An eye for an eye

The vengeful God of the Old Testament gets a bad rap. For instance, when He summed up the rule of thumb for justice: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” Yahweh wasn’t saying make the sucker pay. He was saying that justice must not overstep itself with punishments that exceed the transgression. Now, I hate children rapists as much as the next guy. Frankly, Hell can’t burn hot enough for them, if you ask me. Which is precisely the problem. Blind Justice and blind rage don’t mix. That is why Yahweh dispensed a Law that would call the dogs off and keep blood feuds from escalating. So, I have to go with the majority ruling of the Supremes on this one. It seems very consistent with the “life for a life” mantra of the Bible. But of course, both presidential candidates have decried it. Strangely enough, Obama opposes the ruling using that sort of “states rights” rhetoric that sounds more like a Goldwater than a JFK. Me, I’ll stick with Yahweh. He has that justice thing down.

Candidates go Gay

The cover of this week’s New York Magazine has this clever bit of photoshop magic. So I thought it would serve as an appropriate image for the week that John McCain has his secret encounter with the GOP step-chid, the “Log Cabin Republicans” (Is there a double entendre in that name, or is it just me?) So we have Obama campaigning for Gay rights and McCain trying to get the Gay vote while continuing to cozy up to the anti-Gay marriage crowd. The whole thing sounds like a bad bedroom farce. And, of course, it sort of is.

Terrorism, we miss you

McCain’s chief strategist, Charlie Black, is wishing for another 9-11. Apparently, it would the wind beneath John McCain’s wings. Not that this is cynical-minded or anything. It’s just that soccer moms are leaning to Obama and, gosh, if we could just churn up those security moms like we did in ‘04. That would be sweet!!! Nothing big, mind you. A dirty bomb in Grand Central Station, a terrorist-inspired explosion or two at a Fourth of July celebration. Some causalties, maimed children, a weepy-eyed mom. John could really run with that. Osama, are you listening? The GOP needs you.

Obama gets a Bible-thumpin’

Apparently, James Dobson is going to have to sit this election out. He has already announced that he can’t support John McCain, who apparently isn’t conservative enough for the religious broadcaster. Now he is taking shots at Obama. It seems that Obama isn’t the biblical exegete that… I suppose… our current Born-again-in-Chief is?? Senator Obama actually quoted the Sermon on the Mount along side of the book of Leviticus as if they were in the same Bible. This, according to Dobson, is tantemount to denying the deity of Christ… or something…not sure I followed. I am so glad James Dobson is against both likely candidates. If he uses his bully-mike to convince the Religious Right to stay at home on election day, it would be just the sort of godsend that could insure a Democratic victory.

Women for McCain

Since the McCain camp has been light years behind the Obama folks in Internet savvy, a devoted public is helping out. Take the new Women for John McCain site that just went up. It provides an open forum to highlight McCain’s lifetime of service to the weaker sex:

John McCain has been surrounded by strong women throughout his life – from his first wife, Carol, to new female friendships formed after his return from Vietnam as an American hero, to his current wife, Cindy, and friends such as Vicki Iseman. Each one of them hold a very unique and special place in John’s story.

Yup. McCain is getting all the help he can stand right now. Gotta love the Internet.

Is this the best we could do?

This was the response of a friend of mind concerning the major parties’ presumed 2008 presidential candidates. The bottom of the barrel. I hear this a lot from my fellow evangelicals. I live in a part of the country where there are still people who think George W Bush hung the moon. And they will assure you that McCain is not running for Bush’s “third term” as Obama puts it. McCain makes them nervous. And Obama makes them nauseous. They line up with Geraldine Ferarro and explain that the only reason he has gotten where he is today is because he is black. (Right. Black people get all the good jobs!) Any way, I was amused today to discover that these two “lightweights” have genius-level IQs (McCain:166; Obama:172). This would make either candidate the smartest President in US history. So, it seems my friends are correct: These two are no President George W. Bush. And to that, let me say, “Thank you, Jesus!”

An Obamanation?

Would an Obama presidency be an abomination to the Lord? Would it raise the number of abortions in this country? This is an argument that I hear from many pro-life evangelicals and Catholics. But let’s ask ourselves a more important question. Could a pro-abortion candidate be a pro-life force? Considering abortions went up under pro-life Reagan and down under pro-choice Clinton, it is a very likely possibility. A woman’s choice is very different in a bad economy than in a good economy. It is very different when the world is a safe place, than when it is a scary place. It is very different when the tax code penalizes marriage than when it does not. It is very different when jobs are sent overseas, than when jobs are kept here at home. And for all the harping on the partial birth abortion ban that politicans do, the fact is that banning partial birth abortions will not save ONE unborn life from extermination. There are plenty other late term procedures available. It is simply a political football to make the naive electorate on both sides of the issue believe that something is going on when nothing really is. So the question is what are you voting for, pro-lifers? Fewer abortions or a nominally pro-life President? It is a question that is worth asking yourself.

Bush sees God

President Bush, when asked by EWTN anchor Raymond Arroyo: “When you look into Benedict XVI’s eyes, what do you see?” “God,” he answered. Funny, I see an old dude with a pointy hat.

John the Baptist?

There’s been a lot of discussion about where Barack Obama goes to church. But not as much about the GOP presumed nominee, John McCain. These days, McCain attends a Southern Baptist Church in Arizona. When he’s attending church. He’s not a member, however. John and his children have not bothered to join or get baptized. Or walk the aisle. Or do any of those things that make a Baptist a Baptist. This, after 17 years of their association with the Arizona megachurch. Which is smart. After all, you never know what your pastor might blurt out in mid-homily. Yup, deniablity. It’s a politician’s best get-out-of-jail free card.

Vain idols

Choose whom you will serve. Regular or Premium.

Take that, Swiftboaters

Well, you wanted change, you got change. Obama will be the first candidate since the wild, woolly days of Watergate to decline public funding for a major party campaign. This means that his campaign will not be subject to the same restrictions that the McCain campaign will be. Which is okay by me. The current system has allowed PAC monies to slime candidates with whatever libelous innuendo lobbyists can concoct and whatever mud they can sling. It is also the first time that a Democratic candidate has been so well-funded from individual contributions. Which should make conservatives happy. After all, no one likes it well able-bodied black people look to the government for assistance. At least, that’s what I’ve been told.

Cautious, ain’t he?

For those of you who have wondered how a President Gore would have responded to 9-11 and whether he would have launched a war in Afghanistan, followed by a current one in Iraq. Rest assured, the man is the very picture of caution. Heck, he might even still be in that classroom reading to those kids. Not exactly Johnny on the spot. Well tonight, Al is going to go out on a limb and announce his belated support for Senator Obama. Oh well, he has an Oscar, of course, and you know those Hollywood types. Always fashionably late.

Drowning man

Peggy Noonan suggested this week that John McCain invest in a portable lecturn. Because of his diminutive stature and limited arm movement (POW’s never have a nice day), McCain appears to be––according to Noonan–– a “drowning man” behind the podium. Unfortunately, stage craft isn’t McCain’s problem. He appears to be a drowning man because…umm…he is one. Only a drowning man throws away his personal integrity and clings desperately to those issues he once opposed. Only a drowning man, rejects a principled stance against torture to pander to his base. Only a drowning man flails around and tosses overboard an unpopular position on immigration to cater to hardliners in the GOP. Only a drowning man shows up for photo ops with right wing televangelists, only to torpedo their endorsements a week later. McCain doesn’t need a smaller podium, he need a larger spine. After all, it wasn’t George W Bush’s policies that the Republican base admired, it was his unswerving, steely-eyed tenacity. John McCain the straight talk Maverick might have lost the November election. But he would have lost it on his terms. Now…well…No one likes watching a man drown.

Conservative Values

Conservative Evangelicals may have a problem with his stance on taxes, his universal healthcare proposal, his left wing position on abortion and any other number of issues. But they can’t quibble with his core values. Because, like it or not, they are their values. He stands up for the life-transformative power of faith, the society-transforming role of the church, the grassroots nature of real, social change and, this Father’s Day, Barack Obama addressed the absolutely essential role of the father in the home. It wasn’t some sentimental salute to dads on Dad’s Day. It was an indictment of the failure of too many African-American men to live up to their God-appointed responsibilities. It was a sermon of fiery exhortation and pew-squirming finger-pointing. And it was delivered by a man who knows firsthand what it feels like to have your dad walk out on your family. So, my brethren, obsess on the missing lapel pin, the funny-sounding middle name and his fist-bumping spouse. Because when it comes to personally modeling biblical, godly, conservative family values, Obama puts most of our GOP heroes to shame.