Today’s edition of Tell Me More on NPR features a conversation about faith, God, and presidential candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama. Hosted by Lynn Neary, the discussion included Beliefnet’s Dan Gilgoff and yours truly. And it was fascinating. Not so much because of the brilliance of the guests, though we were! (Though we were actually pretty good.), The amazing part was Lynn Neary’s reaction to one of my points.
So? Because I am a rabbi, I shouldn’t care what Christians believe? Because I am a Jew, I should automatically want less faith in the political mix? It’s a little sad that we have come to that. The truth is that I am not worried about proudly professing Christians in the Oval office. I am concerned about anyone in the Oval Office who allows their faith, whatever it may be (including atheism and agnosticism) to overtake their respect for other faiths and those who practice them.
I would actually welcome the reintegration of religious wisdom into the political conversation. The reason that wisdom is so often banished is because those who are most eager to use it, whether on the right or the left, do so in ways that are always designed to prove that God is on their side and supports their policies. Frankly, that use of religion should disturb us all, even if at any given moment it happens to be breaking our way.