should we use religion too?

[Syrinx]

I hate to mix religion and politics.

But is that the key to winning in the "red" states?

If we can't beat them, should we join them?

And THEN beat them?

Should we use the words of Jesus to show that the Republicans are of Satan?

[EMAN51]

1. Read "The Left Hand of God" by Rabbi Michael Lerner

This is an excellent book on this topic and fairly well sums up my position.

[Syrinx]

2. I will look for it

Thanks.

[shayes51]

3. Whose religion?

My vote is no.

[Syrinx]

4. I would assume the religion of the vast majority of voters

Protestant Christianity. As I posted in another, related, thread:

In statewide races, we basically give the Republicans a 30 point head start, by letting them claim as their own, all religion, morality, and "family values."

This Republican pedophilia (probably pederasty) scandal is a great opportunity to point out that the modern GOP is antithetical to everything Jesus Christ, whether son of God or mere mortal, stood for.

Alabama Democrats need to start pulling our own weight in regards to taking our country back from the filthy, bloody, Fascist hands that are tightening around our collective neck.

We need desperately to point out to all these self-proclaimed devout Christians that the Democratic Party, at its core, is about love, tolerance, and compassion, and that the Republicans are about war, division, hate and selfishness.

And then ask them "What would Jesus do?"

[Frances]

5. Have you kept up with the Senate race in Tennessee?

Ford had a good commercial made in his home church. He mentioned religion in tonight's debate with Corker (I clicked on a CSpan link provided here at DU and saw it live).

Ford's Baptist upbringing was very apparent in the way he mentioned his pastor and his reference to Matthew chapter and verse to make a point. He repeated a line from the church commercial saying he started going to church the old-fashioned way: "I was made to go... but I'm a better person for it."

I was laughing out loud at how he put the Methodist Republican Corker on the defensive. Of course, Ford is black and Corker is white. There are more whites than blacks in Tennessee. But, on the other hand, there are more Baptists than Methodists! We'll see how this plays out, but I think Ford has definitely negated any religious advantage Corker has.

[Syrinx]

6. good for Harold Ford!

We've got to beat the SOB's at their own game, and we are definitely on the side of good.

By the way, Frances, to see you post here at this specific time is spooky. This time last night, I started thinking about you, and wondered where the heck you went. Nice to see you! :hi:

[Frances]

7. Thanks for thinking of me.

I was born in Alabama as were 3 of my grandparents. I was 26 when I moved away (I thought temporarily), but here I am, a senior citizen, living in California after spending a few years in Massachusetts and many years in Maryland (a great state by the way). Both of my children spent their teen summers in Alabama with our many relatives, so they, like me, have Alabama roots.

Nobody in my home town had a TV until I was in the 7th grade, so football, basketball, baseball, and church were important for entertainment. My parents were Methodist and I liked the Methodist Sunday school. But many, many times I went to Baptist Training Union at night (the Methodists' youth program began in 7th grade--there was nothing for elementary aged kids) and then stayed for the Baptist evening service because I liked their hymns. Back in those days every 5th Sunday evening worship was a joint service between the Baptists and Methodists. According to my mother, those joint services ended about 10 years ago because the Methodists got a female minister and the Baptist preacher didn't approve of female ministers.

[Syrinx]

8. well, really, I'm not very religious at all

I don't remember the last time I went to church; it was probably one Easter. However, I do fully embrace the TRUE message of Christianity, which is pretty much 180 degrees to the message of today's far-right "religious" conservatives. They, whether they realize it or not (and I believe that many, if not most, in the upper levels of government do realize it), make a mockery of Jesus Christ.

I genuinely enjoy hearing your memories from an earlier time. In some obvious ways those days were much worse than today, but they were also simpler and more authentic. Nowadays we are bombarded by such a surreal cacophony of propaganda and deceit, it is some wonder that there is even a single sane American citizen left. If today's corporate media had been around in the 1860's, I'm almost certain that slavery would be legal to this day.

Sincerely, I hope that our once great country has not regressed beneath a depth of no return, but as the weeks and months and years pass, I become increasingly concerned that the true greatness of the United States Of America has been swallowed up, chewed up, and spit out, by greed-driven hypocrites and liars in $2,000 suits, preaching Jesus while screwing, literally and figuratively, sixteen-year-old boys and girls.

George Bush is often, on this board, compared to a chimp, but I think that is unfair to chimpanzees. Bush has sought and, amazingly, acquired powers that are truly dictatorial. He can now spy on us, unsupervised by any court. He can even have us locked up, even on a whim, on his say-so alone. Our families don't have to be notified. We can't even challenge our detention in any court. This in the United States Of America.

I don't know what the future will bring, but I'm not particularly optimistic. It will, in all probability, come down to one man, and his name is Anthony Kennedy.

[Frances]

10. I have mixed feelings about religion

I think Falwell and Dobson are just modern day versions of snake oil salesmen. They have nothing in common with Jesus.

On the other hand, I do have respect for some of the Methodists that I knew when I was growing up.

Powers McLeod was a Methodist minister in my small town when I was very young. I really don't remember much about his sermons then. However, he was minister of the Methodist church in Auburn when I attended that college. When I was a freshman, in one of his sermons, McLeod said that the story of Adam and Eve was not literally true. That summer I repeated what McLeod said to two Baptist co-workers. They were so upset that I would even consider thinking such a thing that they refused to eat lunch with me for a week or two!

A few years ago I was reading about the integration of Auburn (the year after I graduated). The author said that McLeod had been one of the people working to make the integration effort go smoothly.

Another Methodist minister in my hometown, Brother Christenberry said that hell was the absence of God. He had been a conscientious objector in World War II and served as a medic. Back then so many men had been in combat that they looked up to Brother Chris. They said that being a medic was one of the most dangerous jobs in the military.

[Syrinx]

12. Mr. Christenberry sounds like a great man

It's funny how those that are against war are so often the most courageous. Though, World War Two seems like a rare case of justifiable and necessary war.

[carzen]

9. If you wanna use religion in AL, look only to your avatar

[Syrinx]

11. well, yeah

I wish Bear Bryant was alive and well, helping Mike Shula coach, and endorsing every Democrat around. My team and state would be doing a lot better.