February 3, 2006--Fanaticisms XX--Pharisees
The headline could just have well have read, “Democrats Wrap Themselves in Jesus” for the NY Times article about how Democrats all over the South and beyond are getting behind legislation to support Bible study in the public schools (see link to article below).
After the 2004 election, Democrats came to believe that they got trounced because George Bush and the Republicans did a better job of mobilizing Christian Evangelicals and exploiting hot cultural/family values issues such as gay marriage and prayer in schools. Thus, to avoid making that same mistake in 2006 and 2008, Democrats have become “comfortable” talking about God and faith and their own religious beliefs and practices. Even John Kerry during the waning days of his waning campaign began to show up at church more publicly despite a number of Catholic Bishops speaking openly about not allowing him to take Communion because of his support for abortion.
The Times piece is about Democrat state senators in Georgia and Alabama introducing legislation that would authorize public schools to teach courses using the textbook, The Bible and Its Influence, which was produced by a non-partisan conservative Christian group called the Bible Literacy Project. To quote one of the senators, “We are not going to give away the South anymore because we are unwilling to talk about our faith.” Talking about faith seems like a very different thing than teaching the Bible in public schools, especially since the content of the course they are promoting is ultimately more New than Old Testament and therefore decidedly Christian. Our faith indeed.
As you might imagine, Republicans are up in arms. I do not blame them and, in fact, actually agree with them.
They call these Democrats “Pharisees,” a term they apply to liberals who exploit religion (and they should know exploiting when they see it). They recall with horror how effective Bill Clinton was when he co-opted Republican issues such as welfare reform. But they also point out that what the Democrats are up to is pandering to people, using their deepest beliefs as a cynical political tool.
If you want a glimpse of the pandering and the cynicism, take a look at what Democrat Party Chairman Howard Dean had to say—in promising that they will do a better job of talking to the public about values--“I think teaching the Bible as literature is a good thing.” Ignoring, of course, that we’re not talking literature here.
We’re talking about Democrats attempting to out-conservative conservatives, who are on the move in the same states to get them to require that The Ten Commandments be displayed in the public schools.
After the 2004 election, Democrats came to believe that they got trounced because George Bush and the Republicans did a better job of mobilizing Christian Evangelicals and exploiting hot cultural/family values issues such as gay marriage and prayer in schools. Thus, to avoid making that same mistake in 2006 and 2008, Democrats have become “comfortable” talking about God and faith and their own religious beliefs and practices. Even John Kerry during the waning days of his waning campaign began to show up at church more publicly despite a number of Catholic Bishops speaking openly about not allowing him to take Communion because of his support for abortion.
The Times piece is about Democrat state senators in Georgia and Alabama introducing legislation that would authorize public schools to teach courses using the textbook, The Bible and Its Influence, which was produced by a non-partisan conservative Christian group called the Bible Literacy Project. To quote one of the senators, “We are not going to give away the South anymore because we are unwilling to talk about our faith.” Talking about faith seems like a very different thing than teaching the Bible in public schools, especially since the content of the course they are promoting is ultimately more New than Old Testament and therefore decidedly Christian. Our faith indeed.
As you might imagine, Republicans are up in arms. I do not blame them and, in fact, actually agree with them.
They call these Democrats “Pharisees,” a term they apply to liberals who exploit religion (and they should know exploiting when they see it). They recall with horror how effective Bill Clinton was when he co-opted Republican issues such as welfare reform. But they also point out that what the Democrats are up to is pandering to people, using their deepest beliefs as a cynical political tool.
If you want a glimpse of the pandering and the cynicism, take a look at what Democrat Party Chairman Howard Dean had to say—in promising that they will do a better job of talking to the public about values--“I think teaching the Bible as literature is a good thing.” Ignoring, of course, that we’re not talking literature here.
We’re talking about Democrats attempting to out-conservative conservatives, who are on the move in the same states to get them to require that The Ten Commandments be displayed in the public schools.
posted by Steven Zwerling at
11:32 AM
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