The 21st Century Trend: Religious Divisiveness

Apparently, the commenters at Huckleberries think it’s fair game to go after people’s religious practices. DFO asked his readers if it was beyond the pale to make a speaking in tongues attack on Sarah Palin. Note to Self answers:

No. Obama took the heat for his association with the reverend Wright and has been falsely declared a Muslim. Romney was scrutinized for his Mormon faith. I think Palin’s religious beliefs are fair game.

We’ve never played the Obama Muslim game here.  As for Mitt Romney’s Mormonism, I do not like Mitt Romney, but it has nothing to do with his religion. In fact, I wrote a satirical piece showing the liberal strategy of using Romney’s Mormonism to attack anyone with with any religious beliefs. (Rush would call this a “See, I Told You So” moment.)

However, in regards to Barack Obama, it’s a different situation. The issue was not the faith and practice of Obama’s old church. The issue was the church’s Racist messages from the Pulpit, coupled with the explosive political content including sympathy with terrorism. If Sarah Palin’s church  were White-centric and racially insensitive invective flowing from the pulpit that she’d sat under for 20 years, you’re talking about another issue. I don’t hold someone accountable because one day there church has a kooky guest-speaker, but if you have a racist pastor, that’s a problem.

The difference here is between tolerating racism, antisemitism, and anti-Americanism, as well as support for terrorism as a consistent part of church life for 20 years v. what amounts to the faith and practices of the church. From a political perspective, I don’t care what Mitt Romney does at temple, I don’t care if Sam Brownback thinks that, during communion, the bread and wine become the body of Christ. I don’t care if an Orthodox Christian politician places a high value on the Icons of the Orthodox Church. These are not issues of public debate, these are issues of private practice, exactly like speaking in tongues.

By the way, if speaking in tongues should disqualify you from being treated with respect in the public square, someone needs to call Howard Dean.