. And it certainly doesn't mean that we should use any particular religion's doctrines to decide such issues.

Tonio wrote:

"The other two issues involve valid concerns about human life, but again, that's not necessarily a religious issue."

But it becomes a religious issue when a person will not support it because of their religious background. If you ask someone if they support abortion, and they say that they don't, and when you ask them why not they tell you that it's because of what their religion has taught them, then it is a religious issue.

There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future.Let them come to Berlin.
Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect,but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in.
Freedom is indivisible,and when one man is enslaved,all are not free.
President John Kennedy,June 26,1963.

Many thanks your uncle and your family for what they did for world peace.

"People are constantly talking about the Republicans pushing their religious beliefs into politics; the Democrats are doing the same thing."

Anonymous, I don't belong to either party and I disagree with your statement. One's opinion about abortion or embryonic stem cell research or homosexuality doesn't have to have a religious basis. Simply advocating a particular stance on any of these issues doesn't equate to pushing religious beliefs into politics.

Besides, I would separate homosexuality from the other issues, because it isn't up to Christians or any other believers to decide whether people should be straight or gay. The other two issues involve valid concerns about human life, but again, that's not necessarily a religious issue.

Anonymous wrote:
"The problem for Christians is that a Christian who favors Democratic politics over Republican politics, and who because of their religious beliefs happens to be against abortion, or stem-cell research, or gay "rights", wouldn't dare vote for a Democrat. The political agenda that the Democrats support directly affects these Christians' religious beliefs. People are constantly talking about the Republicans pushing their religious beliefs into politics; the Democrats are doing the same thing."

There was a time when being a divorcée was the kiss of death for a politician. Republic Ronald Reagan - our only president to have ever been divorced - apparently put that one to sleep, at least among religious Republics.

In fact, when surveying the current crop of Republic presidential hopefuls, one could easily assume that having multiple divorces in one's history is now a litmus test for running as a Republic presidential candidate, more important than even one's religious beliefs (the Catholic Giuliani and Romney the Mormon, for example) or a Republic candidate's past stands on issues like gay marriage and abortion (see: Giuliani, Romney, McCain - all have flip-flopped on their past "liberal" stands on these issues).

Apparently, Christians "who happen to be against abortion, or stem-cell research, or gay "rights", wouldn't dare vote for a Democrat," but they have no problem whatsoever ignoring those issues when their hallowed Republic candidates hold or have held the same liberal positions as the Democratic candidates. In other words, they'll vote for a Republic candidate who was "for gay marriage before he was against it," before they'll vote for a Democratic candidate who was always against it.

I don't think it's a matter of ignorance. I think it's a matter of transparent hypocrisy, a hypocrisy that has been fueled by brainwashing, a lack of critical thinking and, worse, a sense of moral relativism that has a political - rather than a religious - basis.

The problem for Christians is that a Christian who favors Democratic politics over Republican politics, and who because of their religious beliefs happens to be against abortion, or stem-cell research, or gay "rights", wouldn't dare vote for a Democrat. The political agenda that the Democrats support directly affects these Christians' religious beliefs. People are constantly talking about the Republicans pushing their religious beliefs into politics; the Democrats are doing the same thing.

I must first thank your family for their service and sacrifice for this country.

Could it be that religions have relegated themselves to the "gaps of the small issues" of gay marriage and sexual obsession for the simple reason that that is all they have left? Perhaps this marginalization is a natural by-product of man's advances in the sciences, in archaeology and in our understanding of the human psyche. Perhaps religion's long history of being a part of the problem, rather than the solution, is finally catching up with it. I hope no one is looking to god to fix global warming or to solve the problems of the Middle East. Clearly, these are problems that will be solved through human endeavor, not through divine intervention.

Were your father alive today, I would like to think he'd title his article, "Suppose God...Isn't."