The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Democrats May Be Better Off Leaving Their Faith Unstated

Posted on | June 30, 2019 | 1 Comment

by Smitty

“We Americans have always been a religious people, a member of my staff tells me.”–Kristen Wiig as Nancy Pelosi, 11Nov2006 (at 1:57)

Chris Coons has a fascinating piece up at The Atlantic:

First, it hides away the deep, passionate, and formative faith backgrounds of so many Democrats who are seeking or serving in office. At our weekly Senate prayer breakfasts, for example, I’m consistently inspired and moved by the words of my colleagues whose faith is fundamental to their life and their work, but who rarely talk about it publicly.

Faith is a singular, internal thing. By way of reference, I’m of the Baptist ilk, not that that label matters fig #1.
Politics are plural, and external. We want to know that our leaders have some sort of moral compass, without fretting too heavily about the brand. I’ve voted for a Mormon, for all I don’t subscribe to their Christology.
Even though the closest thing to a moral code we can find in politics is the Bill of Rights we badly want to know that our leaders are aware that there is some level of supernatural accountability for their megalomania. Hopefully it will keep them in check.
Now, when a political figure ventures into a Christian context, it seems fair to engage at that level. Coons quotes Sherrod Brown as saying (emphasis mine):

“Let me dig a bit deeper to explain how I see the world and the sisterhood and brotherhood of humanity. At gatherings like this, we Democrats seldom talk about our faith … Here’s what Jesus said: ‘When I was hungry, you fed me. When I was thirsty, you gave me drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me. What you did for those who seemed less important, you did for me.’ Let our country—our nation’s citizens, our Democratic Party, my fellow elected officials all over the country—let them all cast their eyes toward the heartland, to the industrial Midwest, to our Great Lakes state. Let them hear what we say. Let them see what we do.” ?

First, that whole “sister/brotherhood of man” claptrap is nowhere in the Gospel. There are some calling themselves Christian who exhibit Universalist tendencies. Let us commend to them a closer reading of the Word as written.
But more importantly, the whole “we do” thing is a subtler tweaking of the New Testament. James tells us that faith and works are as tightly bound as velocity and position in a motion problem. But those works are our personal, no-kidding acts for tangible people, not the “we gave at the office” evasion of someone loving their neighbor by government proxy. If we could legislated salvation, the Pharisees would have won, and the crucifixion was just an especially bad visit to Portland.
We need to be very careful how we use Scripture in a political context, and less is certainly more:

Mat 7:21-23
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

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Comments

One Response to “Democrats May Be Better Off Leaving Their Faith Unstated”

  1. Mistrust all public religion. – Dark Brightness
    July 2nd, 2019 @ 11:54 pm

    […] First, that whole “sister/brotherhood of man” claptrap is nowhere in the Gospel. There are some calling themselves Christian who exhibit Universalist tendencies. Let us commend to them a closer reading of the Word as written. But more importantly, the whole “we do” thing is a subtler tweaking of the New Testament. James tells us that faith and works are as tightly bound as velocity and position in a motion problem. But those works are our personal, no-kidding acts for tangible people, not the “we gave at the office” evasion of someone loving their neighbor by government proxy. If we could legislated salvation, the Pharisees would have won, and the crucifixion was just an especially bad visit to Portland. We need to be very careful how we use Scripture in a political context, and less is certainly more: […]