Religious voters could doom the Democrats

Financial Times ^ | 29 Aug 06 | Patrick Hynes and Jeremy Lott

[TUAN_JIM]

DNC Chairman threatens religious voters?

https://registration.ft.com/registration/barrier?referer=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/d35dc740-390b-11db-a21d-0000779e2340.html&location=http%3A//www.ft.com/cms/s/fd5f80d0-3783-11db-bc01-0000779e2340.html

[Colorado Buckeye]

The good folks who make up the religious right may not love the Republican party, but they know a threat when they see one. The modern Democratic party is hostile to their very existence.

That fairly well sums up the situation.

[rod1]

Didn't anyone tell Howie he was NEVER to metion tax exempt questions concerning the church with the Revrends Jesse, Al, Baby King, Rep Ford, and even Bubba etc. running around "preaching" every chance they get.

Guess Karl Rove's operative was successful in switching playbooks at the DNC headquarters.

[Names Ash Housewares]

Democrats theaten to doom democrats.

[L98Fiero]

"Al Gore when to a Chinese temple to get HIS illegal contribution."

Well, at least they are equal opportunity opportunists.

[RubyCosmos]

Catholic school, my eight grade year. In our religion textbook, there was a diagram of closeness to God. (This is entirely true ... I can't remember the name or company, though.)

It was done as concentric circles. In the middle was God. The circle outside that was the angels and saints and all the company of heaven, etc. Outside of that was the Catholic Church, then the Protestants, then those 'odd' forms of Christianity. Outside that were the Jews, then other religions that recognised a single God ... then other religions, then agnostics, then atheists.

So clearly, liberal churches are further up in the circle.

(Man, I wish I was making that up.)

[weegee]

Just accepting the contributions that no one else wanted to give.

[Lexinom]

SIGH...

Secular humanism is a "religion" or worldview. EVERYBODY has a worldview - even Dr. Dean. There is NO SUCH THING as an objective, neutral human being.

Is he saying that any group of people united around a common worldview - which might, by the way, just MIGHT affect their politics and political involvement levels - cannot be tax exempt....?

[JSDude1]

1st ammendment! Of course it is, if it is done tactfully and a in a Christian (Ephesians 14 Way). Althought the primary purpose of the church is to the light of Christ to the world, part of that mission it to stand up for right-truth in society when necessary: Oh and it would be -irresponsible- for a Christian with a true faith in God -not- to become involved in the world-issues around him...

[Jim Scott]

While the pundits tend to predict a Democrat victory in the mid-term elections, this kind of mask-lifting from major Democrat party officials like Howard Dean changes that outlook considerably. Here's why:

Most people who consider themselves to be nonpartisan but are engaged enough to vote don't like being told that it's all over and, in this case, that the Democrats have a lock on the mid-term elections. That's why many politicians with big poll leads pre-election always down-play their probable success. First, to ward off apathy from their natural constituency and also to keep voters from voting against them because they seem a bit too confident. That attitude appears arrogant and clearly insults voters because it assumes that the candidate is going to get your vote, no matter what. This does not apply to African-American voters, obviously. They seem to vote Democrat 'no matter what' - but even that sad reality could be changing or changing just enough to sway the mid-term elections and possibly the 2008 presidential election, which may be a free-for-all.

As the MSNBC piece notes, religious people, especially evangelical Christians, see the Democrat party for the threat it is to their beliefs (the Democrats seem to oppose most of what Evangelical Christians stand for) as well as their religious freedoms. While they may not all love George W. Bush and may be even tiring of the Iraq war, they are not about to put one more Democrat in congress if they can help it. Religious folks are angry at being told that simply opposing same-sex 'marriage' or seeking to maintain the tradition of having a 'religious' display on the village Green at Christmastime (a 'religious' holiday, no less) makes them akin to Muslim fanatics.

Comments like that of Screamin' Howard Dean with none-too-subtle threats about yanking church tax exemptions, while hardly credible, harden many 'religious' folks attitudes against Democrats. What can they expect? They insult and work against what many religious people hold dear, such as the sancity of unborn life, then make threats about reconsidering tax exemptions for 'politically active' churches (like many Black churches, Mr. Dean?) - and wonder why they lose the vast majority of the 'religious' vote, which is huge. Idiots.

I wouldn't take all those 'It's the Democrat's year' announcements from the pundits too seriously, especially as long as Howard Dean can still speak for the DNC. His big mouth and small brain are the Republicans best 'weapon'.

If I were a honcho in the GOP I would be reminding probable Republican voters (who may be suffering from apathy this election year) that a Democrat congressional victory in November will mean, not only a rapid (and dangerous) pullout from Iraq and a diminished focus on terrorism at a time when that is akin to national suicide, but that President Bush will likely be forced to fight endless attempts at impeachment from Democrats for the remainder of his term if they hold the congressional majority. That helps no one - including Democrats - but the hard left wing of the Democrat party and it's fanatical Bush-hatred will make it a reality if they think they have the votes to pull it off.

While Democrats will be beating the bushes (and the illegal immigrant hangouts) for Democrat voters, the Republicans will also be out in force and the recent words of Howard Dean regarding churches and tax exemptions, his hasty 'clarification' aside (who will believe him?) will be one of many motivating factors getting them to the polls on election day to vote for Republicans, reservations forgotten, and against Democrats. I'm sure of it. I think a few Republicans may lose here and there as will a few Democrats, but I do not believe that Democrats will gain a congressional majority in November and I'll be here to admit I was wrong, if I am, and to say I was correct, if I am. I sincerely hope that it is the latter.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Every citizen has a right to be involved in poltics. The gov't can't ban people from politics just because they hold to religious values.

[Savage Beast]

Let's hope so, but remember: The Democrat Party is the Party of Sociopaths and Morons (S&M), and there are lots of morons out there.

[Jacquerie]

The gov't can't ban people from politics just because they hold to religious values.

That's right. But the gov't can tax them, unless of course the church is predominantly black or located in a democrat city.

[Alex Murphy]

Ping to read later

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

The gov't can tax them only in certain cases -- and more than just because they aren't black. LOl! What Dean wants to do is scare people away from doing what they can do while maintaining tax exempt status.

Frankly, The gov't benefits profoundly from the values taught by religious people. They should not be taxed no matter what. But if freedom means they are taxed, they should just pay the taxes and talk talk talk...

Greedy government.

[TUAN_JIM]

Good post. I believe and hope that you will be proven right in November.

[Soul Seeker]

Yeah, and the Democrats wonder why they are losing the Catholic votes and already lost the evangelical vote.

Listen up Howie.

I don't threaten easily.

Christians don't threatn easily.

After all, compared to true evil like the folks that cut off heads and even the head himself (Lucifer) you are a pathetic joke.

Oh, your ideas are dangerous. Except There is an entire assembly line of indisguishable jokesters who say the same thing. You are far from unique and as such cowering before the likes of you isn't in the cards.

[DesScorp]

" The good folks who make up the religious right may not love the Republican party, but they know a threat when they see one. The modern Democratic party is hostile to their very existence. An embarrassment for the Deanified Democrats in the November mid-term elections would be a victory not for theocracy, but for enlightened self-interest."

That goes double for you "boycott the GOP" guys. If you sit out the election then you deserve the Democrats you'll get. The problem is that the rest of us don't...

[DaveyB]

I'm going against the grain here by saying "Church is nowhere to be preaching Politics"...

According to our founders a government is ordained by God as is His church. Neither has jurisdiction over the other. That is why churches are tax-exempt because the state does not have jurisdiction over them. Read congress shall make NO law. The IRS is violating this founding principle by limiting what can and cannot be preached from the pulpit.

Note also in the Christian world view - this is God's kingdom and his people are disciple the nations. Political talk to be sure, but from a purely ethical viewpoint all laws are by their very nature standards of ethics. If God does not define the standards of right and wrong then man, in opposition to God, becomes a tyrant over his fellow men.

To quote Benjamin Franklin "Either you will be governed by God or by-god you will be governed..."

The church is the appointed minister of God's revealed law, it is utter foolishness to think that we would be better off with man's arbitrary standards.