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Just Be Yourself
You should do what comes naturally.
When it comes to religion, you do not have to bifurcate your being -- split yourself top to bottom into a religious side and secular side. Stated differently, you do not have to check your religion at the door of the office you seek. But, at the same time, you should not try to talk the talk if you really don't believe it or if you are not comfortable speaking publicly about your spiritual life. Voters can ferret out a fake in a minute.
Throughout the campaign, you have articulated your fundamental religious convictions in public, several times. Repeating your "testimony" over and over smacks of using (or abusing) religion to curry favor with religious constituencies and interjecting religion qua religion gratuitously into the campaign. Spiritual exhibitionism does not advance the commonweal, and it violates the spirit of the No Religion Test Clause in Article VI of the Constitution.
You should focus on the great issues of the day: war, the economy, health care, civil liberties and poverty. And, yes, difficult cultural issues like abortion, gay rights and bioethics, as well. To be sure, to the degree religious convictions naturally inform or bear upon how you address these issues that can and should be a part of the debate. But you should avoid resorting to divisive religious language that would suggest God blesses your position and the other candidate's view is ungodly.
We all, in the Apostle Paul's words, see through a glass darkly. You should include your religious views with humility, respect and restraint without presuming to know the mind of God or claiming God's endorsement.
This goes for your supporters and surrogates, too, all the more.
By
J. Brent Walker
|
August 27, 2008; 7:30 AM ET
| Category:
Religion & Politics
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Posted by: A. L. Allen | August 28, 2008 3:15 PM
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Religion has no place in politics. There is nothing wrong with being Spiritual and the idea that there is some Benevolent All Pervading Intelligence and a connection between all being and that compassion results in the creation of the best future reality for all. But it stops there the rest is mostly Dogma and Fiction.
There is nothing wrong with Spirit being aggressively involved in Politics, in other words giving truth, wisdom and compassion a voice and presence. We need more of this.
And the classic quote from infinite play
"Religion is a creation of man, not God, and is subject to flaws"
Especially in the interpretation
Have you all ever witnessed Church politics? These people are supposed to be representatives for God and Spirit?
This is not to say certain writings are not divinely inspired and are void of spiritual insight and wisdom, but many of the have become tainted by source disconnected ego and organized religion has become an egoic institution to control and subvert, propagators of division, illusion and fiction.
I am sure all the great spiritual teachers are appalled at the commercialization of their work and it’s use in judgment and persecution.
Posted by: Richard Thomas | August 27, 2008 11:31 PM
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Salute The NEW Commander(s) in Chief, 2009+
Posted by: Anonymous | August 27, 2008 6:27 PM
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This is sane and rational - not to mention ethical and legally safe. I have long believed that a major contributing factor to the lack of civility in public speech today is when a large faction decides to dismiss those they disagree with by claiming they are spiritually and / or morally bankrupt.
It's one thing to take pokes at a person's economic philosophy or their societal ideals. But it's quite another when the concluding remark is that the reason the opponent's positions are unacceptable is because that person is one without faith - or does not love God - or is anti-Christian.
Such statements leave no place for the discussion to go. Attacking the spiritual aspect of a person is the lowest form of discourse. Our media outlets should be educated to recognize those remarks as being unacceptable. When such attacks are made, media representatives should hold the attacker's feet to the fire - not blindly repeat them as if they have some intrinsic value in themselves.
Posted by: bbuudd | August 27, 2008 4:48 PM
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The comments to this entry are closed.
Thanks for a very well written and precise piece that if followed by everyone in the political world, would take much of the venom out of religious rhetoric. The real issues in politics are seldom heard over the smoke screen of personal religious bias or dogmatic topics that some would use to trump the tough issues of society's questions. Honesty and Integrity are essential because "Truth is Immortal".
ALA