Very astute observation of the ground rules.
I am not sure if I understand what Steinberg is talking about. He seems to have some of the facts right about President Bush's faith, but why?? It really isn't anyone's business than W's. Steinberg is a big academic,so I have my doubts about his real interests here.
Maybe it's because most people can understand a horn dog chasing women around, but they're suspicious about a man who professes something as foreign as faith. They fear what they don't understand.
Funny. I am a evangelical Christian, and I didn't recognize myself at all in his description.
Either I am incredibly self-deceived, or he really doesn't understand Evangelicals as much as he thinks he does.
"But W's personal religious faith is everybody's business."
If it (his faith) influences his political decisions, then yes, it most certainly is.
"Evangelical Christians......Americans in the large urban centres rarely encounter."
What? The largest and most influential of evangelical churches in America are ALL in major urban centers. This is some secular New Yorker who's so narrow and provincial...who thinks since he knows no evangelicals, it must be something odd out in hicksville.
Speaking of religion, government officials and the laws in the US, DID YOU KNOW???........
As you walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S. Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of >the world's law givers and each one is facing one in the middle who >is facing forward with a full frontal view ... it is Moses and he is >holding the Ten Commandments! > > > > > . > > > DID YOU KNOW? > > As you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak >doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of >each door. > > > > > > DID YOU KNOW? > > As you sit inside the courtroom, you can see the wall, right >above where the Supreme Court judges sit, a display of the Ten >Commandments! > > > > > > DID YOU KNOW? > > > > There are Bible verses etched in stone all over the Federal >Buildings and Monuments in Washington, D.C. > > > DID YOU KNOW? > > > > James Madison, the fourth president, known as "The Father of >Our Constitution" made the following statement: > > "We have staked the whole of all our political institutions >upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity >of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to >sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God." > > > DID YOU KNOW? > > > > Patrick Henry, that patriot and Founding Father of our >country said: > > "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this >great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not >on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ." > > > DID YOU KNOW? > > Every session of Congress begins with a prayer by a paid >preacher, whose salary has been paid by the taxpayer since 1777. > > > DID YOU KNOW? > > > > Fifty-two of the 55 founders of the Constitution were members >of the established orthodox churches in the colonies. > > > DID YOU KNOW? > > Thomas Jefferson worried that the Courts would overstep their >authority and instead of interpreting the law would begin making law >... > an oligarchy ... > the rule of few over many. > > > DID YOU KNOW? > > The very first Supreme Court Justice, John Jay, said: > > > "Americans should select and prefer Christians as their >rulers." > > > How, then, have we gotten to the point that everything we >have done for 220 years in this country is now suddenly wrong and >unconstitutional? That's easy...the Dems had control for short times along the way.
"According to The Economist in its "American Survey" of November 2003, Evangelical Christians make up the largest single religious group in the US, larger than Roman Catholics. Thirty per cent of all Americans in 2003 (up from 24 per cent in 1987) belong to the group..."
Now lets see.... making up nearly 1/3 of the population, but not known in "large urban centers." Rubbish. Since something less than 10% live outside of large urban centers, this guy contradicts himself.
Not so. Evangelical Churches in urban areas are thriving. Mostly among the middle class but also among the poor where "mainline" churches now fear to tread.