Last night we watched the "faith" Q & A session run by Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback. We missed the first few showings of it.
This DID bring us further down the decision road. The way the two candidates spoke of their own faith, or didn't speak of it, as well as their comfort levels in this environment, gave us additional information and perhaps insight.
Watching this, I realize now, is how McCain reminds me of Richard Nixon. If you're really young, Nixon ran against John F. Kennedy although he eventually did become President after that loss. Neither McCain nor Nixon is/was any good on television. Neither seems comfortable with himself let alone someone else having control over a situation in which he is participating.
McCain means well. I paid particular attention to his response about the "Cone of Silence" question when Warren was greeting him. He didn't answer the question asked but tried to make room for a clever response. He truly did not want to lie so he just didn't tell the truth. That cone thing was probably a bad location for a POW anyway. Imagine.
His sense of humor truly was activated for this event and I was pleased to see he can deliver a funny line of his own or a good writer's creation. I had not witnessed it previously. And, he was moved in stating, and we in hearing, his biggest moral failure. Many Americans relate to him right there, right now. Let's hope it is not a vote getter. We saw his human qualities more during this event than elsewhere.
But, as in his inclusion of "drill...right here, right now", he never caught on to this arrangement being an intimate conversation opportunity. He revealed very little about himself; he responded by looking briefly at RW then turning to the camera and talking and it just didn't feel right, as a viewer, to not have him look RW in the eye when he answered the question the pastor put before him.
Watching him more recently, at the intro of Sarah Palin, he looked over her shoulder repeatedly, at her papers on the podium. What, in case he needed to help her with big words? I have not doubt he's a good man, personable, thoughtful, devoted to his senatorial position and constituents. It is sad to see him being thrown in as the RNC's sacrificial lamb, a toss confirmed by pitching us an up and coming, raw not rare, VP candidate. At times he seemed to be thinking, "Now, who is this woman and what did I tell her she could do?". Gov. Palin will be someone we will see again. This is it for Senator McCain.
It's difficult for me not to be swept up by Obama; I'm still holding on to my vote and quelling my inclination to stop reading and listening because I just want to believe in America again. But I do have to say, when he was asked about America's biggest moral failure and came back with, in his lifetime, it is us not living up to Matthew 25's verses, my heart leaped and tried to take my voter registration card with it. He is right...well, he did get it from the Bible. He gets it.
I like Obama as a person. He knows our Bible better than I know it. I like what he says. I like how he says it and his choice of words. I like that he conversed with Warren. I like his VP candidate and believe Biden is a good backup. I like his family. I like that he is composed, assured, contemplative, thoughtful, prepared. I like how he puts people at ease. I think our country is falling in love with him. I am thrilled he occasionally refers to us all as friends and never insults us by claiming us as "my friends". I despise those who try to take him down by calling him "messiah". That's wrong and rude. Criticize what he wants to do; don't give him a religious toned label thinking Christians will be offended and change their minds.
These two men received the same prep material and guidelines. One appeared to take them and "go with it". The other appeared to "go along with it".
Neither candidate will ever put into play all he is saying he'll get done, especially by himself. Obama further moved me when he state the realism - we all have to cut back, give up, re-think, change, maybe call it sacrifice; we all have to understand we have to pay a price of some sort in order to better the world.
It's exciting to have strong candidates and I hope their respective "runners up" stay behind them, lifting them up in prayer and deed. I hope we continue to see the real differentiation each needs to put before us and policy meat on the campaign skeletons, rather than mudslinging or whining or negative advertising which is waiting in the wings to bully us.
Let's not disappoint them. We need to be willing to appreciate the right to choose our leader, willing to learn about all the candidates and platforms. VOTE on November 4th.
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7 comments:
"I like Obama as a person. He knows our Bible better than I know it."
Obviously! If you understood your Christian faith a little more, you migh honestly ask yourself how Obama could have been an active member of a race-baiting hate-mongering church for 20+ years.
A thoughtful post.
As people, I hold great respect for both despite their human frailties. Though I myself am an Episcopalian, I expect neither to be religious OR Christian. I am looking for good policy and good leadership. I do not associate good moral judgment with spirituality or religion (or lack thereof). There are plenty of examples of so-called devout church leaders (and followers) that neither follow Christ's principle/commandment of loving the least of us, let alone who are, themselves, flawless... mote, meet eye.
Each of us as God's perfect creation never arrive there; some trying hard and most just muddling along.
That we somehow expect our national leadership to be the example of our individual belief is neither pragmatic nor reasonable. Would that be "my" belief or "yours"?
Single issue voters, or in the case of Warren, those that hold basically, the five non-negotiables as the standard for a President, forget that the rest of the world is not necessarily Christian, and some religions have an inherent belief that democracy cannot exist in line with their belief. These are not minor Christian denominations, either.
Our founding fathers realized that freedom of religion, Constitutionally guaranteed, did NOT mean theocratic governance. A fact that many in this country neither understand nor care to recognize.
Those watching the theocratic "hate groups" (not an oxymoron, unfortunately) are increasingly concerned about the level of violence and militaristic style inherent in those groups (I refer you to the recent HateWatch report). There is not ONE group among these that did not arise from the religious right, in fact many of the religious right churches are also concerned.
I am FAR more concerned about VP Palin's stated belief that creationism or intelligent design (not a science, either one) be taught in public school. There is a place for religious teaching, that is called home and church. There is a place for teaching, that is called school. One can have both through a religious private school, but to suggest it belongs in public school is antithetical to the purpose of school and in direct conflict with the Constitution and Constitutional decisions.
We can each appreciate a candidate for what they are, vote against them for what they are not. But holding them to a religious standard of any kind is truly a double-edged sword and very dangerous to our democratic republic.
Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's (Matt 22:21)
BTWj... forgot to mention how I appreciate your helpfulness with animals. I am a rescuer of both dogs/cats and have been in rescue for about 30 years. You might want to check out the post on Palin and her support of aerial wolf killing in Alaska. It is brutal. Her lack of compassion for living things really bothers me.
Thank you for this insightful and thoughtful post.
Don't we all love "anonymous"?
Actually I DO know the BIBLE well enough. Obama may have heard those words on the clips we all saw on TV but I believe his actions speak louder than someone else's words and his own words represent his Christian feelings.
I think McCain is a man of faith too!
Kate: I think they both are men of faith.
McCains grandfather was an Episcopal priest. He was baptized Episcopalian but is currently attending a So. Baptist church.
Like I said, I don't think either has a corner on religion, but (being religious myself) that is just not important to me, personally, in a candidate. I am FAR more concerned about issues.
Faith is a very personal thing, and I bet you would agree!
Yes, Cany, faith is a personal thing, I agree - it's you or me or whoever, and God. What a mess we'd make of it if we tried to interfere!
Issues are critical. I do believe we are fortunate, and have been in the past, to have candidates with good hearts and good intentions. If we didn't believe they each want what is best and right then our decision would be easy.
Often I wonder why anyone wants the presidency. It's 4 or 8 years of ridicule mixed with spinning and nothing private. Look at how many citizens say "no" to brief opportunities to help America or Americans! How do most of us come close to understanding what that job takes and what a sacrifice it is?
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