The Reality of Recent Religious Endorsements

While we contemplate the actual efficacy of any endorsement conferred on any candidate, one thing is for sure - if it prays it brays. Not much has captured the American media quite so much this past week as the endorsement by the hateful Louis Farrakhan of Barack Obama. An endorsement, I might note, that was not sought by the candidate and was quickly denounced and then rejected.

On the other side, which I'm sure you've heard much less about, are two recent religious community endorsements received by John McCain that not only were not rejected, renounced and denounced, but actively sought.

You may remember McCain's difficulties with the Religious Right during his 2000 presidential bid. His issues with Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson may have helped kill his campaign. This was McCain in 2000:

I am a pro-life, pro-family fiscal conservative, an advocate of a strong defense, and yet Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and a few Washington leaders of the pro-life movement call me an unacceptable presidential candidate. They distort my pro- life positions and smear the reputations of my supporters.

Why? Because I don't pander to them, because I don't ascribe to their failed philosophy that money is our message.

Neither party should be defined by pandering to the outer reaches of American politics and the agents of intolerance, whether they be Louis Farrakhan or Al Sharpton on the left, or Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell on the right. [emphasis mine]

As you can imagine, that did not go over too well. Part of McCain's transformation to butress his conservative bonafides has been to renounce his previous statements and cozy-up to those he formally denigrated.

Just this past week, McCain has appeared with two agents of intolerance - John Hagee and Rod Parsely.

John C. Hagee, founder and pastor of the megachurch Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, has drawn the ire of conservative Catholic groups Catholic League and Catholics United. Here's Catholic League President Bill Donohue reaction:

There are plenty of staunch evangelical leaders who are pro-Israel, but are not anti-Catholic. John Hagee is not one of them. Indeed, for the past few decades, he has waged an unrelenting war against the Catholic Church. For example, he likes calling it 'The Great Whore,' an 'apostate church,' the 'anti-Christ,' and a 'false cult system.' To hear the bigot in his own words, click here. Note: he isn't talking about the Buddhists

Here's a video of Pastor Hagee explaining said Catholic Church whoreishness. I also find it strange that Bill Donahue, once a staple on MSNBC, hasn't been seen there lately.

Senator McCain, sensing an "uh-oh" moment, attempted to distance himself from some of Hagee's more inflammatory remarks saying, "However, in no way did I intend for his endorsement to suggest that I in turn agree with all of Pastor Hagee's views, which I obviously do not". But no renunciation has been forthcoming to date.

Rod Parsley, founder and president of "The Center for Moral Clarity" and leader of the right-wing "Patriot Pastors" (via PFAW) has graced our discourse with these moral nuggets:

-called hate crimes legislation a "deceptive ploy of [the] liberal, homosexual agenda."
-advocated criminal prosecution of adulterers.
-compared Planned Parenthood to the Nazis.
-declared "I came to incite a riot! Man your battle stations! Ready your weapons! Lock and load!" at a "War on Christians" conference.
-urged voters to "let the Reformation begin! Shout it like you're going to carry the blood-stained banner of the cross of Christ the length and breadth of the Buckeye State!" at a political rally.

Now John McCain has appeared on a stage with, and has excepted the endorsement of, a man who would see him imprisoned (see second bullet point above) - and that's aside from the the other hatefulness.

I question why these endorsements have not been on the news anywhere near as much as the Farrakhan endorsement of Obama. There is no shortage of hate speech and advocating violence in these two men - what makes them different? Is it because they're white Christians?

I liked John McCain much better in 2000 when he WAS a straight talker. I don't know what kind of a talker he is now. I understand he has some problems with conservatives that he needs to overcome - but at what price?