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Election 2008: God's Reputation Is at Stake

From the invocation at a McCain rally in Davenport, Iowa:

“There are millions of people around this world praying to their god — whether it’s Hindu, Buddha, Allah — that his [McCain’s] opponent wins, for a variety of reasons,” said Arnold Conrad, former pastor of Grave Evangelical Free Church. “And Lord, I pray that you would guard your own reputation because they’re going to think that their god is bigger than you if that happens. So I pray that you will step forward and honor your own name in all that happens between now and Election Day.”

That might strike some as provocative given persistent, false rumors that Democrat Barack Obama is a Muslim. Sen. Obama is Christian.

And it might strike some as silly that the McCain-Palin God needs to guard His reputation by assuring McCain's election.

< AP: How Palin Blurred Lines Between Church and State | Not So Funny, Bobby May >
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  • Display: Sort:
    hmm (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by connecticut yankee on Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 03:18:08 PM EST
    What does God need with a starship?

    Buddha? (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by txpublicdefender on Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 03:30:11 PM EST
    Also, the ignorance is striking, if unsurprising.  Buddha is NOT the "God" of Buddhism, and Buddhists don't pray to him.  There is no "God" of Buddhism.

    As well, there is no god named "Hindu" (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by DFLer on Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 04:29:42 PM EST
    God has a message for McCain and (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by ThatOneVoter on Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 08:34:23 PM EST
    his fans:
    MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN

    That doesn't sound very Christian to me (none / 0) (#1)
    by andgarden on Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 03:14:34 PM EST
    I mean, even the premise is ridiculous for a true Christian. You aren't supposed to believe that there are other gods in Christianity, right?

    I guess they're afraid that if they call Obama the anti-Christ, evangelicals will vote for him in order to accelerate the path to end times.

    I'm reminded of the Onion story . . . (none / 0) (#4)
    by txpublicdefender on Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 03:23:37 PM EST
    "God Answers Prayers of Paralyzed Boy.  'No,' Says God."

    Silly that the McCain/Palin god needs (none / 0) (#6)
    by scribe on Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 03:33:08 PM EST
    to protect its reputation (or even worry about it)?

    Not so.

    The core error in the theology which drives the McCain/Palin (McPain ?) so-called Christianist supporters is that their belief system (in practice) has made god in man's image.

    Their god is susceptible to flattery and bribery from/through offerings of all sorts.
    Their god is not omniscient - because it takes lots and lots of petitionary prayer to tell their god what needs to happen.
    Their god is not omnipotent - because the devil still exists and the outcome of the battle between good and evil is in doubt.
    Their god is not omnipresent - because there are areas where his word has to be spread.
    Their god's followers, well, they're at least a little arrogant, because they know what god has to do for them and the followers aren't shy about telling him.

    I could go on, but you get the idea.  The McPain god is a 98 pound weakling who doesn't know what is going on and needs to be told what to do, when, how, and how much.  And could lose at any moment.

    And, FWIW, McCain has bought into this error lock, stock and barrel - remember the question about what he would do about evil, which was put to him by the megachurch pastor at the joint Obama/McCain megachurch presentation?  Remember McCain's answer:  "I'll defeat evil."

    How is it that feeble, doddering old McCain proposes to defeat evil, when the McPain god can't?

    Hmmmm?

    Me, I'll stick with my Flying Spaghetti Monster.

    the noodly one (none / 0) (#20)
    by cpinva on Sun Oct 12, 2008 at 03:30:06 AM EST
    is looking out for you scribe. :)

    Parent
    Ridiculous (none / 0) (#7)
    by indy in sc on Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 03:39:02 PM EST
    on so many levels.

    I doubt God wants Bush's presidency on his (none / 0) (#8)
    by steviez314 on Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 03:41:45 PM EST
    resume.

    nicely done (none / 0) (#9)
    by Jlvngstn on Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 03:54:38 PM EST
    :)

    Parent
    One consolation (none / 0) (#11)
    by lilburro on Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 04:49:59 PM EST
    is that, IIRC, evangelicals on the far right go this crazy every election, not just when the black guy is running.  Some of the things said by Bush backers were just nuts.

    Evangelicals of all sorts (none / 0) (#12)
    by Cream City on Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 04:51:46 PM EST
    ought to stay out of politics.  Like the bishop who called out Obama:

    Our children have sacred value and every child is equally valuable. . . .   Some of us have philosophic, humanitarian, and theological differences with those who put forth abortion as an appropriate routine and acceptable birth-control procedure. There are millions of us who would hold that such a position conflicts with our conviction regarding our sacred responsibility to our children and to human life itself.

    Surely we cannot be pleased with the routine administration of millions of surgically terminated pregnancies. Something within us must be calling for a better way. If we do not resist at this point, at point will we resist. We know that our party will understand and acknowledge the moral and spiritual pain that so many of us feel because of this disregard for the lives of the unborn. . . .

    Senator Obama should follow up and elaborate upon his stated intention to reduce the number of abortions by providing alternative programs which will by various approaches result in the prevention of unwanted pregnancies. . . .



    Oops. (2.00 / 0) (#15)
    by Cream City on Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 06:18:23 PM EST
    Wrong quote -- this one is from AA minister's opening invocation at the Dem convention.  Sorry.

    Parent
    What (5.00 / 0) (#16)
    by txpublicdefender on Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 06:42:30 PM EST
    is your point?

    Parent
    Well, it was supposed to be (none / 0) (#17)
    by Cream City on Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 07:04:31 PM EST
    the opening invocation of the GOP convention -- but they sound about the same, anyway.

    So maybe the point is just good ol' John 8:7.

    Parent

    I am selfish (none / 0) (#13)
    by Pete Guither on Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 04:59:34 PM EST
    I must admit, at times like these, I not only hope that God exists, but I selfishly pray to Him that I be allowed to watch when people like Arnold Conrad are judged.

    These folks are really scared (none / 0) (#14)
    by Lil on Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 06:03:23 PM EST
    that their God isn't going to win. They have asserted that "My daddy is bigger than your daddy" for so long; they actually think that is what this is about. Unbelievable.

    it does strike one (none / 0) (#19)
    by cpinva on Sun Oct 12, 2008 at 03:28:06 AM EST
    as desperately cheesy, doesn't it?

    Damning with faint condemnation (none / 0) (#21)
    by robrecht on Sun Oct 12, 2008 at 06:45:31 AM EST
    I heard McCain distanced himself from this.  All I could find was FOX saying "The McCain campaign immediately condemned the invocation."

    But what they quote of the condemnation seems to maintain that there is indeed a question about Obama's religious background:

    "While we understand the important role that faith plays in informing the votes of Iowans, questions about the religious background of the candidates only serve to distract from the real questions in this race about Barack Obama's judgment, policies and readiness to lead as commander in chief," said Wendy Riemann, McCain's Iowa spokesperson.

    Link

    exactly (none / 0) (#23)
    by txpublicdefender on Sun Oct 12, 2008 at 10:06:49 AM EST
    I noticed that, too.  It's like, "My opponent has said he has stopped beating his wife.  As such, focusing on this issue distracts from the important issues in this campaign like my opponent's character and judgment."

    It's intended to reinforce the smear rather than actually dissociate themselves from it.

    Parent

    Maybe Reverand Conrad Should Have Prayed (none / 0) (#22)
    by john horse on Sun Oct 12, 2008 at 07:44:44 AM EST
    for wisdom and intelligence instead.  Its obvious that he needs it.  

    as an evangelical (none / 0) (#24)
    by libertyfirst on Tue Oct 14, 2008 at 07:43:03 PM EST
    I must denounce the prayer of said pastor.  I am not sure why he thinks that God's reputation rests on an American election; this proves the arrogance of many American evangelicals.  They think they are God's chosen people and America is supposed to be God's country.  God's reputation will be completely vindicated someday, but I highly doubt it will be Nov 4, 2008, and I know it won't be with a Presidential election.