Top Ten Moments of Religious Pandering?
Here’s a cute clip of what may be the top ten moments of religious pandering during this election cycle. I am not sure I agree on some of them; I think the “raise your hand if you believe in evolution” clip from one of the GOP debates should have been included, but this is still a nice reminder of the somewhat silly overplay that faith as received this election, particularly from the media and debate moderators. Any others you would have included?
Via Effect Measure
There’s some pandering there, yes. But I don’t particularly hold it against a candidate if they’re ASKED about religion, by the media or in a debate, and they choose to answer.
Comment by Rojas — 3/3/2008 @ 12:45 am
Jack, I think it would be a category error to include the evolution question in a compilation of religious pandering moments. Obviously, for some people, evolution and religion exist in opposition, but for many they don’t and certainly science is not and should not be confused with religion.
Comment by tessellated — 3/3/2008 @ 12:46 am
I think it would be great if a candidate could emerge that when asked this question would blurt out sarcastically, “well, technically, I’ve always viewed the Bible to be more or less bullshit, but you are free to believe what you want to believe, but don’t expect my administration to subsidize it…”
Yeah, fat chance…
interestingly, I viewed that Obama clip portion. I suppose those on the left are quick to judge the likes of a Huckabee when he makes such statements but are willing to give Obama a pass. Not me, it should be condmened. I’m not interested in Huckabee’s nor Obama’s version of a “Kingdom on Earth.”
Comment by Kaligula — 3/3/2008 @ 10:04 am
Rojas, yes this really is more about the media’s actions this cycle.
Tess, good point. I meant it more from the follow on implications of which of them believe in creationism.
Comment by Jack — 3/3/2008 @ 12:00 pm
Kaligula,
It’d be strange for any educated person, much less a politician to ever call a historical document bullshit. Now, for them to claim that many of the interpretations of that historical document are bullshit, would be great. In fact, I say that kind of thing all the time. But this is similar to calling Herodotus bullshit. It’s history. In fact, the extant manuscript evidence for literature contained in the Bible vastly outweighs that for any other work of ancient history, not to mention religion.
Comment by silva012682 — 3/3/2008 @ 1:18 pm
silva012682:
I think the context here is the notion that the Bible is inspired by a single, central devine intellect and the degree that politicians pander to that notion. This has nothing to do with the literary or historical value of it…
Comment by Kaligula — 3/3/2008 @ 5:46 pm