Opinion
10K and Counting
By Mark Silk — July 10, 2008
While the Obama campaign is trying to figure out what to rename its Joshua Generation, the Generation’s Catholic Wing has started up an organization called 10,000 Catholics for Obama. Brody’s got the story, which my own sources confirm: This is a genuine grassroots thing, started on Facebook by “apoliticos,” smiled upon by the Obama campaign. […]
Dobson Keeps It Up
By Mark Silk — July 10, 2008
James Dobson has evidently decided, at least for the moment, to assume the mantle of the prophet, for the purpose of warning evangelicals against the Seductions of Obama. Having become apprised of the Matthew 25 Network’s ad defending Obama against his criticism on his own Christian radio home turf, Dobson prefaced Monday’s broadcast with a […]
Run, Jesse, Run
By Mark Silk — July 10, 2008
It’s always perilous to take Fox News at its word, but whether or not Jesse Jackson was caught whispering about personally wanting to deprive Barack Obama of part of his anatomy, it’s clear that he is no fan of the Illinois senator’s “faith-based.” Why? In the taped remarks, he says he believes Obama was “talking […]
COMMENTARY: Hating the war, loving the warriors
By Cathleen Falsani — July 10, 2008
c. 2008 Religion News Service (UNDATED) In the last two months, I lost a dear friend to a roadside bomb in Iraq; my little brother became a major in the Air Force and received his orders for a second deployment to Afghanistan; and my husband’s eldest son became a captain in the Army, graduated from […]
COMMENTARY: Hating the war; loving the warriors
By Cathleen Falsani — July 10, 2008
In the last two months, I lost a dear friend to a roadside bomb in Iraq; my little brother became a major in the Air Force and was sent back to Afghanistan; and, most recently, my husband’s eldest son became a captain in the Army and will soon report for duty serving his country as […]
With Friends Like These…
By Mark Silk — July 9, 2008
From GOM interview with organizer of the Denver conclave of evangelical leaders rallying to John McCain: “Staver said in an interview yesterday that much of the Denver meeting was focused on building a long term strategy for the Christian Right to avoid getting stuck with another figure like McCain…” That’s lesser-of-two-evils with a vengeance.
Hispanic Evangelicals
By Mark Silk — July 9, 2008
In the wake of yesterday’s LULAC meeting, the Obama campaign was on the phone with 30 Hispanic evangelical pastors this a.m., and Brody’s got the story. Hispanic evangelicals have been an interesting swing vote over the past few election cycles, going to the GOP in the early part of the decade and then edging back […]
To the Left
By Mark Silk — July 9, 2008
On NBC’s “Today,” Obama sought to counter charges that he is triangulating himself into the center by pointing out, among other things, that he has consistently supported faith-based initiatives. This may be an area, however, where he has made an adjustment to the left. In The Audacity of Hope, he writes: [O]ne can envision certain […]
Jew v. Jew
By Mark Silk — July 9, 2008
For the past three decades, Jewish conservatives (call them neocons if you will) have been grinding their teeth at the stubborn insistence of their co-religionists on voting Democratic. Now, for the first time since Jimmy Carter, they see an opportunity to wean at least a sizable portion of them away to the GOP, and they […]
Catholic Obama?
By Mark Silk — July 9, 2008
In a rather odd, presumably tongue-in-cheek post on WaPo’s On Faith, Tony Stevens-Arroyo proposes, in a positive sense, a “secret” connection between Barack Obama and Catholicism. He suggests that Obama may have been influenced by Catholic social thought when he was working as an organizer in Chicago–and although the influence is not so much as […]
COMMENTARY: Gilded Ages hide shallow values
By Tom Ehrich — July 9, 2008
Like many Americans in this recession, my family is planning a “stay-cation” this summer. That means enjoy an area we rarely have time to explore during busy work weeks, take small adventures, and avoid the multi-whammy of high gasoline prices, rising air fares, absurd hotel rates and relentless congestion. We have tickets to minor-league baseball […]
COMMENTARY: Gilded Ages hide shallow values
By Tom Ehrich — July 9, 2008
c. 2008 Religion News Service NEW YORK _ Like many Americans in this yet-to-be-announced but fully functional recession, my family is planning a “stay-cation” this summer. That means staying close to home, enjoying an area we rarely have time to explore during busy workweeks, taking small adventures, and avoiding the multi-whammy of high gas prices, […]
Church and State, Chicago style
By Mark Silk — July 8, 2008
Obama, speaking to LULAC today: I was reminded of this a few years ago when I attended a naturalization workshop at St. Pius Church in Pilsen. As I was walking down the aisle, I saw people clutching small American flags, waiting for their turn to be called up so they could begin the long process […]
Cultural Time Out
By Mark Silk — July 8, 2008
OK, by no stretch is this about religion and the campaign but I couldn’t resist. JULY 8–Lured by $1 beer and the prospect of “hot chicks” and “hardcore fights,” thousands of Arkansans were duped last month into appearing as extras in comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest staged mayhem. Cohen and his confederates organized cage fighting […]
Obama on the Gap
By Mark Silk — July 8, 2008
Lest you think Obama is unaware of the religion gap, here’s a passage, from page 201 of his 2006 book, The Audacity of Hope: The single biggest gap in party affiliation among white Americans is not between men and women, or between those who reside in so-called red states and those who reside in blue […]