Religion and Politics

At the end of the day, the similarities were eerie. Both men made the speech because they felt compelled to explain the issues raised by the brand of theology they espoused, against the advice of some campaign staff. Both men wrote the speeches themselves, with little outside help or editing. Both delivered their speeches in sober suits, in front of a bank of American flags, to emphasize their personal patriotism and dedication to country. Both speeches were widely anticipated and widely autopsied, with the Punditocracy of every persuasion weighing in. Both were hailed as having given the speech of their political careers.

Neither one changed a single mind.

Mitt Romney delivered his speech (text HERE) on last Dec. 7th, at the George Bush Presidential Library in Texas. After reminding his listeners that the Constitution precluded any religious test for office, Romney went on to say, "There are some for whom these commitments are not enough. They would prefer it if I would simply distance myself from my religion, say that it is more a tradition than my personal conviction, or disavow one or another of its precepts. That I will not do. I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers - I will be true to them and to my beliefs."

Barack Obama delivered his speech today (text HERE) and chose the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia as a venue. After carefully explaining that he absolutely disagreed with some of the "wrong and divisive" remarks by his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama went on to say, "I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother – a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe. These people are a part of me. And they are a part of America, this country that I love."

Their speeches are a credit to both of them. They are both thoughtful men, with fine principles. The American mainstream knows little of liberation theology or Mormonism, and doesn't really care to - which is why Porcupine is sceptical of the effect of Obama's speech.

Romney's speech on faith was to reassure evangelical voters that he was not a zany cultist, but a sincere and religious man who shares their values. Obama's speech was to reassure the public that he was not an ultra-leftist race warrior, but a sincere and religious man who shares their values. Yet the shades of Joseph Smith and the fire-breathing Jeremaids of Rev. Wright continue to hover over them both.

Religion and politics are a volatile mix in America, with direct and collateral damage. Let us hope that the careers of these good men are not part of the casualty count.

Reaction Run Amok

"I used to laugh and dismiss this talk about how we were — that there was a liberal bias in the mainstream media. But I have to say in the four years I’ve been at Fox, I’ve come to believe that there is a bias.”
Chris Wallace, Interview on Politico.com, Dec. 10, 2007

Porcupine has been laid very low with a variant of the virus which actually closed the Chatham schools, and can do little but fret, make demands, drink liquids and look at the television. Nevertheless, on Sunday, he witnessed the most virulent and frightening display of hate speech he has ever seen on a national news broadcast, made all the more disturbing in that the transgressor was given free rein, and was only mildly contradicted. Of course, he IS a big television editor.

Last Sunday, the McLaughlin Group took up The Speech. On the McLaughlin Group web site, the segment is called 'The Latter-Day Saint'. With his usual gusto, John McLaughlin began the discussion by saying, "Okay, Mitt and Jesus".

MR. ROMNEY: (From videotape.) There is one fundamental question which I'm often asked: What do I believe about Jesus Christ? I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and the savior of mankind.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Question: Does this acceptance of the divinity of Jesus Christ hit the issue of Mormonism head-on?

MR. O'DONNELL: No. There's a big problem. Look, I'm not a Mormon, but I do play one on TV....

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Are you a Christian? (Actually, Porcupine learned from his later interview on Hugh Hewitt that Mr. O'Donnell is a classic lapsed Boston Cafeteria Catholic).

MR. O'DONNELL: -- On Big Love, the HBO series (O'Donnell has a recurring role on the show as a shyster lawyer, taking his scriptwriting skills honed on The West Wing and using them in service of his bigotry), that has been a real headache for Romney. Here’s the problem. He dare not discuss his religion. And he fools people like Pat Buchanan who should know better. This was the worst speech, the worst political speech of my lifetime, because this man stood there and said to you, this is the faith of my fathers. And you, and none of these commentators who liked this speech, realize that the faith of his father is a racist faith. As of 1978, it was an officially racist faith. And for political convenience, in 1978, it switched, and it said okay, black people can be in this Church. He believes, if he believes the faith of his fathers, that black people are black, because in Heaven, they turned away from God. In this demented, Scientology-like notion of what was going on in Heaven before the Creation of the Earth, and the Garden of Eden is in Minnesota....

Pat Buchanan: Are you saying that his Mormonism disqualifies him from being president of the United States?

LO’D: I’m saying he’s got to answer…when he was 30 years old…

PB: He does not have to answer..

LO’D: …and he firmly believed in the faith of his fathers that black people are inferior, when did he change his mind? Did the religion have to tell him to change his mind? And when he talks about the faith of his father, how about the faith of his great-grandfather, who had five wives?

PB: Well, look. My great-grandfather had slaves. And I don’t believe in slavery. (Buchanan also went to to note that Baptist Churches actively condoned slavery, and cited scripture to support for their position, but he was hard to hear under O'Donnell's rant. Eleanor Clift just looked like a deer gazing at headlights, and spoke briefly, only when spoken to.)

Larry O'Donell is the Senior Political Analyst at MSNBC. But his shouting and screaming over others actually frightened and shut up John McLaughlin, no mean feat. How can anyone think that he can cover this race with any kind of objectivity? Imagine for a moment if he began to shout about Joe Lieberman in 2000 that his kind were responsible for the crucifxion of Christ by denying him, and Lieberman would be taking money from the usury of his coreligionists. Would he still be on the air, let alone remain the person who edits the stories of others?

This was no 'off-day' for Larry O'Donnell - he went out of his way to reiterate is views in an interview on the Hugh Hewitt radio show HERE.

Hewitt persistantly asks a question that has also occured to Porcupine. If Romney is reponsible for racism of Mormons, than why isn't Kerry or Kennedy responsible for sexism against women? Why isn't Sen. Clinton responsible for the vote her church took to reaffirm a decision to bar gays from the clergy in 2004? This is O'Donnell's disingenuous response:

HH: Then I assume you are condemning Biden and Leahy and Kennedy and Kerry for being part of a sexist organization which they haven’t condemned?

LO’D: No. They’ve got the same flexible relationship to it that I do. You know Kennedy. You know Teddy’s in favor of abortion rights, he’s for…

HH: Well, no, he hasn’t come out and condemned the Church. We should be demanding they condemn the Church.

LO’D: No, no, no. They all have to live, you know, they live with this very uncomfortable…the Catholic…Democratic liberal politicians who are Catholic, and you know there are many coming out of the Northeast, Italian Irish Catholics, they have an extremely uncomfortable relationship with the Church, and they’re kind of always ducking, because there’s always that possibility that a Cardinal somewhere will call them on the abortion issue, as one did during John Kerry’s run for the presidency, with John Kerry. And you know, there’s a bob and weave that all Catholic politicians who are pro-choice are doing all the time. But that…

HH: But shouldn’t they have to stand up and defend what they believe, and condemn, or at least leave the Church of which they are a part?

LO’D: No, Catholicism, as I told you, is extremely flexible, and the Church doesn’t say you have to leave. Rudy Giuliani doesn’t leave…Rudy Giuliani, there was a time, you know, in Catholicism, in the 50’s, for example, in the kind of pre-divorce explosion in the United States, where if a Catholic got divorced, it was considered automatic excommunication. Now all the guys we’ve mentioned, with the exception of Mario Cuomo, have been divorced. And they continue to consider themselves Catholic. The Catholic Church doesn’t say they’re not Catholic. It’s, you know, there’s a 21st Century version of Catholicism. There’s a late 20th Century version of American Catholicism that allows for all sorts of things that were not allowed, and not believed in the first half of this century, including, by the way, the notion, prior to 1950, that if you weren’t a Catholic, you would not go to Heaven. That was a universal… "

So we non-Catholics were all going to Hell, but O'Donnell is concerned about past racism. But hey - those guys are liberals, so no questions need be asked.

It should be noted that there actually IS no 'late 20th century version' of the Roman Catholic Church, except in the 'flexible' imagination of Larry O'Donell. Oh, and the Chruch is anti-gay, too, but that's 'flexible' as well.

Imus was fired for less, but the punditocracy will continue to protect its own, while claiming that MSNBC and CNN (host of the Debate of the Plants) are bastions of cool headed unbiased reporting.

The Speech

We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion... Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people...Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone."
John Adams, Author of the Massachusetts Constitution

Porcupine's favourite quotes from Mitt Romney's speech on faith:

"When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God. If I am fortunate to become your president, I will serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause, and no one interest. A President must serve only the common cause of the people of the United States."

"There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the constitution. No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes President he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths."

"We separate church and state affairs in this country, and for good reason. No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong....The founders proscribed the establishment of a state religion, but they did not countenance the elimination of religion from the public square. We are a nation 'Under God' and in God, we do indeed trust."

"We should acknowledge the Creator as did the founders – in ceremony and word. He should remain on our currency, in our pledge, in the teaching of our history, and during the holiday season, nativity scenes and menorahs should be welcome in our public places. Our greatness would not long endure without judges who respect the foundation of faith upon which our constitution rests. I will take care to separate the affairs of government from any religion, but I will not separate us from 'the God who gave us liberty.'

"These American values, this great moral heritage, is shared and lived in my religion as it is in yours. I was taught in my home to honor God and love my neighbor. I saw my father march with Martin Luther King. I saw my parents provide compassionate care to others, in personal ways to people nearby, and in just as consequential ways in leading national volunteer movements...My faith is grounded on these truths."

"The diversity of our cultural expression, and the vibrancy of our religious dialogue, has kept America in the forefront of civilized nations even as others regard religious freedom as something to be destroyed. In such a world, we can be deeply thankful that we live in a land where reason and religion are friends and allies in the cause of liberty, joined against the evils and dangers of the day. And you can be certain of this: Any believer in religious freedom, any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me. And so it is for hundreds of millions of our countrymen: we do not insist on a single strain of religion - rather, we welcome our nation's symphony of faith."