We Need The Christian Vote in 2006 and 2008
Click on title to listen.
Sorry if this popped into your iPod again. The tail end of the file was missing and I re-uploaded it..
This is a special episode, aimed at Democrats only. It's a 40-minute rant about religion and how we Democrats have to learn how to reach out to the religious. We need to be tolerant and respectful of other people's beliefs, including those of people familiar to us. By that, I mean American Christians. This is no FOX "attack on Christmas" hallucination. It's become en vogue to make fun of Christian beliefs, and even write off whole states like Kansas because it's perceived as too Christian, with people like Bill Maher and George Carlin railing against us as if we're all kool-aide drinking right-wing Bush voters. Well, the day will come when we need Kansas to win an important election. Why anger an entire state and religion against us?
It is just a uncouth, just as rude and bigoted, to make fun of, or look down our noses at, people who believe in the rapture, or even snake handling. Sorry for all those commas. I personally think that snake handling is foolish and even sinful because it directly tests God, almost daring Him to heal you. But I just wouldn't make fun of them handling those snakes on national TV or on radio. It's as wrong as making fun of a person with eastern beliefs in reincarnation and joking that the roach they just stepped on was their mean grandfather. Yeah. Funny. Right? Not!
If we're going to lose this year, it just might be be partially because we threw away, or scared away, millions of votes from people who believe in charity, in health care for the poor, in clothing the naked, people who are largely and openly against George Bush's war. So why do we hand them a might "F-you" every election year? Sure, they are also largely against abortion, but don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. The fact is, the more they vote with us, the safer abortion rights remain, because less Republicans will be in power. So again, what does it benefit us to throw out the mainstream Christians with the pro-lifers? Nothing. It gives us sustained republican power, and depression, higher abortion rates, war, strife, hatred, nationalism and death over the horizon.
You say we're not throwing out the mainstream Christians with the pro-lifers? Well I had something happen to me in 2004 on www.airamericaplace.com that actually made me feel oppressed as a Christian, and it made me wish I had someone to vote for besides Democrats. If the choice weren't so clear between the death dealers in the GOP and Kerry, I wouldn't have voted for Kerry in 2004. I honestly wished I had someone else to vote for! If that can happen with someone at liberal as me, imagine moderate Christians.
Republicans accept Christians even though Christian beliefs are largely against their agenda. Plus the Republicans don't even do anything about abortion after getting their vote. Why can't we take their votes by promising to do more with the homeless and downtrodden? That platform can be packaged to be very appealing to Christians. Christians pay money out of their pockets for programs like these and run them. They won't mind their taxes going for effective programs that save lives.? Are their votes not good enough for us?
It's time to embrace the religious.
posted by Shreveport Dude @ Thursday, March 30, 2006
4 comments
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4 Comments:
You have got to be kidding!! The religious xians of the US are some of the most intolerant and disrespectful people around. And showing religion and religious beliefs tolerance and respect only embolden these imaginary and fabricated storytellers. God is just Santa Claus for adults. If xians want respect and tolereance then they must first give it by keeping their nonsense to themselves and keep it out of the public and political sphere.
You can write things like these and still say that Christians are the ones who are intolerant and disrespectful? In addressing us, you not only reduce our God into Santa Claus, but you call us “imaginary and intolerant storytellers?” I understand the axiom, “to get respect, show respect,” but if you advocate that rule, yet don't predicate it with this type of insulting near hate speech, it's storybook hypocritical.
Let's look at it from the vantage of this conversation: I'm a Christian who respects all religions ans non-religions and sees no problem with any citizen exercising his or her political muscle. You seem to think that when I accepted Jesus, I stopped being a citizen and abdicated my voice.
Looking at it from the judicial perspective, while there are some busy-body Christians trying to make laws that both of us disagree with, there are many more secular laws that both of us disagree with, and Christians do not, I repeat, DO NOT, try to stamp out atheism wherever they see it. The American Atheists and other secular groups do, and I can cite cases. Whether it a cross or menorah in a public square or the very name of the city Zion Illinois, there have been lawsuits trying to erase a religious footprint from the public square. America is supposed to have freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion. If you don't like religion, if it makes your skin crawl, you're in the wrong country. People didn't come here to escape religion. They came here to freely express it.
Sure, you're free not to believe in God, but I'm certain that if I had said what you said, It would have been taken as intolerance. Let's see! I'm going to re-write what you said, changing only the groups used.
You have got to be kidding!! The nonreligious atheists of the US are some of the most intolerant and disrespectful people around. And showing atheists tolerance and respect only embolden these deniers of truth. Atheism is just “whatEVER” or “Nanynanybooboo” for adults. If atheists want respect and tolerance then they must first give it by keeping their nonsense to themselves and keep it out of the public and political sphere.
Sounds much uglier when it's about you. I know that if Pat Robertson said that about any group, your head would explode. And I wouldn't believe you if you said that this wouldn't bother you.
2nd permutation (if you think hate speech is too strong a word)
You have got to be kidding!! The Jews of the US are some of the most intolerant and disrespectful people around. And showing religion and religious beliefs tolerance and respect only embolden these imaginary and fabricated storytellers. God is just Santa Claus for adults. If Jews want respect and tolerance then they must first give it by keeping their nonsense to themselves and keep it out of the public and political sphere.
Can you see the intolerance now? The hatred? If you can't see the hate in that, God help you. If you understand that it's wrong to say that about Jews, but okay for any other group, God help you.
Most importantly, can you see the lost votes because of your post?
I totally agree Jeff.
We can't afford to keep alienating people who are religious, because that makes the left as much bigots as the right.
anonymous - if religious bigots want respect then they should keep their bigotry to themselves.
Otherwise, tolerance and respect for everyone is in order.
Democrats need to use churches as a resource too. That's how the civil rights movement got off the ground in part, and in part how most if not all protest marches get help organizing. They're a resource and I can't figure out why ANYone would reject helpful resources.
Also, Democratic values are a perfect fit for Christianity and some other religions too.
Nevermind those who have hijacked the religions, they are not truely religious people anyway. If people want to keep saying things like God is Santa Claus, then I don't even want their help in winning elections. They should consider following the rule that doctors need to follow "First do no harm!"
Also, "please don't be on my side!" My side respects everyone, including religious people.
So park your disrespect at the door.
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