Does Scripture have a place on the campaign trail?
In a previous blog post at chicagotribune.com/seeker about U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s speech Saturday to the United Church of Christ, I mentioned how journalist Bill Moyers tried to rally 10,000 of his brethren to save democracy. In doing so, Moyers reflected on the Gospel of Matthew as a road map for quiet revolution and social change.
When asked earlier this year how Matthew factored into Obama’s political thinking, the Illinois Democrat told me:
“It’s powerful, and I think it’s one that’s important for all of us to pray on. One of the things that I’m always interested in when it comes to politics is making sure I can continually translate values that are grounded in my religious faith into universal values that appeal to all people. If I’m in church I might quote some Scripture. If I’m outside a church I might quote FDR. Hopefully, they both lead to the same place.”
Other candidates have adopted other Scripture to define their message. U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) campaign staff said she often draws from James 2:26 — “Faith without deeds is dead” — a sign of her Wesleyan upbringing. The verse has become a running theme in the campaign of the senator, who grew up a United Methodist. She attended a church in Park Ridge and as first lady addressed the United Methodist denomination.
In interviews, former U.S. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina has attributed his commitment to alleviating poverty in part to Scripture.
“If you took every reference to taking care of the least of these out of the Bible, there would be a pretty skinny Bible,” he said.
But even the most ardent supporters of integrating faith with public life have reservations about using Scripture to define an agenda. Rev. John Thomas, the UCC president who invited Obama to address his church on the role of faith in public life, said people run the risk of using Scripture to fulfill their agenda rather than letting Scripture use them for God’s agenda.
It is one of many potential risks Democrats are taking as they blaze a new kind of campaign trail that includes religious discourse.
Should Scripture be used as a model for a modern-day political platform? If so, which Scripture works best? Furthermore, should it be Christian?
Take our poll and leave comments at chicagotribune.com/seeker.
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Find the full text of Manya A. Brachear’s Web log at chicagotribune.com/seeker
