Religion in Politics This Week

This week, two articles were published on religion and politics.

First, a column by Raymond Flynn, former mayor of Boston and former US ambassador to the Vatican City State, in the Manchester Union-Leader, Dec. 30:

.... I watch and read about this year’s Presidential candidates staking out their positions on everything from the war in Iraq to health care, jobs, education and the economy, I do not see any attention or direct appeal being given to the all-important Catholic voter.

I’m not saying Catholics aren’t passionate about these issues or that they necessarily vote as a bloc. What I am saying is that some of the most pressing issues of our time, which are of vital importance to Catholic voters, are being downplayed or ignored.

What are these issues?

I’m talking about the respect for human life, protecting the institution of marriage, parental choice in education, protecting Social Security, the poor, economic justice, human rights, workers’ rights, welfare reform and immigration, to name just a few.

These issues are neither Republican nor Democrat. They are issues of importance to millions of Catholics who are faithful, hard working, patriotic — and who vote....

With all due respect, Ambassador, let's get real here. The problem is not that the Democratic Party has written off the Catholic vote. The problem is that (1) the Democratic Party has written off the Catholic conscience because (2) it can do so with impunity, counting on millions of Catholics to deny in the voting booth what they purport to profess in the pew. I think you would do much better to address some pointed remarks, not to politicians of any party, but to Catholic pastors of all stripes.

(See also Bettnet.com.)

Second, a remarkable lament — make no mistake about it, that's what it is; not a report, not an analysis: a lament — over the collapse of what would be called the "religious left" except nobody calls it that, in the Orlando Sentinel, Dec. 31:

Heading into a presidential election year, the Republican Party faithful are already rolling up their sleeves -- and passing the collection plate. In church social halls, they are raising money for voter registration, "issue" advertising and "Christian scorecards," which rate candidates on their positions on key cultural issues such as abortion and homosexuality.

By contrast, there is little activity at the other end of the ideological spectrum. Left-wing religious efforts at political mobilization -- where they exist -- seem puny, aged and marginalized.

After decades of riding popular social movements such as civil rights, the left splintered and now seems unable to regroup. Conversely, the GOP has co-opted the support of religious voters by focusing their attention on cultural and lifestyle issues -- such as gay marriage.

On economic issues, another mainstay of the left, the outlook is no brighter.

Unless they are directly affected, people in the pews seem unwilling to grapple with economic disparity and job losses, which defy simple solutions. Despite the loss of 3 million jobs since 2001 and falling retirement and investment portfolios, they are more likely to object to teaching Darwin in the classroom than to struggling in an economy increasingly based on survival of the fittest.

The poll numbers are ominous for Democratic candidates, who seem to have written off voters with strong religious convictions. A survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that nearly two-thirds of Americans who attend religious services at least once a week vote Republican. For those who say they seldom attend a house of worship, that figure is reversed: Two-thirds vote Democratic....

Funny, isn't it? When it's left-wing religion, we're supposed to be saddened because it's not influential; when it's the Democratic Party that abandons people of faith, we're supposed to be alarmed. On the other hand, when it's right-wing religion, we're supposed to be alarmed if it is influential, and when the Republican Party doesn't abandon people of faith, we're supposed to be alarmed. Funny, isn't it?

This kind of flaming hypocrisy in mainstream media would be almost blinding if it hadn't become so utterly predictable.

(Thanks, Kathy.)

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Fri. 01/02/04 09:01:15 PM
Categorized as Political & Religious.