People are waking up to Obama's "close 20 year relationship" with a bigot named Reverand Wright. And the good reverand's "close relationship" with one of America's biggest racists, Louis Farrakhan. Birds of a feather....and most of America is starting to figure it out. Especially Hillary fans and Jewish voters. Remember, this is the same nation that re-elected a very unpopular George Bush only 3 1/2 years ago during an unpopular war. McCain will win this election.
SPIRITUALITY
Believers in the Pews--and the Polling Booth
A new study on the intersection of politics, religion and race.
Jun 23, 2008 | Updated: 11:45 a.m. ET Jun 23, 2008
Member Comments
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Posted By: datzamore@aol.com @ 07/05/2008 1:23:52 PM
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Posted By: Nins @ 06/30/2008 12:31:34 PM
Of the many millions of Muslims in the world, only an infitesmally small percent are terrorists. Most Muslims are peaceful God-fearing people who want to live moral lives.
I personally think it would not matter if Obama was a Muslim, I would vote for him anyway because he is the best candidate, and being Black or being Muslim or having big ears could never alter the fact that he is the best candidate.
However, given the fear mongering against Muslims that Bush has indulged in ever since 9/11, it would be unlikely that the USA would elect a Muslim President. This rumor about Obama being a Muslim is just more BS brought to you by Bush, Rove & Company. You should be afraid, very afraid of Muslims. You should be so afraid of Muslims that you will not speak out when they take away your civil rights, read your mail, wiretap your phones and imprison you for years without being charged or tried. You should be so afraid of Muslims that you will pay $10 for a gallon of gasoline, and you will look the other way when it is proven that Bush's economic policies (NOT the OPEC nations) caused the price increase. You should be so afraid of Muslims that when the National Debt skyrockets so high that even our great grandchildren will still be paying it, that you will not only say nothing, but vote for McCain, who will make the economy even worse. You should be so afraid of Muslims that when Bush borrows $5 trillion from COMMUNIST China, and increases our trade deficits and defaltes our dollar, you should say "Oh, even though Bush has done this, he had to do it, because of the Muslims." You should be so afraid of Muslims that when your mortgage is foreclosed and your bank fails, you blame it on the Muslims, rather than on the slick investment bankers who got rich off of Bush's corporate deregulation. You should be so afraid of the Muslims that you will ignore the fact that the Halliburton corporation is controlled and owned by Bush's VP Cheney, and that all of the Iraq contracts have gone to Halliburton subsidiaries, enriching Cheney and his friends. You should be so afraid of Muslims that you can not even see when you are being cheated by high level crooks. -
Posted By: tippology1 @ 06/29/2008 9:12:49 AM
So black people is suppose too vote for Obama because he is black this is crazy. My fellow Black Americans have let me down this year because they are not looking at what we as a nation. Barack is getting 90% of all black votes from both parties because he is black and not because he has earned the right to be president. The guy has no track record and no experience but because he is black he is better then the other candidate? This way of thinking is one sided and is in my eyes reverse racism and he knows it.
I recently did my own survey and I asked 100 black Americans who they are voting for in the year???s election. All but 11 of them was voting for Obama, but when ask why, most said he can fix the black community, not to solve the national problems we have but fix the black community. There is no on person who can solve all these issues we have in America and Barry surly can???t, we need to solve these racial problems together not relying on one person.
For hundreds of years Black American???s have died because of racism and now we have shown that we are just as racist as the next man. If Barack was married to a white woman he would be labeled as a sell out in the Black Community, but because he gives people a vision of what they want to see he???s ok. Anyone voting this year has to look at the issues we have and vote on the person that can fix what needs to be fix, not the person who dresses well and is well spoken, anyone can do that. What we need is the drive and the desire to yet again transform our nation into the future. What we don???t need is a split in creative thinking as to why the voting is so lopsided??? -
Posted By: Factarereal @ 06/29/2008 3:31:19 AM
Some interpretation to the above observation are:
1. Republicans have run the white house more than the democrats, but still they never did any good thing for the black people, and that the republican party is to be blamed for a greater part of the woes of black people.
2. It shows that those republican church goers are the same as the slave masters, and have nothing good for black people
3. Black people have seen good things from the democrats and that it is sensible on their parts to vote for them -
Posted By: grandmamoses @ 06/29/2008 3:29:35 AM
In 70ad when the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, many died within the walls of the Temple, due to paranoid religious strife. They went as far as poisoning eachothers food supply ect...One story changed me personally. There was one Priest, who was shunned by all others, including the community, yet he had friends who SHARED in believing, in ALLthingslet LOVE be your greatest aim. During the time of the seige on the Temple, if anyone went out the gates of the city the romans would immediatly kill them.There was ONE Jewish law honored by the Romans, and that was to remove the dead outside the city gates. The
Priest was loved enough, that his friends wrapped him as if dead, and sent him out of the city. He became free. He was the only person that survived...None of us will be free from our own self destruction, until we truly Love...not follow the man in a pulpit, you are capable of the all, because in Love we can forgive,didn't t jesus say forgive them because they know NOT.Let's not get religious, lets get to Loving one another. Only then we will have integrity in our government. Love grandma moses PS there are millions of children in the world orphaned, taking care of other orphaned children....theses children are ready for you to open your heart!-
Posted By: Nins @ 06/30/2008 12:32:53 PM
Dear Grandma, you are WONDERFUL
Thanks for your post.
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Posted By: kxs0519 @ 06/28/2008 11:08:29 PM
black or white just do what is honorable, just and right. Do not murder. Exocus 20:13. Do not lay with a man like a woman lays with a man for it is detestable. Leviticus 18:22. Sure this country is corrupt no matter which party is in control but at least we still our free to say what we want , go to school to become whatever we want and practice what religion we want whether it is Islam, Buddist, Harry Krishna, Christian etc. We should all thank those people who have fought for our country today and yesterday. Without these people our freedom wouldn't be free anymore. May God Bless America and anyone who reads this.
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Posted By: gigispen @ 06/28/2008 10:05:58 PM
Religious Blacks who continue to support the Democratic party not because issues of economic and social justice supercede issues of abortion and same sex-marriage but because the latter issues are matters of individual choice and can be addressed by the church whereas the former are societal issues that require the attention of the government.
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Posted By: redeemd99 @ 06/28/2008 6:35:50 PM
And in addition to my last comment....we need to stop judging an entire group of people. It's so sad that the color of one's skin, which by the way, that individual did not chose, nor can they help....will determine for most that person's ability to do a job, or anything in life for that matter.....A person is a person, we may not always agree, but that's the freedom that we have (or are supposed to) in the U.S.A!! What happened to all that this country is supposed to stand for.....one bad apple shouldn't spoil the whole bunch.....It's called the UNITED States, and that's what we should be---UNITED!
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Posted By: redeemd99 @ 06/28/2008 6:25:18 PM
For one thing, Mr or Miss Adbostic2, the study was done on different relgions concering voting, NOT BLACKS concerning voting!! That's the problem with America now, there's always someone who wants to make everyting black and white. Your true racist side just revealed itself, whether you know it or not!! You, an people like you are a part of the problem in this world, not the solution.....actually the reason why we need solutions!! WE ALL SHOULD VOTE REGARDLESS....and just so you know, WE ALL have a tendency to complain about something!!! Whether we're white, black, or any other race of people....Get a life!! A real one!!
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Posted By: Adbostic2 @ 06/28/2008 5:13:50 PM
I an not believe this? ? ? ? That's whats wrong with blacks now they do not do their part and always complaining .We all need to vote in this world un less you have big bucks like the republicans well I do not.
All BLACKS need to vote no matter whta your religion is this day and time. -
Posted By: Slave of The Subduer @ 06/26/2008 4:41:22 AM
I find strange that the media keeps playing this race card, the reason being is that blacks always vote democrat in and so do alot of southern whites, it is just normal. I really believe race is involved little in this outcome the people as one just want a better president and not a repeat of the last 8 years, that pretty much would sum it up. The problem is that the people think Obama can offer them this, but we will not truly know until he enters office, and of course McCain is seen as a clone of G.W. Bush.
Whites feel the same things Blacks feel and all of the other colors inbetween, let's just see what happens and hope for a good outcome. -
Posted By: speckelbelly @ 06/25/2008 6:35:32 PM
I THINK THE RELIGIOUS PEOPLE WHO VOTED REPUBLICAN NEED TO STAND UP FOR THEIR SELVES. TAKE A GOOD LOOK! FOR THE LAST 7 YEARS AND SEE WHAT THEIR VOTE HAS HELPED DO TO THIS COUNTRY! ARE WE THE PEOPLE BETTER OFF? I DO NOT THINK SO. IM NOT FOR WAR,I AM FOR PEACE. I AM NOT FOR GREED,I AM FOR EQUALITY AMONG ALL PEOPLE.WHEN I LOOK AT THE REPUBLICAN NOMONEE. I SEE VIETNAM,WE ALL KNOW WHERE THAT TOOK ALL OF US.I SEE A MAN WHO WAS TRAINED TO KILL!GOT CAUGHT THEN FREED. MARRIED THEN DIVORCED.WE KNOW HOW HE TREATED HIS 1st WIFE.THEN MARRIED AGAIN A VERY RICH WOMAN.ALL DURING THE LAST 30 YEARS HE WAS LIVING OFF THE TAX PAYORS MONEY,BEING IN THE SENATE ONE OF THE MOST LIBERAL REPUBLICANS.EVEN HIS OWN GROUP DID NOT LIKE HIM.
THEN ALL IN THE LAST 7 YEARS HE HAS BACKED GW BUSH LEFT AND RIGHT.NOT TOO GOOD OF A RECORD FOR A SITTING PRESIDENT WITH A VERY LOW APROVAL RATING. ENOUGH SAID. I AM A MALE WHITE PERSON,I AM VOTING FOR OBAMA AND I APROVE THIS MESSAGE.-
Posted By: Nins @ 06/30/2008 12:47:22 PM
I am a white middle aged female Republican voting for Obama, and I agree with Speckle.
McCain's moral history is pretty unpleasent. He committed treason by collaborating with the enemy in Vietnam. McCain himself admits this in his autobiography, and discusses the guilt that he felt over it. On top of that, he committed adultery with his second wife (Cindy) while still married to his first wife, who was wheelchair bound when he divorced her. I do not personally judge McCain on this, because as a Christian it is my duty to forgive and live and let live. However, it boggles my mind that anyone (Christian or not) could vote for a man who committed treason. And it seems odd to me that conservative Christians would vote for a man who committed noxious adultery, leaving behind a crippled wife for a rich young heiress.
If Christians would read the chapter on Faith in Obama's book Audacity of Hope, and really look at Obama, his marriage, his children, and his moral bearing without prejudice, I think that Obama stands head and shoulders above McCain.
I also think that Obama is the best candidate for the economy. I have voted Republican for the past 30 years, because of fiscal responsibility is the backbone of a strong nation. However, Dubya Bush's blundering and errors have brought us to the brink of an economic depression. McCain, who by his own admission knows little about the economy, wants to continue the Iraq war, which is causing the National Debt to skyrocket out of control. That is not fiscally responsible. I haven't voted Democrat since Nixon disgraced the GOP, but here I am 30 years later, voting Democrat because Bush has disgraced the GOP. -
Posted By: Jim F @ 06/26/2008 3:58:35 AM
Didn't Ted Kennedy amd his brother Jack do much of the same as you describe of McCain?
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Posted By: Nins @ 06/30/2008 12:48:46 PM
Two wrongs do not make a right, Jim.
And that argument won't work for me, because I am not a Democrat, and never voted for a Kennedy.
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Posted By: Karenn1 @ 06/25/2008 9:01:55 AM
This election is about Democrats vs Republicans.Religion is for one's own self.Fools will be fools and let it influence their vote.This time even a fool won't want to keep the slime in charge.Republicans can put lipstick on the pig,but it won't fly.The fool is broke.
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Posted By: Karenn1 @ 06/25/2008 9:01:54 AM
This election is about Democrats vs Republicans.Religion is for one's own self.Fools will be fools and let it influence their vote.This time even a fool won't want to keep the slime in charge.Republicans can put lipstick on the pig,but it won't fly.The fool is broke.
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Posted By: mrmick @ 06/24/2008 1:47:44 PM
It is no wonder this country is so socially and technologically backward compared to Europe, with so many people still believing in the god myths and superstitions.
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Posted By: Jabelite @ 06/28/2008 12:34:33 AM
*shrugs* Statements are meant to stand or fall on their own credibility. I don't think any reply is needed to disprove this one.
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Posted By: stholas @ 06/30/2008 4:54:25 PM
Ditto for your comment as well.
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Posted By: paulte @ 06/24/2008 11:47:03 AM
The Democrats have boxed themselves into a corner with their liberal social views. They retain the support of blacks in general but I wouldn't be surprised if the tiny portion of blacks who don't vote Democratic about 10% are the most authentically religious. The Democrats have also been losing ground with the Hispanics, 40% of whom voted for George Bush last time. If they want to capture the Presidency more often, they need to distance themselves form th socially liberal groups, feminists, gays, trial lawyers, etc.
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Posted By: malikmitch @ 06/24/2008 1:04:17 PM
Here we go with the "No real christian" comments. Christians come in all shapes, sizes and flavors. Just as all other religious people and non-religious people. No one group has a lock on morality the past and the present make that painfully (literally and figuratively) obvious. people should make their decisions based on the ideals not based on whatever a certain denomination/preacher/priest says, that is how we got one of the worst presidents in american history governing us now.
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Posted By: sharkman @ 06/24/2008 6:56:25 AM
Newsweek your articles suck.
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Posted By: sharkman @ 06/24/2008 6:53:35 AM
Blacks with morals ha ha ha ha
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Posted By: DonnaEdmond @ 06/26/2008 4:09:13 PM
Wow! So now you claim to know every African-American? I could very well counter with
Whites with morals ha ha ha
There are good people and bad people of all races.
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Posted By: atook60 @ 06/24/2008 5:35:26 AM
If we are going to avoid becoming another putrid country like the islamic extremist run middle east mad houses .we need to start removing poli-ticks-shuns from washington who insist on bringing their religion with them.
seperation of church and state is probably more important than freedom of speech.-
Posted By: Jabelite @ 06/28/2008 1:24:38 AM
It's one thing to be anti-religious, we live in a country where people are allowed to believe whatever they want, it's another thing to try and destroy the rights we have to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and political representation.
It is no coincidence that the top four mass murderers of the twentieth century held the same religous beliefs you do.-
Posted By: Jabelite @ 06/28/2008 1:40:05 AM
sorry... typo
It is no coincidence that the top four mass murderers of the twentieth century held the same beliefs you do.-
Posted By: stholas @ 06/30/2008 5:01:48 PM
Actually, no one knows for sure, but there is evidence that Hitler might have been a Catholic. Also, the most brilliant man of all time was an atheist as well. His name is Albert Einstein. So the next time you benefit from his discoveries (in other words, every day), go ahead and call him a mass murderer as well.
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Posted By: skandnr @ 07/20/2008 7:01:04 PM
The fact of the matter is that most of the people on this earth that are in there right mind (which regredebly is very few) are athiests.
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Posted By: RaulO @ 07/08/2008 8:13:58 PM
Mind if I point out a few things?
Jabelite:
Using the actions of a few to justify the general loathing one may have for a whole group of people seems frightfully short-sighted, don't you think?
stholas:
two things, 1. Hitler was raised Catholic but his actions against Catholic Church as well as many of the pledges he made his Hitler Youths and SS officers take shows that Hitler himself was not Christian.
2. Einstein did not believe in a personal God, but he did believe in the possibility of a divine entity, which would bring him closer to the idea of Agnosticism rather than Atheism.
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Posted By: Nins @ 06/30/2008 1:00:24 PM
One assumes, Jabelite, that by the "top four mass murderers of the 20th century" you are referring to the likes of Hitler, Lenin, Stalin and Mao.
Just to set the record straight, these men did not believe in the separation of church and state. They believed in the total annihilation of all religion, which is a totally different thing.
Separation of church and state ensures that no one religious group controls our nation, which is made up of people of all different religions, and founded on the principal of religious freedom. Separation of church and state also guards against religious extremists seizing political power and using their fanaticism to justify war, torture, and other horrific abuses against mankind.
It does not matter whether the people committing crimes against humanity are deeply religious or are atheist. They are the same crimes nevertheless, equally ugly in the eyes of God.-
Posted By: skandnr @ 07/20/2008 6:56:50 PM
Nins, your statement is perfect except for the one thing. God does not exist.
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Posted By: RaulO @ 07/08/2008 8:17:42 PM
Oh and one more thing.
Nins:
Well said!
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Posted By: sjpersonal @ 06/24/2008 2:50:00 PM
Yes... Yes... Yes... I agree with you 100%
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Posted By: cathytown22 @ 06/24/2008 4:38:24 AM
Historians will look back at our time with amazement that a belief in an invisible sky monster actually shaped our politics and culture.
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Posted By: skandnr @ 07/20/2008 6:53:51 PM
It is hilarious that people still hang on to religion when it was created 1000's of years ago to falsely explain what can now be factually explained by science. All religion is based on fantasy and false hope and faith.
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Posted By: Indian mary @ 06/23/2008 10:19:28 PM
Unless one does not believe the Canon and even less in your god. Self-serving hedonistic freedoms? Wow, you just set us back a few centuries.
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Posted By: solomonc10 @ 06/23/2008 8:32:31 PM
Church and law are at odds many times with each other. A cursory review of the canon should inform any reader that the God of the canon never intended for humans to enjoy the kind of self-serving hedonistic freedoms that are guranteed by American majoritarian/constitutional law.
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Posted By: grandmamoses @ 06/29/2008 3:00:16 AM
The Holy Scriptures was better off when it was oral not written. It was meant to be a spiritual language. Once written man has struggled not only with interpretation, but because of mans interpretation 1000's of churchs/ relgions have been built on their interpretation. Grandma Moses Keep Love in your Heart!
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Posted By: solomonc10 @ 06/23/2008 8:26:38 PM
When black Americans awaken, they will realize that Senator Obama was never a friend of the black church. By his own admission, he has been absent for about 20 years. The black church is Obama's whipping boy, and at the same time his talisman!
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Posted By: sjpersonal @ 06/24/2008 2:51:50 PM
Ok, so now he never went to church, before some of those who will not support him were claiming that for 20 years he fed spiritually, at the feet of hate in his church. Which is it?
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Posted By: Just Us Plz! @ 06/23/2008 8:06:08 PM
Obama is the most qualified not just because he is black 90% of blacks have supported EVERY white Dem since the Civil Rights Movement, any complaints There?, and lets not even compare IQ scores among any of the candidates
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Posted By: Just Us Plz! @ 06/23/2008 8:04:10 PM
Wow.. I am so surprised for people to with such ease make judgements about others especially concerning their personal faith, that is a very dangerous path to tread!!
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Posted By: Marine#1 @ 06/23/2008 6:43:50 PM
Unfortunatly, most of these Americans mentioned are your typical everyday hypocrits or should I say hypochristians. These people go play out drugs, murder, rape, and all other criminal activity and go to church on Sunday to repent. Sounds rather Catholic. The political thing is plain and simple Barrack Osama only gets votes from majority black voters because he is simply Black. Clinton because she's a Woman lets just be real MORONS
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Posted By: paulte @ 06/24/2008 11:54:12 AM
Well, at least they repent; that's what Bill Clinton does! Of course it would be better not to sin in the first place. However, murder, rape & extortion are not exactly your garden variety type of sins. Most people don't do that kind of thing anyway.
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Posted By: sharonann.tomal @ 06/23/2008 6:41:50 PM
I am very much a believer in God, and yes I will vote for McCain. The reason is not complicated, since no party has a monopoly on all the right answers/views, I must go with the party that follows God on most of these issues. McCain does. If you can not respect and value life at it's most vulnerable, then how can you lecture (as Obama frequently does) on war being morally wrong, helping the poor, etc . A couple lessons Mr. Obama has to learn: While helping the poor was close to the heart of Jesus, he is no way FORCED anyone to do so. Funny, how democrats are so "pro-choice" when it comes to taking a life, but become the socialists they really are when it comes to everything else.
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Posted By: speckelbelly @ 06/25/2008 6:47:37 PM
REAL SMART THERE, VOTE FOR THE FLYING BABY KILLER McCAIN.
WAR IS WRONG! HELPING THE POOR?OBAMA HAS DONE WAY MORE IN GODS WALK OF LIFE THAN JOHN McCAIN WILL EVER THINK OF DOING!
YOU HAD BETTER STUDY MORE ON THE LIFE OF OBAMA . -
Posted By: Just Us Plz! @ 06/23/2008 8:07:17 PM
Jesus never forced anyone not to take a life either, not even his own!!!
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Posted By: seti2008 @ 06/23/2008 5:19:04 PM
Now ask how many people who view themselves as religious have been in trouble with the law? There's quite a bit of overlap. Pure hypocrisy.
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Posted By: Just Us Plz! @ 06/23/2008 8:09:30 PM
The law contradicts religion in many regards and I have not met a christian who claims to be perfect, the 12 disciples sure were not!!
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Posted By: cathytown22 @ 06/24/2008 4:40:17 AM
Nor is your grammar.
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Posted By: Slave of The Subduer @ 06/26/2008 4:31:00 AM
Your's isn't either.
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Posted By: Erik_Immortal @ 06/23/2008 5:08:23 PM
It would be interesting to look at the data based on more than just "attendance" and "race." I am a white evangelical who prays daily and attends church twice a week. I also happen to be active in my local democratic party (not just voting for them). My first priority is to save the souls of the lost and introduce them to accept the salvation of Jesus Christ. My second priority is enact his teachings on justice, poverty, wealth and peace, and that means changing our society to be more like the Kingdom of God.
I also know that I am not alone, and many of my evangelical brothers and sisters put their political affliliation with the democrats, not because we agree with everything they stand for (because we don't), but because ending wars and ending poverty are so much more important. Maybe this is just a Seattle thing (where seemingly nobody is a Republican except the Paulities), so I'd be curious to see a geographic breakdown of these numbers.-
Posted By: skandnr @ 07/20/2008 6:46:09 PM
Oh, and could you please describe for me who a lost soul is.
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Posted By: skandnr @ 07/20/2008 6:45:16 PM
Do you mean if I'm an Atheist your going to try to convert me?
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Posted By: 955rutabagas @ 06/23/2008 1:38:11 PM
Are religiously active Americans only male? Or did the survey only query men? One might think so, based on the exclusively male pronouns used in your opening sentence.
You managed to use male and female pronouns later in your article. Certainly a gender-inclusive construction would have been possible in your opening sentence.
Come on, Newsweek. You ought to know better by now.
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