At a time when Pew studies show that Americans are increasingly wanting less religion in their politics (HT: The Point)  It just keeps coming up.  We have watched Sarah Palin get a creedal Christian version of the Romney treatment.  And we have seen the usual and some unusual people rise to her defense.  Although I am forced to comment that all of this is back-burner stuff compared to what went down with Romney.

Remember when you could not read Romney’s name without the word “Mormon” appearing somewhere in the piece?  The Palin attacks are, while awful and rude, and inappropriate, and most of all ignorant about religion, they are pretty much the “standard fare” of political religious attacks.  You know, the kind that say, “You have to be stupid to believe that stuff and here is the evidence- tongues and witchcraft, indeed!”  Frankly, if that is all Mitt Romney had experienced, this would be a very different election, and possibly country.   Forgive this purely partisan comment, but how I would love to have Mitt Romney front and center in this financial crisis.  I’d be sleeping ike a baby.

Now, there is little doubt that the left is trying to steer things for Palin in the same direction as they went for Romney.   For Romney, the label “Mormon” became something of a stand-in for “freak.”  The left/MSM is trying very hard, by emphasizing the more miraculous aspects of Palin’s apparent Pentecostalism, to do the same thing with her.  But they are not getting nearly the traction - for two reasons.  One, they have a sense that to start writing in EVERY piece about the “Pentecostal Palin” like they did about the “Mormon Romney” is illegitimate and beyond the pale.  I think this is primarily evidence that the Mormon community has yet to fully rehabilitate its place in America from what is a factually troubled history.

Secondly, the far religious right is unwilling to play the “freak label” game with them when it concerns Palin.  And that is hugely problematic.  It reflects both a misunderstanding of the role of religion in society and it is self-nullifying.  Both things we have discussed on this blog endlessly.

Nonetheless, it’s not over.  On Faith’s question this week was:

Vice presidential candidates Joe Biden and Sarah Palin will debate this week. What would you ask them about their religious beliefs and why?

The answers vary pretty much in direct accordance with the politics of the person writing.   From, paraphrasing, “Explain that ‘witchcraft’ stuff” by Deepak Chopra to “I wouldn’t” by Michael Otterson.  I’m with Otterson on this one.

I doubt the debate will actually go here, but if it does, it would be a low point in American politics, unless it is something so generic and non-descript that the candidates simply get to speak their mind and move on.  Here’s hoping it does not come to pass.
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