Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

[NPR]

You can see why Christian conservatives might be in a funk. Democrats control the White House and both houses of Congress. They see a liberal drift in the country’s leadership and worry about social issues like same-sex marriage, abortion, stem cell research, health care and immigration.

Now Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit legal, education and policy group associated with the late Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, is pulling out the heavy artillery: prayer.

“We believe in the power of God. We are commanded to pray for our leaders, even those we disagree with,” says Mat Staver, who, as head of Liberty Counsel, spends most of his time fighting for Christian causes in court. “And so we are asking people to pray so that our leaders are restored to right thinking.”

So far, 11 leaders are on the “Adopt a Liberal” roster: President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Republicans Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made the list for their support of same-sex marriage. Then there’s Democrat Barney Frank, Massachusetts’ openly gay congressman who, Staver says, is “100-percent committed to the homosexual agenda.”

Read more here.

[From me]

I don’t know about the name but I think prayer is the answer for all of our leaders on both sides. I pray for the President and Congress daily. But I’ve been doing it no matter what party is in charge.

What do you think?

[Gallup]

The states of the union differ remarkably from one another in terms of their residents’ religions. Non-Catholic Christians — the largest religious group in the country today — are heavily concentrated in the South and nearby states, while constituting only a minority of residents of Northeastern states, and of many Middle Atlantic and Western states.

Read more here.

[From me]

It is interesting that the so called “Red” States are in the areas where religious identity is the strongest. Of course just because someone claims religious beliefs doesn’t mean it corresponds to Sunday attendance. I would like to know where all of the people who claim religious beliefs are on Sunday?

What do you think?

[USA Today]

Does it really matter whether the president goes to church? The Constitution says there shall be no “religious test,” so perhaps Sunday morning should be the one day each week when the president gets to sleep in. He certainly works hard enough. But before he hits the snooze button, President Obama should return to the question of whether he and his family will join a congregation in the Washington area. He recently said that his family had not made a decision about joining a church, and I can respect that. Such a decision takes time. But it is a critical choice, with political and spiritual implications.

(Across from the White House: Barack Obama bids the Rev. Luis Leon goodbye at St. John’s Episcopal Church before inauguration festivities./Charles Dharapak, AP)
Politically, church attendance is a sign of integrity. If the president says he is a Christian, then going to church shows that he doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk. Americans are not interested in the specific doctrinal beliefs of a president, but they consider religion to be a proxy for “personal values.” That is why 72% of Americans consider it important that the president have “strong religious beliefs,” according to a poll last year by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

Could an atheist be elected president? According to the Constitution, of course. But he (or she) would have to win over that 72% by demonstrating personal values such as faithfulness in marriage, honesty in business and service to the community. This would be a long, tough sales job because religion serves a handy shorthand substitute for personal values.

It’s no surprise, then, that most successful candidates have found a way to talk about their personal faith on their way to the White House. Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama all spoke convincingly of their Christian faith on the campaign trail. Once elected, however, they had widely different records of church attendance. Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton were regulars, for instance, while Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush rarely attended church in Washington. For most Americans, these attendance records are a non-issue.

But expectations are much higher for Barack Obama, for a variety of reasons.

“Obama’s ability to talk about his faith helped lead the Democrats out of the political wilderness of being viewed by many voters as hostile to religion,” says Eric Sapp, a partner in the consulting firm Eleison Group, which works with Democrats and progressive groups to improve outreach and communication with American faith communities. Since religious talk helped to get Obama elected, people now want to see a religious walk.

Read more here.

[From me]

I can’t imagine how hard it is for a public figure especially the President to find a church. But to go to church for political reasons is not a good reason to attend. I don’t go to church to find people to tell about the organization I work for. I go to worship God. I want President Obama to attend church but I want it to be for him and his family to worship.

What do you think?

[Fox News]

As some Notre Dame students prepare to protest the university’s recognition of President Obama with an honorary law degree on Sunday, the on-campus message is clear: Keep it respectful.

“We’re committed to a prayerful, peaceful protest,” senior Emily Toates told FOXNews.com. “We will not be showing any graphic images. There is a place for them, but it can dilute your message, and we want to make sure our message is heard.”

Toates, 21, is one of up to 40 graduating seniors expected to skip Notre Dame’s commencement on Sunday in opposition of Obama’s commencement speech, due to his pro-choice abortion stance and his support of embryonic stem-cell research.

Instead of tossing her mortarboard with fellow classmates, Toates will take part in a meditation to be held at the university’s grotto — an event organized by ND Response, a coalition of student groups that is holding a series of events throughout the weekend, including an all-night prayer vigil to begin at 9:30 p.m. Saturday and a rally on Sunday.

“I’m really excited about it because the grotto is a special place for me and a lot of students,” she said. “It’ll prayerfully unite those of us who aren’t attending commencement.”

But not all pro-life students plan to forgo their biggest day as undergraduates.

“For me, being part of ND Response is really about love of my university,” said senior Greer Hannan. “I’m really grateful for the education I’ve received, and as a Catholic the identity of Notre Dame is really important to me.”

Read more here.

[From me]

Maybe I’m missing something. Is the President speaking to graduates about life and their future or is he going on the campaign trail? I would be honored to have any President speak at my graduation. I couldn’t tell you who spoke at mine.  Shouldn’t we respect the office even if we don’t agree with the views of our President?  If not there will be protests at every event any President speaks at. Does this mean that Presidents should never be allowed to speak at places where people disagree with them? Doesn’t sound like progress to me.

What do you think?

[Christian Post]

President Barack Obama plans to repeal a Bush administration rule that has become a flash point in the debate over a doctor’s right not to participate in abortions. The regulation, instituted in the last days of the Bush administration, strengthened job protections for doctors and nurses who refuse to provide a medical service because of moral qualms.

Read more here.

[From me]

How is abortion a medical service? There is only one plan in an abortion–to kill a life. Doctors are suppose to save lives not kill them.  So why would our government force medical personnel to perform life taking operations? This is a bad plan. This would make lots of God fearing people reconsider the medical field.

What do you think?