Compassion Forum
Did anyone else watch the CNN "Compassion Forum" last night, where Senators Clinton and Obama separately talked about faith and answered questions about religion and politics?
I thought it was brilliant. The Democrats really need to make more efforts to connect with religious voters and to clarify that their faith (where applicable, and it usually is) informs their positions on things like poverty and torture and such.
And it seems that Teflon Man has a little mud on his face now from that whole "bitter people cling to religion and guns" bit. Interesting. Don't know if that helps the party at all, but he really needs to make a better apology. He wasn't misunderstood; he misspoke. Wash your feet, dude. You're on the campaign trail and you're guaranteed to have 'em in your mouth again by noon. If that's the worst you've got, we'll take it. Seriously.
Post-forum spin from the CNN anchors, everyone was saying that Obama spoke 'more naturally and fluently' about his faith and the connection between his faith and his passion for justice. Wow, I didn't hear that at all. Actually, I thought he seemed very wooden and uncomfortable, and his answers deflected anything spiritual quickly back into social justice. Granted, he wasn't asked to "name moments in your life where you've felt the presence of the Holy Spirit." His questions were comparatively easy. But even with a low-ball question like, "do you believe the earth was created in six days?" he choked and gave an answer that sounded a lot like, "yes, but not 24-hour days," before *interrupting the moderator's next question* to add that he *did* believe in evolution. Phew. for a second there, I thought you were channeling Mike Huckabee.
I thought Clinton shone in this setting, but haven't spoken to or heard from anyone else who thought so. Maybe it's that she's a fellow Methodist, and so the language that she used was more familiar to me. I thought she spoke very movingly about feeling the presence of God in moments of struggle and also "in a walk in the woods, in a sunset." When asked what her favorite Bible story was (again, not a question Obama was given), she picked "Esther... most recently." My kinda woman. Where Obama used very little, if any, 'sacred language' (you know, phrases from Bible passages or hymns that key the listener in to the fact that this person is 'churched,' think, oh, anytime Bush Jr. opens his mouth and says something about light shining in darkness), Clinton spoke movingly, I thought, about the imperative, the Divine call, to care for 'the least of these,' proving she's not only read Matthew 25, but has an inkling of what it might mean to apply that to poverty or health care or genocide. She makes my little Methodist heart smile.
And stop it already with the "they gave each other cold looks as they crossed the stage." No, they shook hands and the mics clearly picked up "Good to see you Barack," "And you, Hillary, how are you?" Do they trade harsh words? Sure, they're in a freaking contest for the nomination for president. But they don't hate each other for godssake.
And speaking of god, even the liberal UCCer called the Divine 'him.' *sigh* one step at a time I guess. First we get someone in the white house who doesn't think he or she is the second coming of Christ.
I thought it was brilliant. The Democrats really need to make more efforts to connect with religious voters and to clarify that their faith (where applicable, and it usually is) informs their positions on things like poverty and torture and such.
And it seems that Teflon Man has a little mud on his face now from that whole "bitter people cling to religion and guns" bit. Interesting. Don't know if that helps the party at all, but he really needs to make a better apology. He wasn't misunderstood; he misspoke. Wash your feet, dude. You're on the campaign trail and you're guaranteed to have 'em in your mouth again by noon. If that's the worst you've got, we'll take it. Seriously.
Post-forum spin from the CNN anchors, everyone was saying that Obama spoke 'more naturally and fluently' about his faith and the connection between his faith and his passion for justice. Wow, I didn't hear that at all. Actually, I thought he seemed very wooden and uncomfortable, and his answers deflected anything spiritual quickly back into social justice. Granted, he wasn't asked to "name moments in your life where you've felt the presence of the Holy Spirit." His questions were comparatively easy. But even with a low-ball question like, "do you believe the earth was created in six days?" he choked and gave an answer that sounded a lot like, "yes, but not 24-hour days," before *interrupting the moderator's next question* to add that he *did* believe in evolution. Phew. for a second there, I thought you were channeling Mike Huckabee.
I thought Clinton shone in this setting, but haven't spoken to or heard from anyone else who thought so. Maybe it's that she's a fellow Methodist, and so the language that she used was more familiar to me. I thought she spoke very movingly about feeling the presence of God in moments of struggle and also "in a walk in the woods, in a sunset." When asked what her favorite Bible story was (again, not a question Obama was given), she picked "Esther... most recently." My kinda woman. Where Obama used very little, if any, 'sacred language' (you know, phrases from Bible passages or hymns that key the listener in to the fact that this person is 'churched,' think, oh, anytime Bush Jr. opens his mouth and says something about light shining in darkness), Clinton spoke movingly, I thought, about the imperative, the Divine call, to care for 'the least of these,' proving she's not only read Matthew 25, but has an inkling of what it might mean to apply that to poverty or health care or genocide. She makes my little Methodist heart smile.
And stop it already with the "they gave each other cold looks as they crossed the stage." No, they shook hands and the mics clearly picked up "Good to see you Barack," "And you, Hillary, how are you?" Do they trade harsh words? Sure, they're in a freaking contest for the nomination for president. But they don't hate each other for godssake.
And speaking of god, even the liberal UCCer called the Divine 'him.' *sigh* one step at a time I guess. First we get someone in the white house who doesn't think he or she is the second coming of Christ.