Thinking About What JPod Said
I’ve been reflecting on co-blogger Lowell’s conversation with John Podhoretz on the Hugh Hewitt show last week. Podhoretz had previosuly contended that Romney was unelectable because of his faith, and was asked to explain. Here is the heart of his response
…and it is my considered opinion that members of a minority…that this country is not ready to elect a member of a minority religion for president, that this is one of the defining characteristics that people look for in commonality in a president, is a kind of commonality of belief. And having a different prophetic system from conventional Christianity, that as people come to learn about…this will be an educated moment for people about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and that it will…they won’t reject it, but they…and they won’t even be alienated by it. They’ll just think that it’s a different faith from theirs, and they will not feel a commonality about it.
That sounds an awful lot like he is dancing around xenophobia to me. Hewitt goes on to contend that once people come to undertsand that the different religions result in similar values it won’t be a problem – something I agree with whole-heartedly.
Just a couple of random thoughts
Are we really that uncomfortable with “the other”? We live in a constant state of flux with “the other” – think men and women. I think we are used to it, I’m not sure it’s that big a deal. I only think it can rise to the level of a disqualifier if that sense of “the other” is colored by some sort of, even if mildly so, bigoted attitude. I’m getting the impression that JPod was shooting from the hip here and may have stepped in it a little.
Secondly, while most people in the country identify themselves as “Christian,” most of those don’t have that deep an understanding of the theological implications of the label. Pentecostal Christians have prophetic system closer to Mormons than a Presbyterian like myself. JPod’s assertion here mandates a level of religious understanding that the average Christian does not have.
Romney’s problems are not in the middle, they are in the evangelicals, those committed and understanding Christians that are also politically active. It’s a small group, but one with a lot of sway.
[tags]Hugh Hewitt, John Podhoretz, religion[/tags]
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