beware, rant on an unpopular subject ahead
From somewhere on CNN.com:
"Clinton has told interviewers that she has felt the presence of the Holy Spirit on many occasions, and that she believes the resurrection of Christ is a historical fact; Obama regularly mentions his faith in his stump speech, and has made religion a major element of his appeal in many states.
Obama's campaign has sent out literature that describes him as a "committed Christian," relates his first religious experience and pictures him at a pulpit, in front of a cross."
Well, considering they're running in America, I guess they have to present themselves to the public as devoutly religious. Is it true? No way to know.
I was about to say, I don't really care, but I think maybe I do. Clinton's statement that she believes the resurrection of Christ is a historical fact makes me very unwilling to vote for her. I'm not sure I can explain it; it's a gut emotional reaction. I can resign myself to being under the rule of someone who says they're religious to win votes from a religious constituency. It's politics; I expect that kind of thing. But Clinton has gotten way more specific in her statements of what she believes than Obama (going by what I've read and seen), and it's giving me the creeps. I know that my background has left me with a kneejerk distrust of people who claim to be devoutly religious, and I know that I'm prone to misjudge people because of that. I'm trying not to let my bias cloud my perception of these two people, because I may have to choose one of them to lead my collapsing nation. It's important that I see these two people as clearly as I possibly can. Unfortunately, it's probably in their best interests to make sure that no one sees them clearly. Obama so far seems to have less of a smokescreen up than Clinton, but that may be simply because he hasn't been in the public eye for as long, and so has less crap he has to obfuscate.
It doesn't bother me that Obama claims to be a committed Christian. Okay, yes it does. I'd prefer he were an atheist or agnostic. But I have to be realistic. The majority of people in this country are some flavor of Christian, and would be very unlikely to vote for an atheist or agnostic, so even if he is, he'd be a damn fool to admit it. If he wants a shot at high public office, he's got to play the part of "committed Christian". And I'm not saying he isn't - just that there's no way I'm going to know for sure. He also seems to be of logical and sensible mind, which is way more important than what beliefs give him comfort in the night. So Obama saying he's a committed Christian while carefully separating himself from the wacko preacher doesn't make me happy, but it doesn't surprise me.
Clinton did more than claim to be Christian. She claimed a very specific belief. Now, I know, I know; being Christian means believing in the literal historical divine resurrection of Christ. But just for that reason, I don't see why anyone who was claiming to be religious just to win votes would need to be that specific. So, I think either Clinton really DOES believe that literally (which scares me; aren't we trying to get OUT of the rule of literal-Bible-believers? I sure am), or she's so desperate to make a connection to the most important voters that she's laying it on thick to make herself appear MORE devout than Obama.
Crap. I seem to have landed in a place where I'm HOPING that both candidates are lying about their religion to get into office. That sucks.
I don't want to hear anything else about their religion. I don't want to have to CARE what their religious beliefs are. I don't want to have to worry about how their religion will affect the decisions they make in office. I want a President who will make sane, rational, far-reaching decisions that are based on reason and evidence and compassion for all people (even our enemies). I don't see why that has to be incompatible with religion (although it's obviously incompatible with several religions) nor do I see why it must be motivated by a religion. I don't see what religion has to do with running a country well. Can't a person be rational and compassionate, and believe and act upon the evidence before him, and act with the greater good in mind, regardless of whether or not he believes in a universal Creator or a personal Savior? The people who founded this country believed that religion should be kept out of government. Why is it that most people in this country don't know that, or believe it?
This whole time, I've been wary of Clinton but not dismissing her as a possibility; if she ends up the Democratic candidate, I'll vote for her. And I've been cautiously hopeful about Obama; he has seemed like exactly the kind of person I wanted as President, and you know about guys who seem too good to be true! But now... I didn't think I could be more disillusioned than I was, but I am. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood. It's not like I'm really surprised. I guess that after the last eight years of having craxxy religion shoved down my throat, I'm just really sick of hearing about politicians' religious views. Even moderate ones. I just don't want to HEAR ABOUT IT anymore. Keep it in your church, keep it in your house, keep it in your heart. That's what you're supposed to do, isn't it? That's what Jesus was talking about when he said "Don't pray on streetcorners"! Just please don't make me listen to it anymore. After all ... you don't want to hear about MY "religious" views. So SHUT UP.
(edited to make it a little less incoherently ranty - you should have read it before. Also, please don't take this to mean that I want my friends to stop talking about their religion. That's totally different - because I know my friends are (1) good people, and (2) not lying. I can't get to know my friends without knowing what they believe, and really the same is true of my candidates, but them, I can't trust.)
"Clinton has told interviewers that she has felt the presence of the Holy Spirit on many occasions, and that she believes the resurrection of Christ is a historical fact; Obama regularly mentions his faith in his stump speech, and has made religion a major element of his appeal in many states.
Obama's campaign has sent out literature that describes him as a "committed Christian," relates his first religious experience and pictures him at a pulpit, in front of a cross."
Well, considering they're running in America, I guess they have to present themselves to the public as devoutly religious. Is it true? No way to know.
I was about to say, I don't really care, but I think maybe I do. Clinton's statement that she believes the resurrection of Christ is a historical fact makes me very unwilling to vote for her. I'm not sure I can explain it; it's a gut emotional reaction. I can resign myself to being under the rule of someone who says they're religious to win votes from a religious constituency. It's politics; I expect that kind of thing. But Clinton has gotten way more specific in her statements of what she believes than Obama (going by what I've read and seen), and it's giving me the creeps. I know that my background has left me with a kneejerk distrust of people who claim to be devoutly religious, and I know that I'm prone to misjudge people because of that. I'm trying not to let my bias cloud my perception of these two people, because I may have to choose one of them to lead my collapsing nation. It's important that I see these two people as clearly as I possibly can. Unfortunately, it's probably in their best interests to make sure that no one sees them clearly. Obama so far seems to have less of a smokescreen up than Clinton, but that may be simply because he hasn't been in the public eye for as long, and so has less crap he has to obfuscate.
It doesn't bother me that Obama claims to be a committed Christian. Okay, yes it does. I'd prefer he were an atheist or agnostic. But I have to be realistic. The majority of people in this country are some flavor of Christian, and would be very unlikely to vote for an atheist or agnostic, so even if he is, he'd be a damn fool to admit it. If he wants a shot at high public office, he's got to play the part of "committed Christian". And I'm not saying he isn't - just that there's no way I'm going to know for sure. He also seems to be of logical and sensible mind, which is way more important than what beliefs give him comfort in the night. So Obama saying he's a committed Christian while carefully separating himself from the wacko preacher doesn't make me happy, but it doesn't surprise me.
Clinton did more than claim to be Christian. She claimed a very specific belief. Now, I know, I know; being Christian means believing in the literal historical divine resurrection of Christ. But just for that reason, I don't see why anyone who was claiming to be religious just to win votes would need to be that specific. So, I think either Clinton really DOES believe that literally (which scares me; aren't we trying to get OUT of the rule of literal-Bible-believers? I sure am), or she's so desperate to make a connection to the most important voters that she's laying it on thick to make herself appear MORE devout than Obama.
Crap. I seem to have landed in a place where I'm HOPING that both candidates are lying about their religion to get into office. That sucks.
I don't want to hear anything else about their religion. I don't want to have to CARE what their religious beliefs are. I don't want to have to worry about how their religion will affect the decisions they make in office. I want a President who will make sane, rational, far-reaching decisions that are based on reason and evidence and compassion for all people (even our enemies). I don't see why that has to be incompatible with religion (although it's obviously incompatible with several religions) nor do I see why it must be motivated by a religion. I don't see what religion has to do with running a country well. Can't a person be rational and compassionate, and believe and act upon the evidence before him, and act with the greater good in mind, regardless of whether or not he believes in a universal Creator or a personal Savior? The people who founded this country believed that religion should be kept out of government. Why is it that most people in this country don't know that, or believe it?
This whole time, I've been wary of Clinton but not dismissing her as a possibility; if she ends up the Democratic candidate, I'll vote for her. And I've been cautiously hopeful about Obama; he has seemed like exactly the kind of person I wanted as President, and you know about guys who seem too good to be true! But now... I didn't think I could be more disillusioned than I was, but I am. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood. It's not like I'm really surprised. I guess that after the last eight years of having craxxy religion shoved down my throat, I'm just really sick of hearing about politicians' religious views. Even moderate ones. I just don't want to HEAR ABOUT IT anymore. Keep it in your church, keep it in your house, keep it in your heart. That's what you're supposed to do, isn't it? That's what Jesus was talking about when he said "Don't pray on streetcorners"! Just please don't make me listen to it anymore. After all ... you don't want to hear about MY "religious" views. So SHUT UP.
(edited to make it a little less incoherently ranty - you should have read it before. Also, please don't take this to mean that I want my friends to stop talking about their religion. That's totally different - because I know my friends are (1) good people, and (2) not lying. I can't get to know my friends without knowing what they believe, and really the same is true of my candidates, but them, I can't trust.)