Chupacabra Report

Let’s drop political talk of God


This was the title of an op-ed piece in the Chronicle today from Lutheran bishop Michael Rinehart. It’s a remarkable article, and I’m happy to think of it passing before the noses of the multitudes who fail to see the contradiction involved in their advocating a state religion –as long as it’s their religion, and think that they’re being persecuted if they are denied special status and indulgences.

Here’s some..

“There is simply too much talk about God in politics these days.

“It may surprise you to hear a bishop of the church say it, but it seems that God is being used as a political football, and this borders on idolatry. The prophets thought so as well.

“The Commandments warn us never to use God's name in vain. The prophets would say invoking the name of God doesn't amount to a hill of beans if you aren't establishing justice for the poor, for the orphan, widow and alien. The prophet Amos got sick of superficial talk about God. "Take away from me the noise of your songs … and instead let justice roll down like a mighty waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."

“I'm more concerned about our parties' policies than their talk of God. Anyone can talk about God. Isaiah said, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."

“I'm a Lutheran, so I subscribe to Luther's doctrine of the Two Kingdoms: The kingdom on the right is the church. The kingdom on the left is government. Luther was not in favor of a theocracy. Neither were the Founding Fathers. The Founding Fathers believed in God, but they did not want a theocracy. They clearly rejected the wedding of church and state. Luther said he'd rather be governed by a wise Turk than a foolish Christian.”

-I had to laugh at a column by Kathleen Parker yesterday in which she is ‘shocked, shocked that there is politicking going on at MSNBC.’ She reported that MSNBC has been pursuing a progressive agenda “ advancing their personal political agendas and, conveniently, that of the Democratic president and party.” This with hardly a mention of Fox News on the other side, drawing two or three times as many viewers. Sorry Kathleen, what’s sauce for the goose.. Maybe you’d like to call for a return of the FCC’s Fairness Doctrine that governed TV news from 1949 up to late in the Reagan administration that required broadcasters to present public issues in an honest and equitable manner.