Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: With scripture, Hillary Clinton wins over a voter [View all]Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)53. Oh I've read the book and several articles.
At the heart of the Family's American branch is a collection of powerful
rightwing politicos, who include, or have included, Sam Brownback, Ed Meese,
John Ashcroft, James Inhofe, and Rick Santorum. They get to use the Family's
spacious estate on the Potomac, the Cedars, which is maintained by young men in
Family group homes and where meals are served by the Family's young women's
group. And, at the Family's frequent prayer gatherings, they get powerful jolts
of spiritual refreshment, tailored to the already-powerful.
Clinton fell in with the Family in 1993, when she joined a Bible study group
composed of wives of conservative leaders like Jack Kemp and James Baker. When
she ascended to the senate, she was promoted to what Sharlet calls the Family's
"most elite cell," the weekly Senate Prayer Breakfast, which included, until his
downfall, Virginia's notoriously racist Senator George Allen. This has not been
a casual connection for Clinton. She has written of Doug Coe, the Family's
publicity-averse leader, that he is "a unique presence in Washington: a
genuinely loving spiritual mentor and guide to anyone, regardless of party or
faith, who wants to deepen his or her relationship with God."
Furthermore, the Family takes credit for some of Clinton's rightward
legislative tendencies, including her support for a law guaranteeing "religious
freedom" in the workplace, such as for pharmacists who refuse to fill birth
control prescriptions and police officers who refuse to guard abortion clinics.
......
Sharlet generously attributes Clinton's involvement to the underappreciated
depth of her religiosity, but he himself struggles to define the Family's
theological underpinnings. The Family avoids the word Christian but worship
Jesus, though not the Jesus who promised the earth to the "meek." They believe
that, in mass societies, it's only the elites who matter, the political leaders
who can build God's "dominion" on earth. Insofar as the Family has a consistent
philosophy, it's all about power -- cultivating it, building it, and networking
it together into ever-stronger units, or "cells." "We work with power where we
can," Doug Coe has said, and "build new power where we can't."
rightwing politicos, who include, or have included, Sam Brownback, Ed Meese,
John Ashcroft, James Inhofe, and Rick Santorum. They get to use the Family's
spacious estate on the Potomac, the Cedars, which is maintained by young men in
Family group homes and where meals are served by the Family's young women's
group. And, at the Family's frequent prayer gatherings, they get powerful jolts
of spiritual refreshment, tailored to the already-powerful.
Clinton fell in with the Family in 1993, when she joined a Bible study group
composed of wives of conservative leaders like Jack Kemp and James Baker. When
she ascended to the senate, she was promoted to what Sharlet calls the Family's
"most elite cell," the weekly Senate Prayer Breakfast, which included, until his
downfall, Virginia's notoriously racist Senator George Allen. This has not been
a casual connection for Clinton. She has written of Doug Coe, the Family's
publicity-averse leader, that he is "a unique presence in Washington: a
genuinely loving spiritual mentor and guide to anyone, regardless of party or
faith, who wants to deepen his or her relationship with God."
Furthermore, the Family takes credit for some of Clinton's rightward
legislative tendencies, including her support for a law guaranteeing "religious
freedom" in the workplace, such as for pharmacists who refuse to fill birth
control prescriptions and police officers who refuse to guard abortion clinics.
......
Sharlet generously attributes Clinton's involvement to the underappreciated
depth of her religiosity, but he himself struggles to define the Family's
theological underpinnings. The Family avoids the word Christian but worship
Jesus, though not the Jesus who promised the earth to the "meek." They believe
that, in mass societies, it's only the elites who matter, the political leaders
who can build God's "dominion" on earth. Insofar as the Family has a consistent
philosophy, it's all about power -- cultivating it, building it, and networking
it together into ever-stronger units, or "cells." "We work with power where we
can," Doug Coe has said, and "build new power where we can't."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-ehrenreich/hillarys-nasty-pastorate_b_92361.html
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
111 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
![](du4img/smicon-reply-new.gif)
And so much better than actually taking a clear stand on things like pending legislation.
Warren DeMontague
May 2015
#39
I love, I'm kind, I don't envy nor do I boast and I'm prouder than what should be legal
madokie
May 2015
#100
true that. comfort in knowledge, religious right think methodist are the LAZY christians, lol. nt
seabeyond
May 2015
#72
ha ha. that is funny. ya living in the panhandle of texas. methodists accept about all.
seabeyond
May 2015
#80
hey... i was about 92 too. i have one more year then oregon or washington state. nt
seabeyond
May 2015
#82
Yeah, and I'm not "religious".. but, I have a great Liberal sister who is. I don't scorn her or
Cha
May 2015
#97
You make an unprovoked personal attack on me and call me bitter? Self awareness much?
merrily
May 2015
#15
Regular bible study with a bunch of republican women in a dominionist org.
Luminous Animal
May 2015
#12
It's not only that. They have a belief that those whom God has called to lead-which, I guess, means
merrily
May 2015
#17
"most elite cell" Sounds like a touch of Scientology hierarchy, mixed in with not subject to laws of
merrily
May 2015
#56
She doesn't believe in Methodist doctrine nor does she believe in what "the Family" preaches
tularetom
May 2015
#103
She was doing Bible study with The Family while in the senate. It had nothing to do with Methodists
peacebird
May 2015
#55
If she actually kept it to herself, no one would know about it. Yet, we've known for years.
merrily
May 2015
#18
you're absolutley right (prior to editing your heading), it was clear and obvious
Sheepshank
May 2015
#50
That IS how it should be. Don't shove your religion in our faces, unless there's a very clear
calimary
May 2015
#108
If it walks like a setup and talks like a setup, it sure looks like a setup to me.
hedda_foil
May 2015
#91
Agree. The friends I have known in my lifetime, belonging to the Methodist church
misterhighwasted
May 2015
#37
African Americans are by far the most religiously devout group in the United States.
Nye Bevan
May 2015
#30
Yeah, we can't get her to issue actual positions on real issues, but she'll talk the Bible all day.
Warren DeMontague
May 2015
#32
Yeah, we already know that the Bible is her most inspirational piece of literature
Warren DeMontague
May 2015
#44
This is proof the atracks never end, post something good and they roll out of the ant hills in
Thinkingabout
May 2015
#45
Yeah, because everyone knows that's what Bernie will be running on, right? NOT! And wreckers?
freshwest
May 2015
#73
Lie? Just look at all the attacks on religious people in the very thread?! LOL
workinclasszero
May 2015
#96
Replace her name with any repub's name, and the eye-rolling would be unanimous.
arcane1
May 2015
#76
Yeesh. You'd think people would eventually get less gullible if they've been paying attention.
scarletwoman
May 2015
#86
That was my first thought and I was surprised that more weren't responding this way.
morningfog
May 2015
#88