The Passion of the Right

Have you heard? Christianity isn't the only religion in the world and Christians aren't the only ones expressing faith in a god or other all powerful concept. Here's a breakdown from 2005:

It's natural to think that all these non-Christians hold the god of their faith in higher regard than the Christian god. That is, they think their god is "bigger" than the Christian god. But if you happen to be Pastor Arnold Conrad, the minister who recently gave the invocation at a John McCain rally in Davenport, IA, this is not a foregone conclusion. In fact, if you were he, then you would know there is a danger that, if Barack Obama is elected to the office of the President of the United States, these other non-Christians are going to think that their god is "bigger" than your god.

I would also add, Lord, that your reputation is involved in all that happens between now and November, because there are millions of people around this world praying to their god — whether it’s Hindu, Buddha, Allah — that his opponent wins, for a variety of reasons. And Lord, I pray that you will 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 with all that happens between now and election day.(ref)

At a time when right wing fervor is increasing and the ignorantly angry McCain supporters are switching from "Drill Baby Drill" to "Kill Baby Kill!", Pastor Conrad's remarks can only be taken as fanning the flames by perpetuating the politics of fear. One man has already been shot for wearing an Obama t-shirt, three others were nabbed for plotting to kill Obama during his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, and the secret service is investigating a threat issued at a McCain/Palin rally (ref). Hopped up on heavy doses of right wing talk radio and Fox News, this rabble have waved their pitchforks at liberals and the "mainstream media", claiming that "liberals are ruining the country". Remember James D. Adkisson? He's the 58 year old gunman who shot up the Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, TN. At the time, the church was putting on a children's play. Two people died. From the New York Times,

According to a search warrant for Mr. Adkisson’s house filed by the police, during interrogation Mr. Adkisson admitted to the shooting and said “he had targeted the church because of its liberal leanings and his belief that all liberals should be killed because they were ruining the country.”

Conservative pundits claim you can see the same vitriol from the left. Just go check out the comments sections of the blogs. However, I have not heard anything from supporters on the campaign trail that approaches violence. Calling McCain old or Palin an idiot does not rise to "Off with his head" and "Kill him". I know there's passion in a crowd brought together under a common purpose, but for Obama supporters, it's passion for your candidate. For McCain's, it's passion against your opponent, even to the point of booing McCain himself when he tries to calm the crowd down.

Pastor Conrad invokes the threat of Islam and Hinduism supplanting Christianity if Obama were to be elected. In a conversation, I would guess he was speaking tongue in cheek. But as a formal public speaker, he is saying nothing less than "A vote for McCain is a vote for God".

Yay. Go God. Big ups for ignorance.

Christians should be offended, but I doubt the NASCAR Christians at McCain/Palin events sit around parsing invocations. They have an appetite for hate and enjoy being spoon fed by the likes of McCain and Palin. And Pastor Conrad.