The New Democratic Doctrine of Religious Outreach

I’m on vacation, but it’s raining. My mother-in-law saved the USA Today for me and suggested I read an op-ed by Barack Obama. The piece entitled Politicians Need Not Abandon Religion.

Obama opens his argument by stating, “My faith shapes my values, but applying those values to policymaking must be done with principles that are accessible to all people, religious or not. Even so, those who enter the public square are not required to leave their beliefs at the door.”

But, before one can digest the meat of his thesis, Obama immediately lays into “conservative leaders such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson who tell evangelical Christians that Democrats disrespect their values and dislike their church, while suggesting that religious Americans care only about issues such as abortion and gay marriage.”

So what as Republicans can we glean from all this religious rhetoric from the new poster boy of the DNC?

I believe it is this: Out of desperation, the Democrats have adopted a new religious doctrine that consists of two simple tactics for out flanking Republicans:

The first pillar states that it is advisable to speak of God and to perhaps even include the occasional religious reference so long as one continues to adhere to the time honored liberal code that states there is but one truth; there are no absolutes. While the second pillar seeks to villainies leaders of the Christian community.

Obama complies with the first requirement by delivering a quasi-testimonial in which he shares how he came to believe that religion cannot be separated from politics shortly after his 2004 Senate campaign. I have to give the communication gurus at the DNC kudos for cleverly utilizing personal testimony as a mechanism for appealing to the faithful.

But, it is the second pillar of this strategy that will continue to cause problems for the National Democrat Party. While calling for the need to unite under a banner of common, universal values, Obama turns to attacking the men and women of the Christian right saying that unless Democrats begin discussing religion then “others will fill the vacuum: those with the most insular views of faith, or those who cynically use religion to justify partisan ends.”

But, here is what the Dems don’t understand. People of faith believe in truth. We are unwilling to compromise the truth for convenience and we are perfectly willing to fight for it no matter the political liability. Folks like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, while I may not always agree with them, should be applauded for not backing down from what they believe simply to appeal to the court of public opinion. As conservatives, our politics is shaped by our beliefs, not the other way around.

If there is one clear insight we can garner from this new Democrat strategy it is that liberals are willing to adopt religion in order to gain votes. They are content to mention God in a vain attempt to appeal to the larger electorate.