The Truth Ray on Edwards - Religion

[bryant69]

Poll question: The Truth Ray on Edwards - Religion

Let's say we had a Truth Ray; makes anybody who gets hit by it tell the truth. And let's say we shine it's beam on Edwards and asks him about his United Methodist faith. Which of the following two answers would you like to hear?

Answer #1. "Look I know my religion is a crock, but it's necessary to be a Christian to run for President, and I want to be President. You can count on me to keep religious kooks out of government, but I have to pretend to be religious for now, at least."

Answer #2. "My faith informs my desire for justice and my drive to see the divisions tearing our nation in twain be healed. I respect other faiths, and I am strongly in favor of a separation of church and state, but my personal faith is a strength to me and is deeply and genuinely felt."

Let's also assume that we are using the truth ray on Edwards in private, so that if he gives answer 1 it won't sink his campaign (which it would if it were public.

Oh and I picked Edwards because I support him, and because he seems like a candidate most people don't hate - but if you want to insert any other candidate in your head that's fine; the point to this thought experiment is that the candidate be one who already has some liberal credentials.

Bryant
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[MethuenProgressive]

1. Present

Besides, Truth Rays don't work on trial lawyers.

[Echo In Light]

2. If truth were suddenly interjected into the American way: inevitable collapse

Would be refreshing though...

[bryant69]

3. That does seem overly cynical N/T

[Echo In Light]

4. I stole it from a recent George Carlin rant. One man's cynicism is another's realism

[patrice]

5. Dumb poll. You are mistaking words for reality.

And of all realities that might be confused with the words that we use to REFER to them, the phenomena that "we" call "God" would, by definition, be the least representable.

I think there are many people who are smart enough to recognize that fact and I think it quite possible that John Edwards is one such person.

[bryant69]

6. I guess that would be a third response

"I believe in God but I don't believe that he's understandable, and certainly not by using words. So it's kind of like I believe in God but not in any way that affects my life."

Bryant

[patrice]

8. I did not say "he" is not "understandable" (whatever that means)

I said all words about "him" are relatively meaningless.

P.S. Take a look at the human organism, not all awareness is dependent upon words. Ergo, understanding is not limited to words.

[bryant69]

11. Well I understand feeling the spirit as being somewhat inexplicable

I will say that this post was more about belief in religion than belief in God. Believing in the transcendent is one thing; it's quite a different thing to believe that the transcendent has spoken to man and through man to tell us what he/she/it wants us to do. Edwards might believe in a transcendent God; but he also is a member of religion. A religion with a holy book and a litany and commandments and directions on how one is to live one's life.

I guess you can imagine two axises - one going from faith/transcendence/enlightnment down to disbelief/cynicism. And crossing them might be one going from religious to irreligious. It's possible to be a strong believer in the divine without feeling the need for a particular church. It's equally possible to not really believe in the divine or not believe it's relevant while still thinking church is a good thing for bringing people together and giving good moral advice.

For this poll i'm more interested in the religious/irreligious axis.

Bryant

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. Well, my ex-Catholic, now UM wife, is a socialist with anarchist leanings.

So, if Edwards is anything like her, I'd hope he'd say that he support Kucinich.

[Echo In Light]

9. Anarcho-syndicalism. Count me in

[demnan]

10. #1

This morning's tragic headlines go to prove, the less religion you have, the less death and destruction.

Pakistan is a country born of religion during the independence of the Inidian subcontinent. Entire villages were divided and people religiously separating themselves.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

12. What a crock of crap

"This morning's tragic headlines go to prove, the less religion you have, the less death and destruction."

Yea Mao was a real religious guy, so was Stalin.. People are in general evil greedy things (hence the need for a government at all) and they will use anything to convince others to do their bidding..

We are not over in Iraq because we want to convert them and the American people would have never agreed to a religious crusade. Kids are dying over there for the same reason kids have dies through the ages

Power....

Of course today we dont go to convert the infidels, we go to 'spread democracy' but its all the same..