A Strange Way to Woo Religious Voters (Democrats Pit Evangelicals against Roman Catholics In La)

Washington Post ^ | 29 August 2007 | Micahel Gerson

[shrinkermd]

The Democratic Party has undertaken an ostentatious outreach to religious voters, creating a Faith Advisory Council and cultivating clergy around the country. But these efforts might be more credible if Democrats were not simultaneously trying to incite conflict between Roman Catholics and Protestants in Louisiana -- and managing to offend both groups in the process.

According to a recent television ad run by the Louisiana Democratic Party, the leading Republican candidate for governor, Bobby Jindal, has "insulted thousands of Louisiana Protestants" by describing their beliefs as "scandalous, depraved, selfish and heretical." Jindal, the attack goes on, "doubts the morals and questions the beliefs of Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians, Pentecostals and other Protestant religions."

[shrinkermd]

Liberals fail to understand that the people they label as "conservative" are more inclined to use the word "conservative" as an adjective than as a noun. There are commonalities and differences between various Christian groups.

[Always Right]

I love how these people who hate Christianity and everything it stands for makes attempts to reach out. It always blows up in their face as they are so insincere and phony. They can never hide their contempt towards people of faith.

[ELS]

More on Jindal

[NYer]

Catholic Ping
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[Antoninus]

Demo-trolls have been trying to split Evangelicals and Catholics on FR for a long time.

Let it be said right here and right now, despite whatever theological differences we may have, I'll stand with an Evangelical ANY DAY against the Culture of Death and Secularism in this country.

This Catholic loves his Evangelical brothers and sisters and is happy to fight the good fight along side them!

[isaiah55version11_0]

Amen

[tflabo]

This Democratic ad is not merely a tin-eared political blunder; it reveals a secular, liberal attitude: that strong religious beliefs are themselves a kind of scandal;

Ahhhh...just the Stalinist leftists applying Soviet style smear tactics. Expecting a large influx of religious voters to the Dems? Fagetaboutit!

[tflabo]

We Evangelicals stand with our Catholic brothers and sisters too who are fighting the tide of spiritual darkness and depravity. Our petty theological differences will not divide us nor will we tolerate demonic forces acting through the guise of leftist liberalism deflect us from being salt and light. We strengthen our bonds of brothership.

[ishabibble]

Same here! We must all stand together now, as the children of Our Lord.

[NavyCanDo]

Well Said.

[khnyny]

The Louisiana Democratic Party has sunk to a new low.

[SaintDismas]

Can anybody tell me: Are the so-called “diaspora” of NO gonna get to vote in LA in the 2008 election?

[AnAmericanMother]

Amen.

Family quarrels can be most bitter, because so much is at stake.

But the family stands united against outsiders who attack the home.

[I still care]

I read the article. Anyone offended by it has no understanding of Christianity at all.

The Democrats are shocked, shocked! that Calvin believed humans had depraved minds. Being totally ignorant of Christian theology, they think that they have to make people aware of this strange belief.

They only make people aware how divorced they are from Christianity, and how their world view is totally humanistic.

By the way, kudos to Jindal. Often people that convert from other religions are the greatest defenders of Christianity. They see it for the precious and unique faith it is.

[RoadTest]

Evangelicals and Catholics, doctrine aside, have strong common ground today in anti-abortion and getting the smut out of our culture.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Let me just clink my glass of grapefruit juice toward the monitor screen and say, “Catholics and Evangelicals and Jews, friends forever! Be ye servants of the LORD and Giver of Life!”

[Steve_Seattle]

It's interesting that the word "depraved" is taken from the Protestant reformer Calvin, but is attributed to Jindal. Jindal seems to merely have been reiterating the Catholic position that a strong, centralized teaching authority, and loyalty to it, is essential for Christian unity, and that the endless fragmentation of Christianity into sects is a scandal.

As a lapsed Catholic, I can see both sides of this. It is clear from the Bible that Jesus desired his followers to be united; on the other hand, I think there is some room for individual interpretation of scripture. By the same token I don't think that all interpretations are equally legitimate, and some are demonstrably false.

[jjm2111]

Amen.

[RobbyS]

My guess is: Yes. They will vote twice, Once where they lives and once in NO. You think LA officials will be checking?

[RobbyS]

You may not be aware that there is plenty of room for individual interpretation of Scripture, except on those —relatively few—passages where the Church has ruled. On some Scripture, for instance, Revelation, the Church has been far less dogmatic than many Protestant sects, who descry in it the whole road map of history.