The Un-Bradley Effect

Please Vote Today! - Brian McLaren.

I've never voted for a Democrat in all my life, but I'm voting for Obama. If the people at my Evangelical church knew, they would ostracize me and never treat me the same. So I'm not making a lot of noise about it, but when I get behind the curtain to vote, I'm voting for hope over fear.

I wonder if this will be known as the "un-bradley effect" - people who publicly seem to fall in step with the ongoing Religious Right dominance of the Evangelical community, but who privately differ and will vote their true conscience when given the chance.

Comments

[RevRight]

Fuzzy thinkers like McClaren have gotten my dander up, motivating me to find a voice on the world wide web regarding politics. Republicans are not perfect, but they are right on the most important issues, including abortion, public displays of the 10 commandments, and free market capitalism. I can't wait until America learns its lesson and "comes home" in 2012!

[streak]

Public displays of the 10 commandments is an important issue? Really? Is that really going to make a difference?

Oh, and I would point out that free market capitalism (not really a Christian value, btw) has led to this recent economic disaster.

[RevRight]

I suppose you're right, Streak. Public displays alone may not do the trick, as most folks probably wouldn't even read them. I myself am not terribly observant of my surroundings at times. So we'll also need to get the 10 commandments into the classrooms.

[streak]

Yes, and that will accomplish what? Will it teach conservative kids what their churches have obviously failed to teach--that the torture of other human beings is wrong? Will it challenge our easy decisions to bomb and invade?

[RevRight]

Well, it can't hurt. And I agree that churches bear their share of the blame. These days, "conservative" churches are too obsessed with lattes and video screens to equip our youth with important life skills such as Bible memorization, the avoidance of R-rated movies, and the use of puppetry in outreach.

[streak]

Bible memorization, the avoidance of R-rated movies, and the use of puppetry in outreach.

Heh. Perhaps I misread you. Puppetry is important.

[JoeG]

The 10 commandments do not belong in school. It tramples on my right to practice my non-Christian religion free from oppression. The 10 commandments are Christian. What about the other 200+ religions represented by the citizenry of the United States? Where is their representation in the classroom? Or does it not matter as long as your "truth" is being preached to all the non-Christian heathens that happen to attend school with your kids? I'm sick of this oppressionist Christian bullshit. Keep your religion in your home, in your church, and out of my face.

[RevRight]

JoeG - Thanks for your response (though I could have done without the salty language). To clarify, my son Todd attended the Christian academy I founded, at which there were no heathens in attendance (that I knew of). He's now 26 and still living at home, but that's another story!

[JoeG]

Sorry for the language, I shouldn't have used that tone. This has been a particularly tough topic for me this week because of a couple of personal incidents locally. A Christian academy is different, it is geared toward learning in a specific religious environment. That religious teaching has no place in a public school classroom, however. Your post above makes no distinction, and seems like an outright endorsement of the 10 commandments in public school classrooms. If I am wrong, please correct me. If I am right in my assumption, please tell me how this is not oppressive to other faiths.

[streak]

RevRight,

Please tell us more about the use of puppetry as outreach, especially as it is one of those important life skills. Are sock puppets superior? Why, and is there any scriptural support for this?

[RevRight]

Streak, there is no subject dearer to my heart. Steer clear of sock puppets would be my advice. They cause the hand to perspire rather heavily, and it is difficult to form one into a reasonable likeness of the Apostle Paul.

JoeG, no offense taken. Frankly, I'm happy to have the 10 commandments posted anywhere and everywhere. I used to leave them under windshield wipers at the Wal-Mart until they got the restraining order.

[streak]

I wonder what a sock puppet made of the ten commandments would look like?

Just brainstorming here. I think puppet ministry may be the next biggest thing in the Republican party, btw. Count on it.

[JoeG]

Well, so much for a serious conversation on the subject. Clearly RevRight is here just to stir the pot.

[rightdemocrat]

I voted for Obama despite appeals from my church to support McCain because of his stand on life issues. Nearly 30 years of voting Republican due to the right to life issue hasn't changed the legality of abortion. I hope that Obama will deliver on his promise to support programs to reduce the number of abortions.

Those who are pro-life and support traditional family values need to work within the Democratic Party.

Christians need to reject the free market policies of the Republicans and seek to bring the Democratic Party more in line with respect for life and traditional family values. Democratic constituencies like African Americans and Hispanics not only voted for Obama but also favored traditional marriage at the polls in states like Florida and California.

Pro-life and pro-traditional family voters need to recognize that they are being for granted by the Republicans. Social traditionalists get the rhetoric while the results go to Wall Street.

Democrats must focus on getting our economy back on track and being the party of working families. The Democratic Party needs to allow for a diversity of opinion on the social issues. Pro-lifers and social traditionalists need a place at the table within the party.

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[dlw]

so what's next for Carlos?

dlw

[Kevin Powell]

Carlos,

What happened? We need more fodder for our arguments, fodder that you provide so well!

kgp

[Small Obama]

Rough words chosen in the previous comments, be patient of what there's coming.

[Leopold Maximillian]

It is sad that you cannot express your opinions without remourse in your church. Personally, I would leave because the way you made it sound is that your church has entered a political relm in which its morale structure is based upon. If this is to be true than you are no longer in the House of God.

[Stacy]

It's time we recognized that patterns of racism are still deeply embedded in this country, and that representation makes a difference - do you know about the Obama effect? African American students are performing better on standardized tests since the election in a way that is statistically undeniable. Upholding Community Values by Deepak Bhargava and Seth Borgos is a great essay on how we can erase the differences of opportunity in the country - it's in the book Thinking Big.

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[Greg]

It hasn't worked out that well, has it. Not that I expected any better from McCain - I voted for Ron Paul.

[phoenix az insurance]

Before you criticize the ten commandments, go and read them. The vast majority simply instruct us to live good, moral lives. Nothing wrong with that.

[Yriy]

wir werden nicht nicht helfen als, aber das Verständnis eines jedes von uns ermöglicht, einer beliebigen Frage zu leben...

[Miki]

Ahora esto se mira con gran esfuerzo entretenido, mundial. Con las fuerzas andar en altercados claro con este motivo pero que no hables mí se alegro..