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In the three years I have lived in Palm Beach County, I have met legions of people who have stopped their subscriptions to the Palm Beach Post, in large part because of the newspaper’s relentless attacks on religious believers who take a traditional approach to faith and morality. I started out trying to calm these people down, assuming they were blowing things out of proportion.
Cathleen Falsani of the Chicago Sun-Times moves well beyond the pedantic slogan that God is neither a Republican nor a Democrat by touching base with her former roommates from Wheaton College.
How does that old saying go? Presidential politics makes for interesting one-night stands. In pursuit of a singular goal — getting more votes than the other guy — arguments are advanced during election season that would not be tolerated by the parties’ bases at any other time.
It’s been almost a week since Ron Suskind did his best to electrify the anti-evangelical voter base on behalf of the New York Times Sunday Magazine and, thus, the Democratic Party. His “Without a Doubt” essay was a rock, thrown into the pond of elite media opinion shortly before the battle to save civilization. The ripples should continue until the election. Once again, here is his lead:
There are all kinds of ways that you can spin this one. Republicans have happier sex lives than Democrats. OK, does this mean that people who go to church more often have happier sex lives than those that, well, stay home on Sunday a.m. and look at the erotic ads in The New York Times (tip of the hat to Woody Allen)? And what about these results? Who has worn something sexy to enhance their sex life? Republicans — 72 percent; Democrats — 62 percent. Who has faked an orgasm? Democrats — 33 percent; Republicans — 26 percent. What is the ghost in those numbers?
OK, my column is out for this week and I am getting tired of reading Anglican stories. Speaking of which, have any of you out in GetReligion reader-land seen any Anglican stories that you want to nominate for special awards? Best? Worst? I realize that these designations may flip-flop, depending on one’s creedal affiliation. But give it a try.
Anyone who wants to follow the latest saga concerning Sen. John “I was an altar boy” Kerry and his many dedicated critics in the traditional wing of the Catholic Church can find all the links and all the action at — where else — Amy Welborn’s Open Book. The New York Times is on the case, which means this is another chance to fire up the voters on the liberal side of the church aisle as well as on the right. And no one is sure what the Vatican did or did not say. Cheers.
Looooooooong essay in the latest New York Times Magazine by journalist Ron Suskind on the subject of George W. Bush’s faith and how it shapes his administration and the country. The article paints a picture of a White House governed by an executive with an almost messianic view of himself. After slogging through all 8,000 words, I don’t think Suskind has delivered the goods.
Conservative and liberal religious groups both applauded the multiple questions on faith posed to both presidential candidates on Wednesday night, but said the answers were vague and offered no new information. Look, any more specific and the Supreme Court would have held the debates unconstitutional. See this article by GetReligion favorite Julia Duin of The Washington Times.
