The religious left may be losing its mind. Perhaps it's just a momentary lapse of judgment in light of the Obama victory. After all, there is much to celebrate about this election. Not least of which is that it indicates Americans' willingness to take a chance based on hope, rather than stay the course because of fear. Whether our choice proves to be politically astute or not, that kind of hope-driven thinking lies at the center of all great societies and we should be proud to have moved in that direction.
Barack Obama's election tells us more about America and who we are as a nation than we can fully appreciate less than 48 hours after his election - that's what it means to be the kind of historic event which people, including me, are calling it. I believe that both his election and his presidency are filled with enormous potential. But perhaps we should hold off on grand claims regarding how God feels about Obama's election.
No rational person can claim that Barack Obama is the Messiah, literally God's anointed. The fact that many religious leaders on the left, including my fellow panelist at the Newsweek Washington Post OnFaith project, Susan K. Smith, can even suggest that is pretty disturbing. How can she, or anyone else, assert that "God brought this nation to this day"?
Unless Rev. Smith and those like her, means that God brings us to every day and that they would make the same claims about a McCain victory, they are in very dangerous territory. It's precisely the kind of talk that scared a lot of us when it came out of Sarah Palin's mouth. If the only distinction between the religious left and the religious right is the political conclusions which they reach, and not the degree of humility with which they reach them, then a pox on both their houses!
What distinguished the intelligent use of religion in public life is not who is correct about what God wants. Each side has plenty of evidence for it's conclusions about everything from abortion to health care to the war in Iraq. The issue should be the degree of respect that each side shows the other, how much room they make for those with opposing views. Without that, both the religious left and the religious right are simply interested in making the other into a carbon copy of themselves.
The claim that religious wisdom can inform our thinking about public life is made reasonable by our assurance that no one religious view should dictate public policy. I am rabbi for God's sake (no pun intended), but I would rather live in a thoroughly secular world than one in which people make prophetic claims about American politics - especially when they seem to think that they are the prophets.
If we are serious about healing the divides in this country, as President-Elect Obama has pledged over and again, let's follow his example. Let's celebrate this moment with smaller claims about its significance, especially from God's perspective, and larger acts which embody the values of modesty and unity which we claim to celebrate.
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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 
Monte E
I am APPALLED that any thinking american let alone a jew would fall for this sycophant --- he is no friend of jews, Israel...
I agree and have been saying so for months.
But let's face, he won the election. The GOP needs to rebuild the base. We're gonna need to reach out to Jews and the youth as well as others. Barry-0's first to years will be his test, the 2010 election he'll graded on that test.
Waiting... tic toc tic toc tic toc
Thank you so much for your thoughtful, inspiring comments, Rabbi. I really needed to read this, especially since I am one of those on the left to whom you were referring. It's important to realize that Mr. Obama is just a mortal, and that he will need our support and involvement to be the best president he can be.
The Rabbi says, "I would rather live in a thoroughly secular world than one in which people make prophetic claims about American politics - especially when they seem to think that they are the prophets."
I say, "Well said. Me too. Any day."
Best to you.
Bee Tree
Rabbi, I beg your difference: Perhaps you are too close for comfort to step back and look at the big picture as the Metaphoric force that is represented. Those of us that can actually refer to the President Obama as the "Messiah" are some of the chosen that can see beyond what is in front of us and familiar to what we know. By no means would I, (speaking for myself) compare Mr Obama with the All Mighty " I AM". But we live in a world, and time in this life's journey where the Metaphysical aspect of events, people, places and things play a prime role in our going outs and coming in. Therefore, for this time and the next leg of the journey of our great "United States of America", Mr Obama is, from my point of view, the "Messiah" that will lead.
Respectfully,
Julia
Obama is not the messiah.We christians did not vote for him because we thought he was dangerous but because of what he stands for.He believes in abortion and homosexual marriage.You must understand that God will judge a nation for the sins of it`s people.You can coddle yourself if you please but there comes a point in time when God says "enough".We are a people who are spoiled and selfish.This election year morals went in the trash can in place of money.People voted their pocketbooks and they will end up paying with their pocketbooks.If you think Obama is going to give you the golden age you are a fool.He is a smooth talker who fooled a lot of people .He is not the messiah and he probably is not the antichrist but this is just an example of how people will fall for the real antichrist.They are just ripe for the real one and someday in history he will appear.We don`t know who the real antichrist is yet but he will have a willing audiance when he does arrive.People will fall at his feet and that is what is truely scary.Debra.
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