People of Faith

Man is not the voice of God: God is neutral; Evangelicals are not who would reject the First Amendment if we let them.

Herman Cain has stated on national Television that he supports U.S. forces torturing people, about as un-American as it gets, and now he's touting hie religious values; all of this while defending himself from allegations of sex abuse of women.

(PASO ROBLES, Calif.) - Herman Cain has said he prayed fervently to God asking if he should seek the nomination of the Republican Party of God, and God answered by him telling him, as a man of faith, just what he wanted to hear.

Rick Perry is also a man of faith the value of which has been sorely tested when in debates God seems to have let him down. However, he still has the help of Rev. Jeffrees, of Evangelical leaning, who may also be one of the members of the Republican Holy See that likely will decide which of the candidates will rise to the level of nominee. Rick Perry looks to me as if he is being groomed by them, but so far has failed to deliver.

Geo. W. Bush, for practically all of his two administrations was as devout as any man of faith and a dedicated servant of the Holy See and Jesus Christ to whom he prayed daily. Somehow he got the notion that, “if Jesus is in his heaven all’s right with the world,” and would not let him down. Then, as if to mock him, Jesus[?] whipped up Hurricane Katrina to destroy much of New Orleans which shook the faith of President Bush to the core.

I suspect the faith of Barack Obama led him to rely exclusively on the military for advice, instead of the will of the American people when it came to Iraq and Afghanistan. His decision to withdraw troops from Iraq is a refreshing sign of his rational enlightenment. But his desire and attempt to work with Republicans has been a failure; they just wont give.

Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman are Mormon who Jeffrees considers a Christian cult not of Evangelical purity because they subscribe to concepts of Christianity that do not conform to their will and that of their base whose faith is untainted, and upon which Evangelicals rely because it does not question. Their base represents a solid one third of all voters.

Michele Bachman reminds me of Rick Perry both of whom are devoutly religious who would govern according to the will of the Holy See. However, their popularity is an important feature that the polls seem not to support. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul are of more independent minds which would be enough to eliminate both from being elevated to nominee status. I do not see another viable candidate among the Republicans. But I admit I am not a prophet.

Barack Obama seems a man of principle and some confusion that has caused his convictions to be diluted by the opinions of others. His decision to pull all troops out of Iraq by the end of this year indicates to me that he is getting the message from the people who are sick of war and its costs. Republicans disagree with Obama; their desire seems to be to expand the Empire until eventually the world becomes a Christian Oyster.

Sen. Kyl of Texas, appointed a member of the Super Committee, has said he would resign if there was any further reduction in the military budget; Lindsay Graham of South Carolina wants permanent air bases to be built in Afghanistan; and John McCain is known to resent what he considers retreat from any land where the U.S. has left its footprint.

The Tea Party has made its point which resulted in a grand sweep into Congress in 2010 of uncompromising Christians who insist on having their way, causing the people’s opinion of Congress to be so low as to suggest a sweep in the opposite direction in 2012. Time will soon tell.

Evangelists who are ever wanting to have their way are laying their groundwork by insisting “In God We Trust” (they mean the mythical Jesus) the motto for all Americans, and to place a Proposition on the ballots of six states a that says Life begins at Conception. It has been tried before but was not allowed by some states, and where it was on the ballot, it was soundly rejected as properly it should have been.

Man is not the voice of God: God is neutral; Evangelicals are not who would reject the First Amendment if we let them.

Kenneth G. Ramey, Salem-News.com's Religion and Philosophy Writer, confronts the hard issues of politics and religion from a logical point of view that combines interesting insight with history into the truth, or lack thereof, that underlies the strengths and weaknesses of the Religious Right’s determination to use American politics for its own misguided, or selfish, interest. It’s rare for a writer to balance his writing between religious values and the secular guarantees of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights with the knowledge that Ken possesses, and to do it so effectively.

Ken was born in Minnesota but was raised in California since 1932. He is the youngest of four boys raised by his mother alone during the dark years of the Great Depression. He Graduated from SFSU in the 1970s when in his mid-forties, majoring in Spanish North American History, and added three years of post-graduate study, much of it in Philosophy and Religion. We live at a critical time in history and believe Ken's views represent the view of many who are tired of the commercialism and false interpretations about religion today. Watch for Ken's articles on religion, philosophy, politics and history. View articles written by Kenneth G. Ramey You can email Ken at: darken1@sbcglobal.net

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