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Listen Jesus to the warning I give
Please remember that I want us to live
But it’s sad to see our chances weakening with ev’ry hour
All your followers are blind
Too much heaven on their minds
It was beautiful, but now it’s sour
Yes it’s all gone sour
God, Jesus, it’s all gone sour |
Recognize the lyrics from the song Judas sang in “Jesus Christ Superstar?” For most people I’m sure it’s a bit obscure, but the title of the song — “Too Much Heaven on Their Minds” — popped in my head a few nights ago while catching bits of the news on CNN.
Friends were over and my partner and I were cooking on the outdoor grill and making drinks at the bar in the dining/kitchen area. There’s a small television that rarely gets watched — except when mixing drinks or washing dishes — and I popped it on a number of times during the course of the evening.
“The issue of faith is probably the most important topic in the ’08 presidential race,” said one commentator.
Another 30 minutes or so passed and I was back in the kitchen washing off some grill utensils.
“When you pray and God speaks to you, how do you know it’s the voice of God and not just a thought inside your head?” A woman who identified herself as an Episcopalian asked Presidential candidate John Edwards.
As the night progressed, the topic of religion was the status quo. In fact, what many people view as a personal matter seems to have become an overwhelming obsession for every presidential candidate running for office. This is the message I was getting: Their ain’t nobody that’s a better Christian than me!
Is anybody out there feeling a bit overwhelmed by this other than me? Don’t get me wrong — I’m not anti anything or anybody. But to hear all this rhetoric being bandied about in an effort to capture votes is wearing me out.
Here’s Hillary Clinton, when questioned about her faith and how it helped her get through her husband’s infidelities: “Well, I’m not sure I would’ve gotten through it without my faith. I am very grateful that I had a grounding in faith that gave me the courage and the strength to do what I thought was right, regardless of what the world thought, and that’s all one can expect or hope for.”
Says John Edwards: “I strayed away from the Lord for a period of time, and then came back in my adulthood, and my faith came roaring back during some crises that my own family was faced with. I have a deep and abiding love for my Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Even Barack Obama, who rarely discusses religious topics had to get his holy perspective in: “I am my brother’s keeper,” he said, as he detailed how his perspectives on social policy were grounded in his faith.
“I am my sister’s keeper. We are connected as a people. I’ve got a stake in other people. And I’ve got a set of responsibilities towards others, not just towards myself.”
The top contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination have hired religion and faith consultants to help them learn to speak the “Bible-ese” that Republicans have used to capture the support of the faithful and conservative.
But while the Democrats have now made sure that everybody knows they, too, have the spirit, the Republicans have also made it clear that nobody knows God like the GOP.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney poured out his heart during the Republican debate on CNN:
“I believe in God, believe in the Bible, believe Jesus Christ is my savior. I believe that God created man in his image. I believe that the freedoms of man derive from inalienable rights that were given to us by God.”
New York’s 9/11 hero and former Mayor Rudy Giuiliani, usually one to shy away from religious talk, recently discussed his experiences attending a Catholic Parochial School and confirmed he gave serious consideration to becoming a priest. “Religion is a very important part of my life,” he said.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee also spelled out his beliefs during the CNN debate: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth … let me be very clear: I believe there is a God. I believe there’s a God who was active in the creation process … if I’m selected as president of this country, they’ll have one who believes in those words that God did create.”
Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback — also on the CNN debate — gave us the skinny on his faithfulness: “I believe that we are created in the image of God for a particular purpose. And I believe that with all my heart. And I am fully convinced there’s a god of the universe that loves us very much and was involved in the process.”
I’m glad every presidential candidate is excited about their faith and wants to share the good news. But let’s get serious here — does every elected official have to be a Christian to qualify? I know lots of good, moral, caring people that span the gamut from Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist to agnostic and atheist. And I even remember a time when people were elected to office based on their individuality, accomplishments and capability.
Given the current political climate, it’s almost shocking to know that Abraham Lincoln had no particular religious affiliation, Richard Nixon was a Quaker and John Adams was a Unitarian.
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