Posted on 10/24/2004 4:36:02 PM PDT by Byron Norris
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Democrat John Kerry on Sunday tried to persuade late-deciding voters that they can put their faith in his leadership by describing the values and beliefs that he says have guided him and would shape his presidency.
Kerry said the Bible - and the American dream - says society must take care of its most vulnerable members, but in many ways that test is not being met under the country's current leadership. And he responded to some leaders of the Catholic church who have criticized his support of abortion rights and stem cell research.
"I love my Church. I respect the Bishops, but I respectfully disagree," said Kerry. "My task, as I see it ... is not to write every doctrine into law. That is not possible or right in a pluralistic society. But my faith does give me values to live by and to apply to the decisions that I make." Kerry, running against one of the most overtly religious presidents of recent times, quoted the Bible to suggest overt religion is not enough.
"In the Book of James we are taught: `It is not enough, my brother to say you have faith when there are no deeds,'" Kerry said, putting am emphasis on the word "say." "Faith without works is dead."
Although Kerry spoke in one of the strongest Democratic strongholds of Florida, adviser Mike McCurry said his remarks were aimed at those who are still undecided voters who may be open to Kerry's call for change but aren't sure how they feel about him personally. He noted that 70 percent of voters tell pollsters that they want a religious president.
Kerry said he prayed daily in Vietnam as some of his closest friends were killed. "I even questioned how all the terrible things that I saw had fit into God's plan," said Kerry.
During Kerry's speech, a man shouted, "End the war, John!" The man was escorted out after he tried to drape a banner over the third-floor balcony.
Kerry said the man had a "legitimate concern." But he added the highest duty is to defeat terrorism so children can grow in security and peace, but that requires cooperation with allies.
Kerry gave a more partisan speech earlier Sunday at the nearby Mount Hermon African Methodist Episcopal Church where he painted the election as a choice between a man of the people or one of the powerful.
Kerry said Bush has not helped lower the price of drugs and has turned his back on veterans and the unemployed while giving tax cuts to the wealthy.
"Oh, no, they didn't chose the least among us, they chose the most powerful among us," Kerry said. "They keep on thinking it's the most powerful who deserve the most, some kind of entitlement."
Lurch in Church aint' gonna work!
Kerry has faith all right. In Satan, his lord and master.
All his good works were moot when Tahrayzuh offered beer and pretzels for communion.
Actually, it's probably something he's never tried before--faith, that is.
Referring to the Bible in "in one of the strongest Democratic strongholds of Florida" won't do any good in that venue since no one in such a stronghold knows what "Bible" means...
I have to ask. Doesn't giving political speeches in churches go against the Separation of Church and State? Is this a case of Liberal hypocrisy?
Jesus must be so proud of John Kerry fragging an already wounded kid in the back.
This from the same bunch of looney lefties who will demand a city remove from its seal a symbol of the cross, support the removal of the Ten Commandments monument from public display, or support a culture of death rather than life.
When it suits 'em they latch onto it.
kerry with his faith is like Bill trying to tell us all he loves hillary and has never cheated on her.
True, albeit, and I do know a few black folks who are supporting Bush ... Bush according to Sean Hannity said Bush had doubled his percentage of the African American vote that he had in 2000.
No our black friends are not all naive and soon they will see the lies and the distortions that have been put before their own eyes by Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and the DNC.
This guy is as big a hypocrite as Clinton and his old lady!
Beware of his "soft spoken" siren song and watch your back when he and his liberal leftists are blowing their particular brand of smoke!
This is the same old America last crowd that is desperate for power and will do and say anything to accomlish that end!
Re 21:8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
(NKJV)
DEAR FELLOW FREEPERS,
i pray daily on-line with the presidential prayer thread.
if you believe in the power of prayer,please join us until election day.
GODSPEED!
I'm thinking this will go over about as well as his goose hunting trip. Nice try, john...
Speaking as a Catholic, it was pretty ugly.
God bless you. Count me in!
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