Kerry sucked the air out of the room with his statement on faith

[underpants]

I,personally, am not a very religious man but Kerry explaining his faith and what it means to him last night was awe inspiring. I don't know if that was totally rehearsed but when he was finished you could hear a collective GASP in the audience and much shifting around in seats (I replayed it twice to make sure of what I had heard). Aside from some loud mouth whooping it up when W said something that was the only audience reaction (other than laughs) last night.

W did really freeze after Kerry made his statement (see below) but you could FEEL that that was a huge moment. Travis Smiley on ABC was the only person I heard remark on that moment and he seemed to have the same impression as I and my wife did. All the other pundits seemed to ignore it and give W credit for his statement on faith.

Kerry brought it up first and went back to it later in the debate. He won't turn a lot of the fundamentalists and evangelistics towards him with that but he walked confidently onto W's supposed turf and planted his flag and returned to make sure it was still there.

VERY well done.





KERRY: I respect their views. I completely respect their views. I am a Catholic. And I grew up learning how to respect those views. But I disagree with them, as do many.

I believe that I can't legislate or transfer to another American citizen my article of faith. What is an article of faith for me is not something that I can legislate on somebody who doesn't share that article of faith.

I believe that choice is a woman's choice. It's between a woman, God and her doctor. And that's why I support that.

Now, I will not allow somebody to come in and change Roe v. Wade.

The president has never said whether or not he would do that. But we know from the people he's tried to appoint to the court he wants to.

I will not. I will defend the right of Roe v. Wade.

Now, with respect to religion, you know, as I said, I grew up a Catholic. I was an altar boy. I know that throughout my life this has made a difference to me.

And as President Kennedy said when he ran for president, he said, I'm not running to be a Catholic president. I'm running to be a president who happens to be Catholic.

My faith affects everything that I do, in truth. There's a great passage of the Bible that says, What does it mean, my brother, to say you have faith if there are no deeds? Faith without works is dead.

And I think that everything you do in public life has to be guided by your faith, affected by your faith, but without transferring it in any official way to other people.

That's why I fight against poverty. That's why I fight to clean up the environment and protect this earth.

That's why I fight for equality and justice. All of those things come out of that fundamental teaching and belief of faith.

But I know this, that President Kennedy in his inaugural address told all of us that here on Earth, God's work must truly be our own. And that's what we have to – I think that's the test of public service.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/federal/20041013-1958-prezdebatetranscript.html

[ksoze]

1. Agree..I remember that exchange and was also moved

[Onlooker]

2. Thanks for posting that

I thought Kerry's answered very effectively during the debate, but I didn't realize at the time how profound his words were.

[LisaLynne]

3. I completely agree.

I still have the debate on Tivo, so I'm going to go back and listen specifically for the audience reaction. When I heard it, I was too affected at the moment to even notice what they were doing. I think Kerry spoke honestly and from his heart. I really believe that is exactly how he feels and I am comfortable with that, unlike so many other discussions of faith in the public arena.

I think W froze because he's been buying the Republican line that all Dems are godless whatevers. I think he was stunned to hear Kerry speak so eloquently about faith because he's fallen for the lie that only Republicans are religious. He just wasn't prepared for that.

[underpants]

14. It is very hard to hear but it is there

Schieffer just gave a deadpan "...Mr.President?" lead to W.

We replayed it because my wife (a long time Baptist church goer) was so moved by what Kerry said that she totally missed what I heard and how W tried to react. We froze it (digital cable) and then replayed it twice.

Wow what a moment.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

4. The difference between a man who can speak from the heart... and one

who says what he thinks the majority of the country wants to hear. What an excellent explanation of his positions. If you haven't already downloaded the Going Upriver movie, I suggest you do at www.goingupriver.com, and I just did a search for F911, it is out there in many many places... many formats.

I did watch a rented DVD of 911 yesterday and MM is quite a competent film maker... he really does know how to throw it back in their faces and expose the hypocrisy of so many things that are done in our names.

[Dob Bole]

That's what I thought too...

I told somebody "Kerry just one-upped Bush on playing the God card!"

[michigandem2]

5. I agree...

it was a very good moment..and my mom and I both agreed that his comments could push him into a win...he did great! I just hate the pundits...

[venus]

6. It was powerful. Even ore so reading it this morning.

Kerry has revealed how he will lead and many Americans must be not only relieved but proud that our nation will once again embrace all of us. A man for all the people. Thanks for posting.

[HootieMcBoob]

7. He handled it perfectly

and it pulled the rug right out from under W's feet. And in addition to how tactically great it was, it's totally true. There's nothing "Christian" in the way that W and his goons work.
:toast:

[Supersedeas]

8. Strangely enough - the female PBS Historical commentator

said that where Kennedy made his religious belief irrelevant, both candidates in this debate made religion central.

Double take. Takes another look at the Kennedy/Kerry comparison and looks more closely at a Kerry direct quote.

<<And as President Kennedy said when he ran for president, he said, I'm not running to be a Catholic president. I'm running to be a president who happens to be Catholic. >>

The other two historians could only laugh uncomfortably, but NOONE bothered to correct her.

[underpants]

18. Wow talk about the forest and the trees

He made it apparent that it is VERY relevant to him.

That is both sad and funny that someone would take that point away from what he said.

[Itchinjim]

9. This is the same Catholicism that I was raised with

in the 60's and 70's social justice was a main issue with the church back then, before the Opus Dei types took over. It's a shame.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

10. Strong moment

.

[Texas_Dem]

11. Absolutely very strong. I think this will be remembered for a long time.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

12. I'm not Christian, but like what JFK said

It is the faith of someone who is more like the Jesus I've read about.

W's faith of more like the pharisees and money changers hanging around the temple to make a buck.

[underpants]

16. Like I said I am not very religous

But THAT is what I was taught being a Christian (all religions and faiths really in a general sense) was all about. Not what you say but what you do. Be kind to others and leave your place better than you found it.

[DrFunkenstein]

13. This Is A Very American Stance On Religion Beautifully Put

Most Americans are not fanatical, but they feel that their faith undergirds their lives. And most also feel that the separation of church and state was one of the better ideas of the Founding Fathers, one of those things you are taught to admire from grammar school.

[popstalin]

15. Another thing I enjoyed about his answer

Bush seemed to stumble through his "religious" reply, where as Kerry was calm, cool and collected, as always. What made me pump my fist and say "Yeah!" was when Kerry quoted from the bible and Bush, I don't think who would be able, just looked shocked!

That was a great moment.

[underpants]

17. Welcome to DU popstalin

:hi:

[ScreamingMeemie]

19. And that is my favorite reading from the Bible...Faith without Works.

It's the reason why my son is named James and I take it as an omen. :hi:

[Terran]

20. Agreed here too. I thought at the time

"he has just won over a huge number of undecided religious voters."

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

21. I cheered cause he spoke for the reason I can be Catholic and Liberal

Because this is a secular country - not Vatican City

[tomfodw]

22. I'm a Jew, and the one thing Jews agree with Catholics about...

...is that there is no faith without good works. It's one reason why Jews and Catholics have frequently fought together in the labor movement, the civil rights movement, and other struggles for justice.

God cares what you believe, but God cares a heck of a lot more what you do.

[underpants]

25. Well said

I think that his words leaped over all kinds of supposed barriers and went straight to the heart of what many believe even if only in increments.

[MsTryska]

23. Incredibly Powerful.

he makes me want to go back to being a practicing Catholic again.

[skooooo]

24. It really was awesome...god i hope he wins.

[Minimus]

26. I have always said if someone has

to tell me that they are a christian, then they probably are not one.

"What does it mean, my brother, to say you have faith if there are no deeds? Faith without works is dead. "

JK was AWESOME!

[trogdor]

30. You mean like all those folks...

...with the yellow ribbon magnets stuck on their cars sideways so it looks like a Jesus fish?

[jeanmarc]

27. Surprisingly, Barnicle also caught that one on MSNBC

Barnicle is scum, but even he was wowed by that moment.

[underpants]

28. Mike Barnacle?

as cited by Rush just last week?

[Triana]

29. Kerry doesn't belive in ramming his religion down our throats...

...definitely refreshing!!!

[underpants]

35. Damn! ON EDIT-I meant to say W DIDN'T freeze

I didn't think he froze but he surely didn't see that coming.

Triana this isn't really a response to your post (which I agree with) I just reread the original and noticed the typo.

[Warren DeMontague]

31. A Nice Bush Freudian Slip on the Subject:

"People can worship-- if they want to or not"


I also particularly enjoyed his newfound revelation regarding the rights of 'consenting adults': "I also know in a free society people, consenting adults can live the way they want to live."

That's funny. When he was governor of Texas, he enthusiastically defended that state's anti-Sodomy law, which said that the cops had the right to kick down the doors of gay people and haul them off to jail for being "consenting adults living the way they want to live".

[skygazer]

32. Very impressive

I'm not religious personally but I do respect people's faith. John Kerry did not speak only as a Catholic but as a man of faith. It was an explanation that people of many faiths can understand - it cut to the heart of what every virtually every religion (except the wacked out fundamentalist strains that exist within them all) teaches. Caring for others, doing good works, helping those less fortunate.

Bush's remarks, on the other hand, were all about himself. "I pray. People pray for me." He really didn't connect his supposed faith to policy or public life in any way - he simply bashed us over the head again with his vaunted Christianity.

Kerry was wonderful.

[liberal N proud]

33. Here is where he nailed it to bush:

What does it mean, my brother, to say you have faith if there are no deeds? Faith without works is dead.

Bush has no deeds as a President that demostrate true faith.

The last portion plays to liberalism
I fight against poverty
I fight for equality and justice

[ismnotwasm]

34. I have been grieving for Christians.

I am agnostic on a good day, and atheist the rest of the time. While I don't share the religious views of Christians, I understand them. I've felt very bad some of the most beautiful principles expressed by Jesus have been subverted or ignored by right wing extremists. How did the Christians, who attempting to deal with this horrible misrepresentation of their faith manage to maintain their equilibrium? When a religion that leads by loving example, is taken over by those who would rule by hate. I don't know how you guys are able to get though it. Kerry did a beautiful job expressing what I would consider true Christian beliefs.

[fugop]

36. Big moment

This was a huge moment for me. One of the reasons the right makes me so freakin' angry is that I feel they've "stolen" my religion from me. As a born-and-raised Catholic, the past few years have just killed me. Seeing all these bishops sticking their noses into politics and telling us that we have to go to confession or not take the sacrament if we vote for someone? That's so over the line. And it's been heartbreaking, because while I sometimes try to get away from my Catholicism, it's still such a part of who I am.

Last night, with this one statement, Kerry took back my religion from those damn fundies. I have been grateful to him for standing up on a number of issues, but this one, in one fell swoop, reminded me that there are so many other Catholics out there who are liberal for very, very good reasons. This reminded me of the religion I grew up with. Thank you, John Kerry, for making it clear that the rightwing does NOT own God.