Posted on 04/20/2005 5:53:34 AM PDT by sneakers
It gives me hope. I watched as thousands and thousands of people ran towards St. Peters Basilica, filling first the square and then every inch of every road leading to the square. Perhaps over 150,000 said one newsman. They were running. Not just the tourists that happen to be visiting that great city Rome, but the citizens of Rome as well. The shopkeepers closed up and took for the streets, joining the women pushing their children in strollers and the business men in suits. The bells rang and they ran.
They were rushing and cheering and waiting to hear who will be the next pope. Who will be their new religious leader -- they needed to know. I have hope renewed because I thought we didn’t care all that much about spiritual things anymore. I had renewed hope because every day I read about the corruption and decay in not just our country, but all over the world.
When George Bush won the last election the media criticized what some believed was the reason for his victory. Christians. Christians viewed this election as a crucial battle that must be won. Christians came out in record numbers to vote for Bush. I remember after the election reading stories debunking that theory. Many suggested that it wasn’t the religious vote at all that gave President Bush the victory.
And yet, this past week has been full of stories about Howard Dean and his push for -- you got it -- religion! Why? If the media did all they could to persuade us otherwise, why would Dean be so focused on religion? I’ll tell you why. People still want religion. We are well aware of the battle we face daily between good and evil. When every day we watch and read about the threats to our liberty, decency, and our children’s future -- we’re spooked. We can smell all too well the stench of societal decay that surrounds us.
But the media didn’t want us to be energized -- to believe that our numbers are significant, or that together, we could have a tremendous effect on determining which direction our country will take.
Howard Dean knows that the media hype is just that. He is actually smart enough to know that Christians did indeed come out in record numbers last fall. And they came with an agenda. According to The Washington Times reporter Wesley Pruden; Howard Dean told Arkansas newspaper columnist John Brummett on the eve of a meeting of state chairmen in Little Rock that he wants Democrats to speak up for “values.” “We need to talk about Christian values and how they’re Democratic values,” he said.
Don’t let the media fool you. They know, Howard Dean knows, and now you know. We want those things that are good and wholesome and hopeful. Those things that God has promised would lead to a fulfilled life.
The media has been, and continues to, weigh in on the selection of the new pope. What? They think they can manipulate this too? Somebody tell them they’re out of their league on this one. They just got trumped by the Holy Spirit.
I love it! Cuts through all the bickering over dogma. Our souls long to connect with God.
Thanks for posting this, I listen every morning.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.