tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494384.post7333938246958399707..comments2024-03-04T04:09:01.839-06:00Comments on And Doctor Biobrain's Response Is...: The Reformation ContinuesDoctor Biobrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01641661532899934766noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494384.post-28657709285633125182009-05-09T19:03:00.000-05:002009-05-09T19:03:00.000-05:00Kind and Gentle - You're mistaken when you refer t...Kind and Gentle - You're mistaken when you refer to this as "political" power. This is the exact opposite of power. They're being paid lip service and getting a bit of fame, but they're not getting any actual power from it. If anything, they're trading their power in exchange for fame. By giving Obama his prayer, Warren helped delegitimize Obama's critics who said he was anti-religious. So Obama gained power from this, but all Warren got was a stupid speech.<br /><br />Think of them as the Frenchies who received lavish treatment in the court of King Louis the whatever it was who lavished great treatment on his courtiers (or whatever it was, I'm not good on details and I'm drinking right now). They were allowed to hang with the King and receive great treatment, but in exchange, they had no power. And that's why the King gave them that treatment, so they couldn't work against him. Same deal here. Religious leaders already have the power, and they can either choose to use that power to force politicians to obey them, or they can trade that power for fame and attention. These guys all seem to be going for the fame. <br /><br />Warren gave his blessing to Obama, thereby negating religious attacks on Obama; but Warren didn't gain any new converts from Obama. And now Warren has lost ability to criticize Obama. And the religious right made the same mistake with Bush. The Bushies paid them lip service and they went into Bush's pocket, which is why they got nothing out of Bush. You get much more out of someone when you're negotiating as an enemy than when you've already agreed to be their ally.Doctor Biobrainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01641661532899934766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494384.post-14984942857624508862009-05-07T21:47:00.000-05:002009-05-07T21:47:00.000-05:00You still have to admire the political power of th...You still have to admire the political power of the right leaning preachers Doc. Every president and presidential candidate since we were born had to make a spectacle out of praying with Billy Graham. This time is was pastor Warren. <br /><br /> And pastors are just as subject to human foibles and envy as the rest of us. Each town has it's big time religious leader that has to lead us in prayer at every event. All the politicos have to kiss his, ahem, ring. <br /><br /> These guys have tasted power. Had lips planted on their buttocks. They're going to do whatever it takes to hold on to that. If they have to support Democrats now that the Republican Party is in decline, they will.Joe "Truth 101" Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08875151516978133598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494384.post-64799211763504739672009-05-07T16:08:00.000-05:002009-05-07T16:08:00.000-05:00Damnit, Biobrain, I wanted a more historical compa...Damnit, Biobrain, I wanted a more historical comparison with the Reformation! That sounded really fascinating. <br /><br />This thing with religion and the Republicans is a great model of religion and politics. In the 70's, a lot of churches stayed out of politics... they held to the view that if you politicize religion, you tarnish religion. This makes perfect sense from a protestant standpoint, as the Catholic Church, as a politically powerful institution, was as pure and shining an example of how worldly concerns leads to corruption.<br /><br />Maybe the lesson that evangelicals are slowly (re)learning is that to throw full-throated support behind candidates that really don't share your concerns cheapens religion both politically AND spiritually. <br /><br />FWIW, I think evangelicals haven't lost their taste for political power. Huckabee got far too close. Maybe Huckabee was the pinnacle -- evangelicals held such sway in the party they thought they could finally have a candidate of their own in the REPUBLICAN party, with an actual shot of winning a national election. Third-party candidacies obviously have zero chance of winning and so likely would not generate much excitement at all. <br /><br />As an aside, I actually rather liked Huckabee. He was remarkably genial and positive. He was a kooky, but he just wasn't very nasty. I mean, he's the candidate who thinks he has a mandate from God, and yet he was the least polarizing of the Republican candidates. It's a really interesting dynamic.inkadunoreply@blogger.com