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Obama, Religion & the Press April 30, 2007 Print E-mail
Tuesday, 01 May 2007
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obama.jpgDID YOU SEE TODAY'S NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE ABOUT BRACK OBAMA'S RELIGIOUS CONVERSION AND HIS RELATIONSHIP TO HIS PASTOR REV WRIGHT?
IT FEATURED A PHOTOGRAPH OF OBAMA PREACHING FROM A PULPIT OF A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. I AM A LIBERAL BUT IT SEEMS TO M THERE IS A DOUBLE STANDARD IN THE COVERAGE BY THE PRESS OF THE RELIGIOSITY OF POLITCAL FIGURES. IF A CONSERVATIVE RELIGIOUS POLITICIAN USED RELIGIOUS LANGUAGE (GIVING ALL PRAISE AND HONOR TO GOD) AND COMPARED HIMSELF TO BIBLICAL CHARACTERS (JOSHUA) THE PRESS WOULD FREAK OUT BUT HERE IT IS SUCH A NICE STORY. MOREOVER WHEN A CONSERVATIVE POLITICIAN USES RELIGIOUS LANGUAGE TO TALK ABOUT ABORTION, STEM CELL RESEARCH, OR SAME SEX-MARRIAGE THE PRESS IMMEDIATELY CRIES THAT CONSERVATIVE RELIGIOUS PEOPLE WANT TO TURN AMERICA INTO A THEOCRACY AND TAKE AWAY OUR RIGHTS. BUT WHEN REV. WRIGHT, OBAMA'S PASTOR, USES RELIGIOUS LANGUAGE TO SUPPORT A CRITIQUE OF THE IRAQ WAR OR TO CLAIM ZIONISM IS RACISM SOMEHOW IT IS OKAY THAT THE POLITICAL LEADER JUST DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM HIS MENTOR. . THIS IS REALLY INAPPROPRIATE AND SHOWS THAT THE LIBERAL PRESS IS NOT SIMPLY SUSPECT OF RELIGION BUT OF SPECIFICALLY TRADITIONAL RELIGION. THIS IN SOME WAYS IS EVEN WORSE THAN JUST NOT LIKING RELIGION IN GENERAL BECAUSE IT IS DUPLICITOUS.

THE EASY THING TO DO , WHICH I AM SURE MANY RIGHT WING IDEOLOGUES WILL DO IS JUST YELL DOUBLE STANDARD AND OBAMA WILL WIND UP DISTANCING HIMSELF FAR MORE SERIOUSLY FROM REV. WRIGHT AND PROBABLY USING RELGIOUS LANGUAGE A LITTLE LESS OVERTLY RELIGIOUS LANGUAGE. THAT WOULD BE A REAL SHAME AS THE COMMEN SENSE TRUTH HERE IS THAT OBAMA IS A GENUINELY RELIGIOUS PERSON (UNLIKE SOME POLITICIANS , ON THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT, WHO ARE SIMPLY TROTTING OUT FAITH BECAUSE IT IS POLITICALLY OPPORTUNE).

OBVIOUSLY OBAMA DOES NOT WANT THE U.S. TO BECOME A THEOCRACY BUT NEITHER DO THE VAST MAJORITY OF TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY WHO ARE CONSTANTLY MALIGNED . THIS IS A MOMENT IN WHICH WE CAN RECOGNIZE THAT, WHETHER ON THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT, WE SHOULD BE ALLOWED AND EVEN ENCOURAGED TO EXPRESS OUR RELIGIOUS VALUES IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE - THIS FREEDOM IS ONE OF THE QUALITIES THAT MAKES AMERICA A GREAT PLACE AND ENRICHES THE PUBLIC CONVERSATION.

WOULDN'T IT BE WONDERFUL IF THE TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS CRITICS ON THE RIGHT COULD SOMEHOW USE THIS, NOT TO GET THE LIBERAL PRESS TO SIMPLY ATTACK OBAMA IN THE SAME WAY THE PRESS ATTACKS TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS PEOPLE, BUT RATHER POINT OUT TO THE LIBERAL PRESS THAT MANY MANY AMERICANS WANT AND ARE NOT AFRAID OF A RECOVERY OF RELIGIOUS VALUES AND LANGUAGE AND THAT AMERICANS ARE PLENTY SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POLITICAL LEADERS WHO GENUINELY SHARE THEIR FAITH AND VALUES - BRINGING ALL OF WHO THEY ARE TO THE PUBLIC SQUARE TO ENRICH THIS COUNTRY - AND POLITICAL LEADERS WHO WANT TO USE THEIR RELIGION TO COERCE OTHER PEOPLE OR WHO SIMPLY USE THEIR RELIGION FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES.

SIMPLY PUT I THINK WE NEED TO: A) CRITICIZE THE LIBERAL PRESS FOR NOT QUESTIONING OBAMA FOR WHAT THEY GO CRAZY ABOUT WHEN THEY HEAR IT FROM A CONSERVATIVE RELIGIOUS PERSON, B) ENCOURAGE THE PRESS TO NOW SHOW THE SAME RESPECT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE TRADITIONAL OR RELIGIOUSLY CONSERVATIVE AND NOT ASSUME THAT THEY ARE ALL CRAZY PEOPLE TRYING TO MAKE AMERICA A THEOCRACY.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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