WP: Faith Increasingly Part Of Kerry's Campaign

[kskiska]

Monday, October 18, 2004; Page A01

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 17 -- John F. Kerry is evolving from a reserved Catholic reluctant to discuss faith in the public square into a Democratic preacher of sorts who speaks freely and sometimes forcefully about religion on the hustings.

From the pulpit to the pastures, Kerry is increasingly spreading a more spiritual message and visiting local churches, as he did the past two days in Ohio, to expound on the political lessons of the Bible's James and Saint Paul.

(snip)

"My faith affects everything that I do, in truth," Kerry said during the debate last week in Tempe, Ariz. The candidate is planning to further elaborate on faith, family and values in a speech this week, aides said.

It wasn't always this way. For much of the campaign, Kerry resisted pressure from some Democrats, including aides, to discuss his faith more widely and mostly touched on the topic only before African American audiences on Sundays.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40595-2004Oct17.html

[NewYorkerfromMass]

1. Another enemy position Kerry has steered his Swift boat into

and by gosh it's working here too. The "faith without deeds" screed has been a winner.

[Sugarbleus]

11. You are so right!

Bringing up his faith probably wouldn't be done except for the radical religious fervor eminating from the neo fascists. So many old time church goers are buying into Bush's interpretation of spiritual things. It's ABOUT TIME someone called them on their errors!

For atheists and non religious people, this shouldn't freak anyone out because the type of "faith" Kerry espouses also means that we DON'T PUSH RELIGION ON OTHERS AGAINST THEIR WILL. It means live and let live. Pursue happiness in whatever way seems fit for you.

I'm really STOKED that Kerry has brought up the "heart" of the Christian ethic: FAITH WITHOUT DEEDS IS DEAD. Bush and his ilk are following a bastardized version of Christianity in that they go more for the EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF ideology and completely forget that LOVE HAS LEGS. It's not just a word. It is an ACTION--DEEDS

Soooooooooo, christian repugs, kick down the LOVE already. Raise the minimum wage, save our jobs, help the sick and the poor, educate the people at a fair price, provide healthcare for ALL people...including the medicines to go with it. Level the playing field so others can have a shot at a better life. STOP BOMBING THE CRAP out of other countries for mere CASH AND POWER.

GO KERRY!! O8) B-) :toast: :bounce: :thumbsup: :loveya: :hug:

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

14. "Faith without good works is dead" is my favorite biblical passage.

It's one I've always thrown at the fundies. It throws them off guard because they believe they're already saved.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

20. Assuming you are "already saved" is anathema to Catholics

original sin can never be erased and we are all imperfect even in the best possible lived life. This is one of the wierdest things I recently learned about born again Christians, and this supposed all cleansing "sinner's prayer" BS.

The polls show Kerry making inroads overall, and recovering lost Catholic voters back from Bush.

[Lorien]

2. I just wish he would start appealing to his base more

instead of the opposition.

[LisaL]

3. I am pretty sure there are many religious democrats,

although I certainly am not one of them.

[sonicx]

4. how is he appealing to the opposition?

[fishnfla]

5. this is rovian pandering

rove got his butt bit in local Alabama races by religious voting blocs. and learned the lesson of the cross

They dont pray in the White house for our troops. They prey on votes

[dad]

12. Today he registered for a hunting license and went to church

[Media_Lies_Daily]

17. Kerry hunts and he's religious....what's the problem?....

If you don't have a hunting license in a particular state, and you want to go hunting, you have to purchase a license in that state.

Where's the beef?

[RememberWellstone]

9. exactly

Screw the religious nut cases..geeezuz, they're the reason our country is so screwed up. They're the reason we are at war right now. God, when will we get a backbone and tell them to go to hell. No, we're going to pander. Sickening.

[gratuitous]

10. How about the religious faithful?

I don't mind hearing someone speak from his heart about his faith and how it has shaped his life and career. And I'd hardly call how Kerry is speaking about his faith "pandering" to the kill-em-all-and-let-God-sort-em-out types on the repressive right.

I guess I don't understand your "pander" or "sickening" comment.

[papau]

15. True - with a 90% religious population and a 50/50 GOP/DEM, 80%Dems

are religious at a minimum.

One assumes all 50 GOP are religious and subtract from the 90 to get 40.

There are then 40 out of the 50 Dems that are religious.

DU is a bit of a unique world, but even here there is a nice health mix of viewpoints and tolerance.

:-)

[Media_Lies_Daily]

19. Why would you assume that all 50 GOP are truely religious?....

Most of their politicians use religion as a tool to get what they want...why would their base be any different?

[papau]

24. I used all 50 for the sole purpose of finding the minimum left that were D

:-)

[JerseygirlCT]

22. You're making the mistake of lumping all religious people into

one category. The religious nutcases behind the Bush campaign are so very different from the people of genuine and meaningful faith. Believe me, those people are no danger to anyone else's beliefs!

This is not pandering, but I think it is a difficult thing for Kerry to do. It's very personal to him, and very important. To win the presidency, he's risking opening himself up in a very, very personal way. I respect his courage for doing so.

Many religious people feel no need to talk about what they believe. They feel, (rightly, I think) that their actions will speak for them. That's where the faith w/out works comes in.

[The Chronicler]

25. what a barftastic statement.

What, his "base" consists of nothing but atheists? gimme a break

[fearnobush]

6. My cousin's husband is a Episcopal minister and Kerry Supporter.

There are Christian Dem's out there. It is important to speak to them as they too are our base.

[Rose Siding]

7. Do what you've got to do, damn it.

Bush is nuts

[PartyPooper]

8. Bush doesn't fucking own God or Jesus!

O8)

[JVS]

13. Nobody does, and I find it distasteful when anyone uses God for politics

[Q]

16. Our nation is slowly sliding away from...

...the original intent of the Constitution: 'a wall of separation between church and state'.

- It's a shame that the party of the people is helping to make it happen. Religion should have NOTHING to do with politics or political campaigns. It's nothing more than pandering.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

18. Yes, the original intent of the Constitution was to provide "a wall....

...of separation between church and state", but it doesn't say anything about discussing religion or religious topics in public. does it?

"Pandering"?? Really? Hmmmm. I thought the object of Kerry's campaign was to win the election.

[JerseygirlCT]

21. I don't think this is a breech of that wall -m

Kerry is speaking about his personal beliefs. They definitely inform the man he is, and he's perfectly in the right to talk about them.

He has never, and I can't believe would ever, suggest that his beliefs must be shared by everyone, or that his religious beliefs ought to be legislated. In fact, he's said exactly the opposite over and over again wrt the abortion issue.

He's a reserved New Englander who isn't terribly comfortable talking about his private faith. Unfortunately, he's competing against the type of person who wears a faith on their sleeve, and feels the need to talk obsessively about it. Personally, I think that faith goes about as deep as his suit.

Being a person of faith is not bad, and it's not dangerous in a leader. Thinking everyone needs to believe as you do and attempting to legislate that is the problem. That's Bush's problem, not Kerry's.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

23. Kerry just pointing out that he recognizes the 'wall'

while also undercutting Bush's phoniness.