Posted on 11/27/2005 12:42:40 PM PST by NotchJohnson
Im mad as hell. Ive been a Catholic all my life. I was an altar boy. I went to Catholic high school. I spent ten years in the seminary, studying for the priesthood. I have a degree in sacred theology. Yet some religious conservatives suggest that I cant even walk into church anymore - without first taking a loyalty oath to the Republican party.
The election of 2004 made it official. With the help of religious conservatives, Republicans have stolen religion. Of course, its not just liberal Catholics they stole it from. Liberals, moderates and progressives of all faiths Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, and Buddhists are all suddenly out in the cold. Because conservative Christians have taken over the Republican party and have declared a monopoly on religion.
Well, I dont buy any of it and thats why I wrote this book.
In tackling this topic, I draw on my life as a Catholic, my degree in theology, my knowledge of Scripture and my decade spent in the seminary - as well as over 30 years of active involvement in politics as campaign manager, strategist, candidate and political commentator on television and radio. I speak to and from both worlds, and I begin with this premise:
Conservatives possess no monopoly on religion. Theres still a place in the church for liberals and moderates. On many important social issues today, conservatives have it all wrong. They twist Scripture to fit their politics, rather than base their politics on Scripture. What many religious conservatives define as moral values today is not the morality of the New Testament. Its too narrow, too selfish, and too intolerant. Conservatives have turned Jesus Christ upside-down: from a loving Messiah who hung out with the poor and dispossessed, into a cold-hearted monster who cares only for the rich and powerful. Its time to define the proper intersection of religion and politics.
Its time to end the Republican monopoly on God and God-talk.
Its time to take our religion back.
Copyright © 2005 by Bill Press
Oh, that editorial won't show up, will it Bill?
What a lying sack of crap he is. Obviously the seminary taught him nothing about baring false witness!
Of course, this is just a stupid rant (there's a technical term for this, but I don't know it) but the easiest response is: "At least Republicans say `Christmas'".
"The guy's a jerk,and he most likely will stay a jerk until the day he dies."
Bill Press is a symbol, symptomatic of the morass of immorality, passed off as some form of godliness, in the country at large. It's instructive and cathartic to blast away in writing, at someone so publicly and so proudly in error.
I'm not very religious, and haven't even finished reading the article, but as I see it, it's not so much that Republicans have appropriated religion as it is that Dems have abandoned it. And repudiated it.
The libs know that there is a segment of the population they just can't reach. Grounded in morals and the way things "used to be".
Selling them on the PC liberal agenda has been hard. It was easier in the 1980s and 1990s but there has been a significant backlash (especially as the WTC attack helped people put things in perspective as to what was important in this world).
This is why libs are making appeals to Christians and to NASCAR fans and to King of the Hill fans. Get folksy with them and pressure them to abandon those "old stereotypes" about socialism.
Salvation is ALL ABOUT what you are doing and WHAT you believe. It is ALL ABOUT personal responsibility and accountablity. The Democrat party abandoned that long ago.
I agree. Now they are saying that decaf is really bad for you.
Wonder when the last time Bill Press went to the confessional.....
Sorry if you find me too intolerant, but I didn't write the rules of the game ... God did and He ain't running for Homecoming Queen!
Sad.
Great reply. It looks like the new goal is to get Christians to come back to the Democratic Party. Youhave Jimmy C on morals and him on Christmas. I think I remember Howard Dean said something about Job and it mad emy ears hurt. You can just tell when something is unnatural.
Step 1: Build the Straw Man: "Republicans have stolen religion.
Step 2: Knock down the Straw Man by any means necessary: In tackling this topic, I draw on my life as a Catholic, my degree in theology, my knowledge of Scripture and my decade spent in the seminary - as well as over 30 years of active involvement in politics as campaign manager, strategist, candidate and political commentator on television and radio.
Step 3: Connect the original position to the Straw Man: " On many important social issues today, conservatives have it all wrong.
Step 4: Claim to negate the opposing position by the connection in 3. Its time to take our religion back.
"Republicans have stolen religion"
As usual, Democrats have a different view, as a result of their chronic cranialrectal impaction.
The Demoncrats adopted secular libralism as their religion and discharged tradional religious observance. Now that they understand that the vast majority of Americans are "out of the mainstream" and maintain tradional religious beliefs, the Demoncrats are changing their marketing propaganda to appeal to those Americans who maintain "out of the mainstream" beliefs.
I just wish that these Demoncrats would understand that they are as transparent as a sorority girl's T-Shirt at a Spring Break contest.
Good points, but it's kind of like therapy when I can rant and rave against a lefty, steaming pile of, well, Bill Press.
In that case the Dr. prescribes 24 cups of decaf each day.
Clearly for now he values being a Dim over being a Roman Catholic. But he is at the first step that sometimes leads to conversion. He will fight to change his party maybe and then eventually see it can not be done.
living in San Francisco is a target rich environment for you then.
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