WP: Kerry Talks of Loss, Renewal of His Catholic Faith

[DeepModem Mom]

Kerry Talks of Loss, Renewal of His Catholic Faith
By Alan Cooperman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 19, 2006; Page A04

In a speech he said he wishes he had given before the 2004 presidential election, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) yesterday described his religious life in greater candor and detail than ever before.

Kerry said in Malibu, Calif., that he "wandered in the wilderness" after the Vietnam War but came back to the Roman Catholic Church after a sudden and moving revelation in the late 1980s.

Kerry expressed regret over his reluctance to talk publicly about his faith during his failed presidential campaign. "I learned that if I didn't fill in the picture myself, others would draw the caricature for me. I will never let that happen again -- and neither should you," he told students at Pepperdine University.

Kerry is the third high-profile Democrat to give a reflective, deeply personal speech on religion and politics in recent weeks, following Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Robert P. Casey Jr., the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania.

The addresses fit into a broader effort by liberal religious groups and Democratic candidates to appeal to religiously motivated voters in November's midterm elections....Yesterday, a new group called Red Letter Christians, named for the colored type that highlights the words of Jesus in popular editions of the Bible, called for Christians to "vote their values" by considering the war in Iraq, torture, environmental degradation and helping the poor to be vital religious issues....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/18/AR2006091801149.html

[Kutjara]

1. Sometimes I have a hard time believing these are adults...

...bareing their souls and telling Sunday School stories of personal redemption. The Republicans have once again framed the debate, only this time Democrats are being dragged into "holier-than-thou" pissing contests over who loves God more. What's next, Dean, Kerry and Clinton singing "Kumbaya" on the Capitol steps with flowers in their hair?

The whole country is falling apart around us and our leaders are all claiming Jesus wants them for a sunbeam. I feel like I'm living in an insane asylum.

[lvx35]

2. People of faith are just itching to come over.

They sense the moral problems with the Iraq war, global warming, and a president who openly advocates torture. The Dems are looking holier every day by way of contrast. Somebody has got to tell them that the water is fine over here, and that's what Kerry is doing.

[Kutjara]

3. Fine, as long as it's made clear to them that the days of...

...religious zealots setting the political agenda are coming to a close. If we start appeasing them and compromising on core policies just to secure the whacko vote, we're no better than the Repugs.

[lvx35]

5. Its fine, if your willing to focus on "religious zealots" as the problem

and not "religious people" as the problem. Most people of faith are normal, moderate folks.

[Kutjara]

6. I take your point, but it's still disturbing...

...that, 500 years after the birth of the Renaissance and 300 years into the 'Age of Reason,' public policy is still being framed in terms of faith (and exclusively Christian faith, at that). We will only have matured as a nation when a politician's religious views are no more important than his/her shoe size.

[Duncan Idaho]

8. haven't you heard?

the Age Of Reason and the Renaissance are "quaint".

[Kutjara]

9. They're more like the titles of progressive rock albums...

...and styles of diningroom furniture to most people. "Hey have you heard Todd Rundgren's 'Age of Reason?'" "Yeah, I was listening to it while assembling my 'Renaissance' suite from Ikea."

[lvx35]

11. Look at the bright side

These dems aren't interested in putting faith into public policy, (legislatively) but the republicans are...and they are trying to sell themselves of the party of religion. All the Dem's need to do is show its okay to be religious and a democrat, its possible to like God but also support the separation of church and state. If they can do this, a decent chunk of Bush's base will split...they are sick of being told they need to read Ann Coulter's hate filled crap if they are to call themselves followers of Christ. If they split, we can guarantee a Dem leader in 2008 if the election is remotely fair, which means a proper constitutional separation of church and state, which means rights and civil liberties protected for you, and a cleaned up politics free relious/spiritual scene for me.

[arewenotdemo]

41. I agree 1000 %

[dogfacedboy]

23. Yes, most are.

We can have no Falwells or Robertsons or Phelpses, however.

[michreject]

35. Phelps is a registered Democrat

Phelps remained prominent in state and local politics, working for years as a major organizer for the state's Democratic Party. (He still calls himself a Democrat, refusing to change just because his party has.) In 1988, Phelps housed campaign workers for Al Gore's first presidential run; in 1989, his eldest son, Fred Jr., hosted a fundraiser for Gore's Senate campaign at his home.

http://www.nopunditintended.com/2005/08/fred_phelps__democrat_activist.html

He's still a crack pot. I think the other side has more though.

[lvx35]

37. The difference is we give phelps no power.

He may as well be a republican, claiming Dem status to try to bring us down...at least as far as Democratic leadership is concerned. However, the religious dominionist influence is evident in the republican party right of the level of the White House.

[JerseygirlCT]

16. Joining the agenda is what I think they're being invited to do

the environment, torture, the war... I have no problem welcoming more people to those struggles, you know?

[asthmaticeog]

22. Zealots looking to set a theocratic agenda are NOT the point here.

The majority of Christians are not theocratic zealots, but as long as the GOP can sucessfully portray the entire Democratic Party as, ahem, "Godless," we'll have a hard time reaching those voters. Democrats talking openly and candidly about the role of faith in their lives is not wrong - it's what most Americans do. And as long as Dems are silent about their beliefs, the opposition will continue to succeed in portraying a Dem vote as a vote for atheism. The Dems KNOW that fundies aren't going to come over to our side. And we don't NEED fundies. We need to fracture the "values" hold over the GOP, and if politicians can do that by simoply being as open about their beliefs in public as normal people are, they damn well oughtta. Hell, I'm an atheist (though raised Jewish) and I've never understood why Dems were so scared of their religious beliefs. I'm not abashed about my beliefs and I'm in a reviled religious minority (or two), why have they been so scared to express their devotion to the faith of America's majority? OH - maybe it's because people like you will rush out of their holes to scream "THEOCRAT" at them.

[shrike]

32. Thanks so much for your comment

I keep hoping for the day when good-hearted atheists (like you) and good-hearted Christians (like me) can agree to disagree on some things and work on a better way to live for all.

[blm]

28. Hardly - I'm an atheist, and the entire speech is about the HUMANITY that

has been ignored in favor of the divisive hate speech.

I worried it was a capitulation to the religious right, but, after reading, it actually takes AIM at them USING the teachings of the liberal Jesus.

Kucinich could have made this speech.

[karynnj]

39. Kerry really doesn't seem attacked to zealots of any stripe

[zonkers]

13. You and me both.

[LaurenG]

15. Maybe Kerry needed to say what he did

So what if he talks about his faith. He isn't isn't stuffing anything down our throats and he isn't making anyone feel bad nor is he trying to tell us his beliefs are the only way.

I think exposing himself for what he believes is important.

[KoKo]

24. well said.....one does wonder how letting Repugs frame this doesn't

just push us into another trap of "reacting" instead of "acting." :-(

[TriMetFan]

25. We on the Religious Left

are trying to take the wind out of the right. I'm glad to see Kerry speaking up about his faith. I believe the more we talk about the true meaning of the word of Christ, the more people that have been on the edge of falling into the path of the wacko right, will come to understand the true meaning of "What Would Jesus Do?" That is all that is going on. It doesn't mean that the Separation of State and Church should be done away with. If anything we on the religious Left believe in that very much.:)

[karynnj]

38. Read the speech

What Kerry is doing is explaining his own spiritual framework and how it impacts his serving the country. I think Kerry may be the most grownup of the grown ups.



http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=4212

If you read it, there are many many echos of Kerry's comments in the secular world.

[demnan]

4. He acts like he's running for something

Senator, concentrate on your good deeds in the Senate. You only get one chance in your lifetime to run for President, unless of course, you're Richard Nixon.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Kutjara]

10. I'm sure God is soooo pleased.

He was really losing sleep over Kerry's black soul.

[keopeli]

12. He spoke at my alma mater, Pepperdine, which is a very conservative school

The dean of the law school is Ken Starr. 95% of the Faculty are from a single denomination - Church of Christ. This is a fundamentalist evangelical religion. Other notables grace the campus, such as George Will & Ben Stein. Professors are often called on by news shows to represent republican positions on faith and government, among other things.

Pepperdine was the second place at which Ronald Reagan spoke after leaving the WH.

To be fair, they have hosted a democrat (usually "small potatoes" and low profile) from time to time, but the topic is always amicable to their positions.

In this case, the Kerry speech fit the criteria (even though it was about Catholicism and Pepperdine is Evangelical Protestant, which has also been done before). However, the fact that they hosted this speech is certainly a departure from their tradition and must have been very difficult for the upper echelon to digest. I know there are some good people in top positions there. Maybe their rationale is beginning to come through. I can hope, anyway.

In as much as conservative Christians are willing to respond to the 'olive branch' that is being extended by liberal Christians (like myself), I think it is a good thing. The political rift that exists must be bridged if we are ever to recover from this pathetic mess we're in. If not, the cycle of rivalries that has allowed rogue oil men to take over the government will continue.

Peace.

[H2O]

14. This line right here

says it all.

"Shame on us if we use our faith to divide and alienate people from one another, or if we draft God into partisan service," Kerry said. "As God gives us the ability to see, let us take up the tasks associated with loving our neighbors as ourselves."

As I read those words, I thought to myself "why has no one ever used this commandment when they claim to be the party of religion?" Of course, the sad part is, no one is going to win an election using that line, because the party in power will continually keep this country divided.

[blm]

19. The whole speech sounds like Kucinich could have given it.

As an atheist, I appreciate faith used for PROGRESSIVE policies, not for manipulating and furthering divisive policies.

I'm glad he spoke to these conservative young people and talked about PROGRESSIVE use of faith.

[kwassa]

31. Pepperdine does have a strong 'Christian' basis

I got my MBA there, and always felt out of place, actually. There was no religion in the classroom, but it was strongly in the beliefs of the founder.

Pepperdine does attract such conservative speakers that a number of my friends walked out of my graduation ceremony in disgust over the viewpoint. The MBA had been pretty insulated down on the Culver City campus, though most were aspiring Republicans anyways.

Many conservative businessmen, by the way, don't care the slightest bit about religion. It is all about the money. Pepperdine seems to attact those that are both conservative and religious.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

17. Wasn't he excommunicated right before the last election?

Maybe not but he was swiftPoped.

[Atman]

18. More opportunism.

This is like finding Jesus in the political foxhole. Pfffft. We need LESS of this shit, John, not MORE. Find your spine instead. You had your chance to storm the front lines but you chose to sit back and cower. American doesn't need more finger-in-the-wind-ers.

[pinerow]

21. Amen and Hallelujah...you are right on the mark...

keep your religion(s)to yourself and concentrate on the greater good.

[karynnj]

40. Actually that is what he did for 20 plus years

However in 2004, that position left his religion and his spirituality, an unknown that the RW chose to define. It was hidden enough that in reading something on Rove, mentioning that he went after strengths, one listed that surprised me was "his strong Catholic faith".

What Kerry is doing is defining himself. If he is going to run again he needs to let people know him as he really is. I'm impressed that a man often referred to as private could give this intensely private speech.

This is like what his friends are helping him on in his military service - they want every last detail of the SBVT charges explained and refuted. He clearly wants to be defined as who he is.

[LordLovesAWorkingMan]

34. Um, what if he actually feels that way?

Aren't you selling him short? Are you really willing to write this off as a cynical move to appeal to religious folk, should he choose to run in 2008?

[alarimer]

20. When will it be acceptable to be an atheist?

Just once I want someone to stand up and admit to it. Now Kerry is obviously not that person and that's okay. He can believe whatever he wants. And I don't think he is the type to shove it down anyone's throat. But I am so fucking sick of religion and religious pandering. I blame the fundie wackos for this. I want my country back.

[wisteria]

26. Very, very good speech. It was open and honest. He really opened

up and revealed a personal part of himself. I enjoyed reading this speech.

[MrPrax]

27. Wow...all this ecumenicalism.

So when are ya'll becoming Catholics?

:evilgrin:

[Peace Patriot]

29. Well, this might explain why he participated in a faith-based election,

run by Bushite electronic voting corporations, using TRADE SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code, with virtually no audit/recount controls, and never suspected that anything might be amiss. If you support the entirely undemocratic, monolithic, anti-half the population, Roman Catholic Church, that kind of "election" might make sense to you. God fingers the "winner," with Diebold and ES&S as His Instruments.

I have nothing at all against Catholics. I have considerable reason to believe that rank and file Catholics are a potentially great progressive force. But John Kerry touting his Roman Catholic faith is something else entirely. It gives legitimacy to this heinous male hierarchy which seized the true Christian religion back in the 5th century AD, and turned it to the purpose of state-imposed thought and baptism by the sword--a right turn away from Jesus' teachings that you can follow straight through the witch-burnings, book-burnings, pogroms, inquisitions, bloody crusades and other wars, all the way to the present "pope" and his inflammatory remarks about Islam.

Kerry should be DISAVOWING this male hierarchy--and the current "pope"'s stirring up of "crusader" bloodshed--instead of lending support to it, by implication. His faith may be personal, but his public position is not. It is a position that WE GAVE HIM--we, the people, in all of our variety of beliefs or non-belief. I DO understand what some posters have said above, about trying to rescue Christianity from the bloody-minded fascists, warmongers and corporatists who are using it to justify mass murder, torture, greed and oppression. And I was torn about posting this objection. I know what you're saying. And, generally, I support such outreach. But there are ISSUES here, with this Church--SERIOUS issues--in the way it is organized, and what its exclusively male hierarchy preaches. They not only exclude all women from positions of power, they not only have scandalized the world with the prevalence of child molesters in their midst, they have crossed over the line on political issues, and are meddling in the affairs of democratic countries, here and elsewhere, in sometimes truly heinous ways--for instance, their stance against condoms in the fight against AIDS, and their lobbying against ALL abortions, no matter what has happened to the woman or girl. A man like Kerry is most certainly giving an implicit endorsement of these views by speaking about his faith in public at a rightwing university. He may think it's outreach. I find it offensive--and it gives me that queasy feeling I get around these "little lord" priests who swish through their fetishistic performances at the altar, in their satin and lace, between rounds of golf. They are a boys' club, and a quite sick one at that.

Christianity, yes. "Love thy neighbor." Yes. To be perfect, give all you have to the poor and "come follow me." Yes. But dictating "doctrine"? Anathematizing "heretics"? Accumulating vast property holdings? Holding debates about whether or not women have souls? Saying that women can't be priests because they don't PHYSICALLY RESEMBLE Jesus, i.e., don't have a prick? (--the last "pope" said that!). Powermongering and warmongering? NO! And these latter things are what the Roman Catholic Church--in its unbelievable arrogance and sacrilege and crime and sin--have come to stand for. It is time for all sincere Catholics to utterly reject these tendencies, and reform this Church. And politicians pandering to it, even with good motives, doesn't help.

[Bridget Burke]

44. Sorry for my late response to your little screed.

But I'm sure you'll just love this site: www.ianpaisley.org/toc.asp?loc=rome

[goforit]

30. What an sheep following sucker!

[Sapere aude]

33. Can we have some equal time for atheists and agnostics?

I'm getting a little tired of all those who need to let the world know how they conduct their spiritual lives. I want to know how you are going to conduct the business of the people!

This is similar to his vote on the IWR, it is what he thinks he needs to do to get elected.

[VegasWolf]

36. Amen! nt

[saracat]

42. And what happens to reproductive rights? If we cling to the tenants of the

faith? The minister says the liberals may mean what they say but the way they vote says otherwise. Honestly if we have to give up choice and cater to the religious to win, I will renounce my citizenship. Seriously. As a woman, I mean more to me. If I can't be equal, I am gone. This mixing and "inflicting" of religion is just wrong.I believe in separation of Church and state. I see no reason why we even have to know what a politician's religion is. It shouldn't even be asked and they should NOT volunteer.

[wisteria]

43. I enjoyed this article and I appreciate Kerry's approach to faith

and responsibility.

[Psephos]

45. Ain't buyin' it. Doesn't pass the smell test.

My opinion, nothing more, nothing less.

Peace.