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cbayer

(146,218 posts)
Fri Nov 2, 2012, 11:48 AM Nov 2012

My Take: Billy Graham and Ralph Reed are putting politics before God

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/01/my-take-billy-graham-and-ralph-reed-are-putting-politics-before-god/comment-page-18/



November 1st, 2012
01:43 PM ET

My Take: Billy Graham and Ralph Reed are putting politics before God
Editor's Note: Stephen Prothero, a Boston University religion scholar and author of "The American Bible: How Our Words Unite, Divide, and Define a Nation," is a regular CNN Belief Blog contributor.

By Stephen Prothero, Special to CNN

(CNN)–Why are evangelicals like Billy Graham and Ralph Reed stumping for Mitt Romney? And why are roughly three-quarters of white evangelicals inclined to vote for him?

Because politics matters more to them than religion.

Last year, in a talk at a conference on Mormonism and Islam at Utah Valley University, I asked my Mormon listeners why they had not rushed to the defense of Muslims in controversies such as the one that raged over the Park51 project near ground zero. After all, they have been the victims of religious prejudice. Their founder, Joseph Smith, was killed by a mob of vigilantes.

Given this history, I expected that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as Mormons, would feel the sting of anti-Muslim prejudice and speak out against it. But neither Mitt Romney of the GOP nor Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of the Democratic Party did anything of the sort. In fact, Romney issued a statement opposing the construction of the Islamic center.

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My Take: Billy Graham and Ralph Reed are putting politics before God (Original Post) cbayer Nov 2012 OP
They are republican ideologues first, Jesus lovers second. Or third, after money. nt thereismore Nov 2012 #1
Money.......party........religion........people........poor people thelordofhell Nov 2012 #2
You're assuming.... atreides1 Nov 2012 #4
"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour" emulatorloo Nov 2012 #3
The voice you think you hear from Billy is actually Franklin's Angry Dragon Nov 2012 #5
Pretty sure that's covered as part of Jesus' instructions to us. jeepnstein Nov 2012 #6
or simply have a different idea of God... dmallind Nov 2012 #7

atreides1

(16,046 posts)
4. You're assuming....
Fri Nov 2, 2012, 12:07 PM
Nov 2012

...that they love Jesus at all!

I personally think that most evangelicals hate Obama, more then they love Jesus.

emulatorloo

(43,979 posts)
3. "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour"
Fri Nov 2, 2012, 12:04 PM
Nov 2012

They are lying about Obama, and they are promoting the non-stop lying of Mitt Romney.

Angry Dragon

(36,693 posts)
5. The voice you think you hear from Billy is actually Franklin's
Fri Nov 2, 2012, 12:23 PM
Nov 2012

I have yet to hear the voice of Billy for years

jeepnstein

(2,631 posts)
6. Pretty sure that's covered as part of Jesus' instructions to us.
Fri Nov 2, 2012, 02:07 PM
Nov 2012
Matthew 7:21-23

True and False Disciples

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’


There's also something in there about serving two masters. If you're making your politics as important as your religion, well, there's your sign.

dmallind

(10,437 posts)
7. or simply have a different idea of God...
Fri Nov 2, 2012, 05:17 PM
Nov 2012

It's not like assigning priorities to the Almighty's wishes is the sole province of the right. It's just that when righties do this, they put His putative views on abortion and gay rights ahead of those on peace and poverty. Lefty believers are more likely to do the reverse. No great mystery there. God's what the believer makes him. If you think I'm being snarky here, then why are the right-wing believers not just common, but the majority, as every poll on these issues tells us? The only alternative is that there is a vast conspiracy of nonbelievers pretending to believe in a right wing god just to make other believers look bad. That's absurd. So is pretending they are putting politics first any more than, say, Eugene Robinson does (other than being more likely to agree politically with the latter, on what grounds do we know that it's not him politicking the big guy). They just project different political opinions onto the (supposedly and nominally) same deity.

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