Today's edition of Tell Me More on NPR features a conversation about faith, God, and presidential candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama. Hosted by Lynn Neary, the discussion included Beliefnet's Dan Gilgoff and yours truly. And it was fascinating. Not so much because of the brilliance of the guests, though we were! (Though we were actually pretty good.), The amazing part was Lynn Neary's reaction to one of my points.
Responding to her question about something we should have heard at the Saddleback Civil Forum, I mentioned that I would have liked to here both candidates, who have each described themselves as Christians, share with us a biblical passage or teaching of Jesus which they would like to keep in mind each day when they entered the oval office. Our host was stunned. "But", she almost stammered, "You're a rabbi".
So? Because I am a rabbi, I shouldn't care what Christians believe? Because I am a Jew, I should automatically want less faith in the political mix? It's a little sad that we have come to that. The truth is that I am not worried about proudly professing Christians in the Oval office. I am concerned about anyone in the Oval Office who allows their faith, whatever it may be (including atheism and agnosticism) to overtake their respect for other faiths and those who practice them.
I would actually welcome the reintegration of religious wisdom into the political conversation. The reason that wisdom is so often banished is because those who are most eager to use it, whether on the right or the left, do so in ways that are always designed to prove that God is on their side and supports their policies. Frankly, that use of religion should disturb us all, even if at any given moment it happens to be breaking our way.
But the real issue is that a national radio host would be shocked by my interest. Even if one is totally hostile to religion, once a candidate for president tells us that he is a Christian, we need to know what he means by that and should encourage him to explain himself. That's just being an educated voter. But because we too often confuse that which we like to hear with that which we need to hear, we get people who would rather play ostrich, simply ignoring important issues because they may be difficult to work through. If that isn't a recipe for bad politics, I don't know what is.
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Author, radio and TV talk show host, and President of CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, Brad Hirschfield is the author of 
> I think social responsibility requires a person to say, explain, and tell beliefs, as all beliefs
>affect each other (every other person on planet earth): What will happen if people avoid the
>issues of life, housing, economy, culture, war and peace, budgeting priorities (What issues of life are >important) when considering making or passing a budget for all persons affected/or to be affected
>by a passed or proposed budget? How will your beliefs affect my view of life or of you? How will my
>beliefs affect your view of life of me or others? How will we know that we can be safe and free in the >practice of our religion? To what degree do we know that we have common values or not, if we do
>not hear others give their take on common words and concepts spoken? Will we be :( or :), or show
>courtesy, respect, care, or will we be selfish, only thinking ourselves and our wants and desires?
What has stunned me in this election cycle is the negative judgemental remarks of so called christians towards the presidential candidates. These are men and I do think they believe in God. Whether they have a personal relationship with HIM is another matter. According to the media Evangelicals consistently vote Republican. Yet this is a party that continuously have demoralizing scandals for the last 8 years. You have a candidate in McCain who has cheated on his wife and dishonors his POW experience by using it as a crutch to avoid answering questions. He is using Karl Rove's smear attacks on Obama when he stated he would run a clean straight forward campaign. Many unbelievers are turned off from christianity because they are selective in which sins are the worse. Christ said hate the sin not the sinner. Prevent abortions provide solutions to avoid pregnancy not attack women who are so desperate they seek abortions. Brarack Obama has consistently run the campaign he said he will run and despite untrue rumors that he is a militant muslim he is a good family man and a man who loves his country. Christians should pray for both these men that they will allow God to lead them always.
Obama is for abortion and has voted for every abortion bill that has come his way.If a person does not stand up for the unborn and defend them then that person does not respect human life.If Obama does not respect the unborn then what makes you think he will respect any other life.Obama has also said that if it comes down to a choice between the muslums and Israel that he is going to stand on the side of the muslums.Considering all the other things he stands for that should make the jews and everybody else very nervous.Obama wants to give the abortionist the right to kill a baby if it survives an abortion attempt.He said if he becomes president that this bill is going to be the first thing he signs into law.That type of person is very wicked.I believe "Gods" word and God pronounces a double woe on anybody who kills an innocent life.When the unborn are murdered how long can we ask god to bless us as a nation.I have heard numerous times that the jews are afraid of christians and that is really sad because a lot of christians love the jews.I love the jews for the kind of people they are and the Lord wants us to do that because we are brothers and sisters in Christ.My Lord Jesus Christ was a jew.But then why do any peolpe have to hate each other?It must grieve God so much.The Lord is coming again and the bible askes if he will find faith on the earth.I hope he finds more than we have now.I have been asked why I am not going to vote for Obama.My answer is:I cannot vote for somebody who stands for the things that he stands for.I have to stand before my Lord someday and whether you believe it or not you will be held accountable for the kind of person you put in office.you can beleive that or not.It`s your choice.Sincerely Debra.
I am sorry i do NOT believe that Judiasm can only be safe if Christianity is weak. BOTH religins are based in the same basic princples--and the ruje of loving the nieghbor.Only fanaticcs (of any religion) think that G-d wishes them to police the practices of brethren.
Concerning abortions.....I feel that for those who think of abortions as repugnant, then by all means regardless of the circumstances, don't have one.
However there are those who have found or find themselves in a situation in which abortion for them is the only way to deal with an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, then that option should be available to them. No one should be forced to bring a child into this world that they have indicated they don't want. A child, even a protential one deseves better.
When I head of all of the babies born that have been killed or maimed by the parents or boyfiends or girlfriends or relatives of that child, I literally cry for those babies. Just because a person has the right equipment for producing a child, doesn't mean they should be parents of a even a goldfish, let alone a child.
I read recently of a woman who put her child in the microwave and 'cooked it' rather than it be found that the child wasn't her boyfriends'. I heard of people who beat a baby, a baby mind you, to death because the baby was crying to much and it got on his nerve. I've read the horror stories of babies being dicarded like garage, starved to death, abandoned, and this is in the USA. Please forgive me but I'd rather know that a woman aborted a child she didn't want rather than kill it, or torture it later.
If someone is saying that THEY don't want to give birth, it takes approxiately 8 to 9 months for a child to develop safely in the womb before it can be expected to successfully survive in our enviroment. If the host is saying no, then hell, by all means, don't force it upon her. After all this is a protential child we are taking about, and it would have enough to deal with in our world then to be born to a mother that hates it. Please, that option should never be taken off the table for THOSE WHO WANT IT.
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