so Wallis writes an op-ed
here, and here are some of the comments.
very interesting:
[q]rich kolker:
There is no religious test for office (that's in the Constitution) so why to candidates feel obligated to stray from the secular?
I don't care about a candidate's religion (or lack thereof). I care about their views on the Constitution, and on governing the nation and directing its role in the world.
Posted June 6, 2007 1:01 PM
Gaby:
Mr. Wallis wrote: "That broader conversation, with both sides participating fully, will better for the country, for politics, and for the faith community."
I take that to mean the Christian and possibly the Muslim faith community.
Where does that leave the rest of Americans who do not belong to any of those mainstream faith.
I am with RICH KOLKER who says: "I don't care about a candidate's religion (or lack thereof). I care about their views on the Constitution, and on governing the nation and directing its role in the world."
Posted June 6, 2007 1:44 PM
Corinne:
I agree also. Monday night's "forum" violates Article VI, section 3, of the Constitution that states: ..."no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."
What we saw on Monday night were three Democratic candidates participating in a forum they had no choice but to attend. Furthermore, the forum was not solely for a religious-leaning audience *but a nationally televised audience.* They were being asked to demonstrate their religion for audience approval.
I find this offensive and demeaning.
Why would you think it was a good idea to pressure candidates to appear for what is really a religious examination at an event organized by religious leaders?
I only wish one of the candidates had the backbone to tell you "no."
Posted June 6, 2007 4:20 PM
Bob:
Manipulating voters who vote based on religious biggotry is an American tradition. This is how broad power bases on built. Lie by lie. The democrats are simply manipulating the simple minded just like the republicans do. What percent of elected officials, do you think, are actually atheists who lie about their beliefs?
Analysts say a candidate who doesn't pander to one religious belief in god or another (except Islam and Mormonism of course) and says so, could never be elected to high office.
We all know from polls and experience that the most demographically intelligent people on the planet could not believe in god, or belong to any religion, and they don't hestitate to say so honestly.
So, one conclusion we can draw from this current hypocrical political climate is that the most intelligent and most honest Americans among us are not suitable for election to high office in the U.S. today.
Perhaps this accounts, in no small part, for the current state of the nation?
Thank you!
Bob
Posted June 6, 2007 8:30 PM
E favorite:
Mr Wallis - the candidates' responses about faith took them off the stump speeches, all right, because they usually have enough good sense and personal pride not to discuss that subject publicly.
What you and they and CNN did was comtemptible. And the fact that you, unlike the other participants, were absolutely beaming during the show makes it even worse. Was this your moment in the sun? Getting the Democratic front runners to make asses of themselves responding to inane, superficial questions about their personal faith?
Posted June 7, 2007 8:08 AM
Leo :
Why do the Faithful use the term FAITH, when they really mean ignorance and fear made me do it. The dismal failure of the Abrahamic cults to have any coherence or intellectual validity in their "books" of God leads to the clear understanding that there is no "truth" in these books! At best they are incoherent historical rememberances selected to promote the exploitation of cult members; at worse they are lies and distortions of those rememberances to trap and exploit gullible fools desperate for meaning in their miserable lives. Christianity is the worse of the lot, celebrating the torture and murder of their GOD as some sort of human sacifice to God complete with canibalistic rituals to eat the body and the blood of their victim to enhance their acceptability to sit at the feet of their God for eternity in blissful servitude...what a bunch of nonsense. The Jewish BIBLE is an endless list of the people of GOD failed in their basic duty to that God with bloody retributions of the people. On a good day, the Jewish God is helping the PEOPLE have a bloody genocide of neighbors complete with the slaughter of every man, woman, child, goat, sheep, and dog! Ah, the virtues of this GOD are difficult to percieve! I seem to have missed what the reward is for being a good Jew; don't seem to recall any virgins, wine, or other goodies for good behavior; maybe that is why the Jews seem to fail their God so often and so quickly!
Posted June 7, 2007 11:55 AM
BGone:
Jesus said to the rich man, "sell all your earthly posessions and give to the poor."
What Christian ministers, Jesus' representatives are doing is squeezing every nickle they can out of the poor. Since FDR, the conservatives have been trying to remove any government help for the poor while religion has continued establishing the kingdom of God. Obviously that's not Jesus God.
They're just imitating Moses.
http://www.hoax-buster.org/sellyoursoul The big money goes to those who lead the multitudes to hell. The creature in the ball of fire Moses made the deal with was God wasn't it? Certainly wasn't almighty, the Israelites still haven't made it to Canan and not even close to the land of the Hittites, modern day Trukey.
Posted June 7, 2007 12:25 PM
yo-yo:
Watching the religious fiasco on CNN was a new low for American politics...it sickened me.
To demand that politicians believe in the tooth fairy is very very troubling.And to see them all lined up trying to be holier than the next guy was grotesque,even frightening. Does American politics need to be dumbed down to this dreadful level?
Its like we are back in the middle ages.
I've posted the words of Einstein elswhere,but they are worth repeating;
"I cannot conceive of a God who rewards and punishes his creatures,or has a will of the type of which we are conscious of in ourselves.An individual who survives his physical death is also beyond my comprehension,nor do I wish it otherwise;such notions are for the fears or absurd
egoism of feeble souls".
Albert Einstein.
"The World as I See It".
If Einstein can't conceive of a guy in the sky how come politicians can?
If Einstein cannot believe in life after death how come politicians can?
It's the absurd egos and the feeble souls,not to mention unrestrained ambition.They'll believe whatever it takes to win an election.
In an America dumbed down by religion, the politicians have to dumb down too,to get the votes[/q]