Cafe Talk | Talking Points Memo | Well THIS Is Interesting

Well THIS Is Interesting

By LisB - June 24, 2008, 7:24PM

My youngest sister is a hell of a lot more religious than I am. She's gotten into some guy named Andy Stanley. I don't resent it when she sends me a religious email now and then, because I understand we all have our own ideological points of view, but I have to admit I don't always read them.

I think she knows this, because the religious emails have slowed way down. Which is why, when I got this email from her today, I actually stopped and read it.

It is a very interesting (to me, anyway) mix of politics and religion that I find fascinating. Andy Stanley's North Point Ministries is encouraging people to write letters to the next president, and whether it be Obama or McCain doesn't matter.

This website includes links to letters already written, as well as a place where you can write your own. Again, I find this whole idea rather fascinating. So I thought I'd share the link with you all, and see what you think about it, if anything:

http://www.letterstothenextpresident.com/

Comments (11)

Scary. The first letter is an example of the absurd bullshit that republicans try to foment as truth:

I’m very concerned about the constant attack on freedom that seems prevalent in our society, everything from what I consider persecution of my religion in culture to the idea that the government is responsible for my well being. I’m hoping that you drive the country back to the ways of our founding fathers and abide by the constitution strictly.

SOMEHOW, I don't think the religion this guy is is talking about it Islam, or some other religion that actually IS persecuted.

Sorry, Lis. I have a bunch of nut-cases in my family too.

Posted by CVille Dem
June 24, 2008 8:07 PM | Reply | Permalink

How funny, CVille--we responded at the same time, with completely different reactions.

Maybe it's b/c of the nutcases in my extended family that I actually saw this as mild :-) At least they aren't picketing family planning clinics....

Posted by Yvaughn
June 24, 2008 8:11 PM | Reply | Permalink

If she thinks she is persecuted for her religion she should try claiming to be an atheist in public some time.

Posted by Larry Geater
June 24, 2008 10:29 PM | Reply | Permalink

AS an atheist, I totally agree with you. Someone in my office actually said, "How come you are nice, if you don't believe in God?"

I asked her if she knew any people that she thought were mean; when she said she did, I asked her if they were church-goers. Of course the answer was "Yes."

I didn't go any further with her, because I could see she had enough to chew on with just that much. More lessons later.

Posted by CVille Dem
June 25, 2008 10:08 AM | Reply | Permalink

I really like this idea, LisB! I love that they are expressing themselves to whoever becomes the next president, not pushing the idea of who that should be. And many of the letters (of the ones I skimmed) didn't contain much in the way of religious agendas at all; just the voices of citizens suggesting how our country can be improved (fixing levees, for example).

I often get so turned off by the extremist religious right that I forget how very many very GOOD religious Americans we have in this country. I forget that most of the Christians really are trying to follow the advice of Jesus, who IMHO (even though I'm not a Christian) had a LOT of great stuff to say. These people deserve as much of a voice in our government as anyone else, and expressing themselves, to make their leadership aware of that voice, is what Democracy is all about, yes?

Thanks for the link.

Posted by Yvaughn
June 24, 2008 8:09 PM | Reply | Permalink

You're welcome, and your reaction is what I was looking for, because I was sort of shocked too by the overall tone of these letters. Yes, the first letter, the one CVilleDem quotes, was expected, but after that, I read nothing but hopes for America, anger and frustration, and more hopes for America, mixed with some nice thoughts.

I do find it very odd that a minister would intentionally invite himself and his flock into the political arena, and in such a manner, but the results are rather amazingly more heartfelt and less "fire and brimstone" than I had imagined.

In short, I find it all very interesting. I guess that's why I named my post in such a way, wink.

Posted by LisB
June 24, 2008 8:22 PM | Reply | Permalink

Hey Lis,
You might want to pass this along to your email buddy. I send this to a lot of my conservative relatives and religious friends and they find it interesting as well.

I want to talk a little bit about what conservative leaders need to do -- some truths they need to acknowledge.
For one, they need to understand the critical role that the separation of church and state has played in preserving not only our democracy, but the robustness of our religious practice. Folks tend to forget that during our founding, it wasn't the atheists or the civil libertarians who were the most effective champions of the First Amendment. It was the persecuted minorities, it was Baptists like John Leland who didn't want the established churches to impose their views on folks who were getting happy out in the fields and teaching the scripture to slaves. It was the forbearers of the evangelicals who were the most adamant about not mingling government with religious, because they did not want state-sponsored religion hindering their ability to practice their faith as they understood it.
Moreover, given the increasing diversity of America's population, the dangers of sectarianism have never been greater. Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers.

- Barack Obama, Call to Renewal 2006
http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060628-call_to_renewal/

Posted by mageduley
June 24, 2008 8:56 PM | Reply | Permalink

Thank you, mageduley, and I agree with you and with Obama. And it's my baby sister, not just my email buddy, who sent me the link.

I'm trying to keep an open mind about everything.

Posted by LisB
June 24, 2008 9:45 PM | Reply | Permalink

LisB:

It is an interesting site; And I share the view that many of us forget that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" and we forget that many religious people are not "fire and brimstone" types, but just normal people trying to live a good life.
Thanks for the link.
BTW: Did you post a letter? :)

Posted by GEMINI
June 24, 2008 11:56 PM | Reply | Permalink

No, actually, I haven't posted my own letter. I doubt I will. I'm sort of afraid that if I do, I'll get on Andy Stanley's weekly email subscription list.

Posted by LisB
June 25, 2008 12:16 AM | Reply | Permalink

I promise not to put you on our list... but we will post your letter.

Posted by Andy Stanley
June 25, 2008 10:39 AM | Reply | Permalink

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Well THIS Is Interesting

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