November 13, 2007
Why on earth is Howard Dean commenting on this issue this way?
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean came out for inclusive team prayers in public schools while speaking Sunday to a gathering of thousands of Jewish leaders, according to a leading Jewish news agency.In another statement likely to stir debate among the evangelical Christians his party is urgently trying to court, Dean also asserted “there are no bars to heaven for anybody,” according to the report by JTA, a 90-year-old non-profit organization which calls itself “the global news service of the Jewish people.”
So, is Howard Dean attempting to impose a theological litmus test on Americans? And if he is, will he seek to impose it on his party first, where anti-Semitism among Democrat activists like those on Daily Kos and Democratic Underground has repeatedly flaired over teh last few years.
Unfortunately, portions of Dean's remarks were so blatantly partisan that his claims to oppose "theocracy" (read that "Christians publicly expressing their faith") amounts to intolerant bigotry on his part.
"This country is not a theocracy," Dean said, according to JTA. "There are fundamental differences between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party believes that everybody in this room ought to be comfortable being an American Jew, not just an American; that there are no bars to heaven for anybody; that we are not a one-religion nation; and that no child or member of a football team ought to be able to cringe at the last line of a prayer before going onto the field."
Now let's look at this.
1) This country is not a theocracy. I don't know of a single Republican who argues that it is. I do know many Republicans who support full participation by all Americans, including religious believers, in the public policy process -- which includes the right of religious believers to see their policy preferences enacted on the same basis as everybody else's.
2) There are fundamental differences between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. Yes, Howard, there are. The GOP is inclusive, and the Democrats are exclusive, of people of all faiths and ethnic groups. The GOP believes in the advancement of the individual, while the Democrats believe int eh advancement of the group. The GOP believes that America is fundamentally good, and the Democrats don't.
3) The Democratic Party believes that everybody in this room ought to be comfortable being an American Jew, not just an American; Gee, so does the GOP, Howard.
4) that there are no bars to heaven for anybody; Sounds rather theocratic and exclusive to me, Howard -- the declaration of an official party theology. Does that mean that anyone who deviates from your theology is not welcome in the Democrat Party? And I'm curious -- does that "open heaven" include Islamist suicide bombers and the guys who crashed four planes on 9/11?
5) that we are not a one-religion nation; Funny, i don't know of anyone in the GOP who thinks that this country ought to be a one religion nation -- at least not by force or government edict. On the other hand, I do know plenty of folks -- members of many different religions -- who believe that it would be great for God to act in the hearts of every American (and every person on earth) and bring them to follow the tenets of one particular faith.
6) and that no child or member of a football team ought to be able to cringe at the last line of a prayer before going onto the field. I'm going to assume that Dean misspoke here, and that he isn't imposing a rule that forbids cringing during prayer. Rather, I assume what he is wanting to do is impose a rule that forbids Christians from praying publicly in a Christian fashion -- and that he is stating this in his capacity as the head of the supposedly inclusive Democrat Party. Funny, isn't it, that his version of "inclusion" involves restricting the religious practices and language of the majority? And funny, isn't it, that Howard Dean fails to recognize the right of every American to NOT participate in prayer -- Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, etc. -- that is offensive to them.
Once again, folks, Howard Dean and the Democrats practice he "politics of inclusion" by demonizing and excluding Christians who hold to the historical Christian faith and who don't follow the latest liberal theological (and political) trends. Too bad that in claiming to oppose "theocracy" Howard Dean seeks to impose a theological orthodoxy on America.
Posted by: Greg at
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Posted by: Syd B. at Tue Nov 13 03:56:25 2007 (phzv/)
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