Churches See an Election Role and Spread the Word on Bush

[Q]

August 9, 2004

Churches See an Election Role and Spread the Word on Bush
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK


ST. LOUIS, Aug. 8 - Susanne Jacobsmeyer, a member of the West County Assembly of God in a St. Louis suburb, voted for George W. Bush four years ago, but mostly out of loyalty as a Republican and not with much passion.

This year, Ms. Jacobsmeyer is a "team leader" in the Bush campaign's effort to turn out conservative Christian voters. "This year I am voting for him as a man of faith," she said over breakfast after an early morning service. "He has proven that he will do what is right, and he will look to God first."

Jan Klarich, her friend and another team leader, agreed. "Don't you feel it is a spiritual battle?" she asked to nods around the table.

The Bush campaign is seeking to rally conservative churches and their members to help turn out sympathetic voters this fall, and West County Assembly of God, a 600-member evangelical congregation in a Republican district of a pivotal swing state, is on the front lines of the effort.

The church's pastor, John A. Wilson, has led a prayer for the president every Sunday for 10 years. His sermons often extol the importance of opposing abortion, stem cell research and same-sex marriage, and he says he supports Mr. Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq.

Before Missouri voted last week to add a ban on same-sex marriage to the state's Constitution and keep in place a restriction on gambling, the church newsletter endorsed both measures so vigorously that the post office denied the church its usually discounted postal rate for engaging in political activity.

To promote involvement on social issues, Mr. Wilson said, the church has formed a dozen-member "moral action team." --- http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/09/politics/campaign/09church.html?hp=&pagewanted=print&position=

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- How many times have you heard someone say "I support President Bush* because he's a God-fearing man'? I made the mistake of watching CSPAN's Washington Journal this morning and must have heard that said a dozen times. But what exactly does it mean to be 'God-fearing'?

- It seems that this nation has learned nothing from history and we've come full circle...back to a time when the church had undue influence over the state and politicians use religion to beguile voters.

[Catch22Dem]

1. The last time churches were in charge

Folks got burned at the stake. I think I'll pass. As for "god-fearing" I don't know what it means. Just another example of preaching fear, I guess. Oooooooo, be afraid of the big imaginary dude in the sky. He'll smite you!

[ladjf]

5. The Inquisitions laster for over 800 years in various forms.

But, were stopped during the Age of Reason. (the same time the U.S.A. was founded). After a brief period of major human progress on all fronts, i.e. science, art, economy and Democracy, the insidious trend toward Church control began anew. Today, America stands on the brink of a total collapse of our Democracy as the forces that desire Theocracy continue to strengthen their hold on the reins of government.

Ironically, while the toil in their very un-holy endeavors, the leaders of the fascist corporate interests are savoring their good luck, which is to be given the true control of the world economy by the actions of the American Religious Right Wing. In the end, the Religious workers will discover that they, like the Christian leaders in Nazi Germany, will be discarded as refuse by the Fascists when they are no longer useful.

As for America in general, until it can come to grips with the fact that it is pathologically addicted to Religious thought, the quality of all life on Earth will continue to deteriorate. If that day doesn't come soon, we may pass beyond the point where the momentum can be reversed. A species that deludes itself into believing it is beyond the laws of physics cannot log survive.

[Vickers]

2. Time to tax them

They are no longer spiritual leaders (sic) but political action committees.

[NewJeffCT]

3. agreed

Tax them as much as possible. Our country is up to its ears in debt - we need more revenue!

[GOPisEvil]

4. If churches want a voice in politicis, let them pay their admission fee.

Any church that makes a political statement should immidiately have it's tax-exempt status revoked.