Did Catholics Save McCain?
Monday February 4, 2008
Categories: John McCain
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About God-o-Meter
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The God-o-Meter (pronounced Gah-DOM-meter) scientifically measures factors such as rate of God-talk, effectiveness—saying God wants a capital gains tax cut doesn't guarantee a high rating—and other top-secret criteria (Actually, the adjustment criteria are here). Click a candidate's head to get his or her latest God-o-Meter reading and blog post. And check back often. With so much happening on the campaign trail, God-o-Meter is constantly recalibrating!God-o-Meter blogger Dan Gilgoff is Beliefnet's Politics Editor. A former political correspondent for U.S. News & World Report, he is author of The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War.
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God-o-meter??!! And you wonder why intelligent, educated people want nothing to do with religion. You turn a matter of life and death into a bad joke, and make yourselves into one at the same time. I shudder to imagine what Elijah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, Jesus, Paul, Augustine, etc. would think of this nonsense.
Religion is dying, not because it is losing the battle with secularism, but because it is being trivialized, and chief among the ones who trivialize it are those who practice it. They are digging its grave.
Well, no, religion is not dying: the number of Catholics, for instance, is growing both in the USA and around the world. Some of the old-line Protestant churches (which, perhaps not incidentally, hold liberal social positions) are showing no growth or declining. But the Evangelical churches are growing. Again, this is true both in the USA and around the world.
And increasing numbers of young people come to "Youth Masses" at Catholic churches and "Youth Services" at Protestant churches.
But O'Brien - 20% of Americans consider themselves agnostic - a rate spike which surpasses the Evangelical recruitment of new parishioners. And the Catholic Church is struggling with fewer numbers joining the priesthood and vocational life.
The reason is mostly because instead of focusing on the spiritual health of their congregation churches now seem determined to make the most important issues of the day - controlling other peoples actions and legislating sexual morality. The pro-life position is not about saving fetuses. If it were, there are many ways we could rally around anti-abortion activism that reduces un-intended pregnancy. It's about sexual morality and putting women back in their place - the kitchen. Which is exactly where true catholic women who abide to the no birth control rule are.
Thankfully, I live in California - so RoeVWade or not, I'll always have my rights over my body.
I'll always have my rights over my body.
And the power of life and death over any body which may happen to grow within you.
Intoxicating, that.
"Religion is dying... because it is being trivialized"
No, actually it's thriving because it is being trivialized...
Interestingly, Catholics may have helped Clinton in record numbers.
http://www.catholicdemocrats.org/news/2008/02/on_a_big_day_of_primaries_acro.php#more
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