To misquote one well-known politician, many candidates run on the fear of nothing but fear itself. Just as Hester Prynne's scarlet letter made her into a symbol of public disgrace, politicians are terrified of being labeled with their own loathsome letter: "L" for loser.

We can all think of politicians whose campaigns—in fact whose whole careers—seemed predicated on nothing more than getting elected and not having to bear the ignominy of the L letter. They've got it written all over them: they'll do anything, try anything, be anything as long as they don't lose. Those candidates may win elections, but they can never win hearts.

Ironically, when a race is as tight as the current Democratic primary struggle, the winner is often not the one who wants to win the most. It's the one who is least afraid to lose. That's the candidate who can not only get the most votes, but also get believers.

Continue »

The recent publication of the Landscape Survey of Religion in America revealed a striking finding: Americans are more willing than ever to change religions. According to the report, “44% of adults have either switched religious affiliation, moved from being unaffiliated with any religion to being affiliated with a particular faith or dropped any connection to a specific religious tradition altogether.” In short, religiously, we’re on the move doing what Americans do best: Shopping. And we’re shopping for God.

Ironically, religious leaders should see this as a good sign. Why? Nobody makes the effort to shop for something they don’t want. The data suggest that spiritual hunger is strong among Americans, since somewhere around 90% of us retain some form of spiritual or religious faith. But what’s clear is that we’re not going to accept religion based on the past. It’s got to meet our spiritual needs or we’ll move on.

Continue »

The flare-up over the hateful words of Barack Obama’s minister, Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., dominated the news cycle this weekend. But this is more than a distraction; this is a life-and-death moment for Obama’s campaign. If I’m correct, the future is hanging on how Obama responds to the revelations that his pastor, friend, and spiritual mentor is mean-spirited and divisive. A hidden affinity for a harsh and ruthless preacher may be the one thing that could destroy him.

Hanging in the balance is not just the Obama campaign but also the idealism of the millions he has inspired.

Continue »

As I was reading the newspaper last week, my 10-year-old daughter came home from her 5th grade human development course so proud of what she’d learned: “Penis!” she said with glee, “and vagina! See, Dad. I’m not uptight about saying the body parts like you and Mom!”

At first, I was proud of her precocious announcement—my wife and I have tried to teach our children to be comfortable with their bodies. But then I couldn’t help but notice the irony of the fact that her announcement interrupted my reading about Governor Paterson of New York, his wife, and his predecessor, Governor Spitzer–all struggling with public failings centered on their sex lives.

Our country is repeatedly mesmerized by the sexual misbehavior of our leaders, while at the same time, we’re teaching our children to be comfortable with themselves as sexual beings. We’ve got to be careful not to confuse the two: just because they understand their bodies better doesn’t mean they’ll understand sex any better.

Continue »

There’s something spiritual about Opening Day in baseball. Spring invites a sense of new beginnings. The standings for the home team show no losses. Both committed fans and those with only passing interest in baseball tune in. Everyone gets a fresh start on Opening Day. “When you win the first one,” as Early Wynn noted, “you can’t lose ‘em all.”

When I think of Opening Day, I can’t help but think of my 92-year-old Dad. Born in Maryland in 1915, he grew up in Westminster, Owings Mills, and Baltimore, a child of the land and a child of a deep faith. Right alongside his religion and his family came his love of baseball.

Because his parents moved to New York before the Crash, he became a Yankees fan for a few brief years. The legacy of living in New York was his love of the Murderer’s Row lineup of the ’27 Yankees, which he could recite complete with batting stances, averages, and home runs for each man. “Combs, Koenig, Ruth, Gehrig, Meusel, Lazzeri...” he would announce, “one hell of a lineup!”

Continue »