Faithful God-o-Meter reader Paul Shiras writes about the Wright/Obama controversy:
Can we give this a rest? When I challenged my pastor over things he said from the pulpit, I was sanctioned by the church board. Let’s talk about the issues that face the nation and stop dwelling on the rantings of a man no longer on the stage.
God-o-Meter would like to challenge Shiras’s let’s-just-talk-about-the-issues rationale for downplaying the Wright flap. The controversy died down last week, of course, but GOM feels that dismissing the flap as a distraction from “real issues” let’s the Democrats unfairly have it both ways on religion–to use it when it suits them and to brush it aside when it doesn’t.
If the party and its presidential candidates are going to wage a vigorous campaign to win back religious voters, largely by spotlighting their own personal faith, including the importance of spiritual mentors like Wright, they should have to answer tough questions about their religious resumes, too. Otherwise, White House hopefuls are permitted to exploit religious purely for their own political purposes while avoiding explaining the implications of their religious faith on the nation, should they land in the White House. Isn’t that what Republican candidates–Huckabee and Romney come to mind–have been doing for years?
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posted March 31, 2008 at 1:41 pm
“Should the Media Give Wright a Rest?”
I think the average number of commenters per blog post on God-o-Meter (0, 1 or possibly 2 on average!!!) shows exactly how much the “people of faith” (TM) who visit Beliefnet care about Wright. And most things ‘God’ related to the election, for that matter. There isn’t supposed to BE ANY test of religious faith to hold office in America! Have you forgotten that?
What a waste of time and money for Time magazine.
posted March 31, 2008 at 2:26 pm
I think the lack of comments shows just how out of touch Time magazine has become with the American populace in general.
posted April 2, 2008 at 4:45 am
All these comments about Rev. Wright are not ‘God talk’ at all.
Just smear talk. And an attempt to make people think they will have their revenge on Rev. Wright, when in fact they just be voting for more wars, deficits, and a dollar that’s worth about a dime.
That’s what we should be talking about- things that actually affect real Americans.
posted April 2, 2008 at 4:54 pm
“Just smear talk.”
Agreed. And I think most readers here on B’net can see that quite clearly. Rod Dreher’s column and this “God-o-Rama” blog seem to obsess on Obama/Wright. Dreher seems to have a lot more hardcore RRRers than this “God-a-licious” tripe we get here though. Of the 14 blog entries from “this week”, 10 of them are about Obama, with an average reader response of 2.4 comments per entry. With this comment, I’ve managed to up it to 2.5 comments per entry.
Take the hint, Time/God-a-polooza, and give it a rest already.
All God-a-riffic all the time in a country that USED to pride itself on not having ANY religious tests to hold public office. Makes me wanna puke.