Pew critiques campaign religion coverage

The Constitution, in fact, forbids religious tests for public office, but you'd never know it based on the activities of theocrats such as Palin, who seems to join Robertson, Hagee, Parlsey and other dominionists in the big lie that the United States was founded as a Christian nation (it was not) and should be such today. A candidate's religion (or lack thereof) should rightly be no one's business. However, when a candidate seeks the endorsements of lunatics and bigots such as those mentioned above, one can rightly question the candidate's judgment, and the places to which he or she would take this country. It is increasingly apparent that organized religion is going to continue to involve itself in electoral politics. Witness the Catholic and Mormon churches involvement in Proposition 8 in California. It is high time that they contribute materially to this society. Remove their tax exempt status. Why should they be subsidized by the tax dollars of those who don't believe their positions, ecclesiastical or political? Let them get their funds from their adherents.

Well said On The Left...it certainly is time to re-evaluate the tax exempt status of organized religion.

If you don't agree with their positions, don't give to the church. It's that simple.
Only the looney left would beleive in taking away the tax exempt status of religion. Tell you what, you do that, and watch how quickly churches close and the poor are helped. You don't realize how much church of all types help the poor.

ME , that is exactly what I did. I stopped giving to the church and gave my "time, talent, and treasure" to candidates who were not the pawns of the christian right.

I was frightened to my core by churches getting into politics. Every time I heard a bishop speak, I could hear the hob-nailed boots of Nazi soldiers slapping against the pavement.

Unless you want to live in a country (like Iran) having arbitrary laws handed down by clergy inspired zealots, you should be hoping that the press is free and the owners of the media are allowing their reporters to tell the truth (unlike FOX News which is clearly a propaganda engine).

I have no doubt that the republican party stumbled upon this new strategy of letting church leaders grab for power as long as it gets republican elected. Unable to sell a party whose goal is the filling of the pockets of the rich by dismantling any laws that protect citizens when they might interfere with their unfettered greed, they first used race, then fear and now an unholy alliance with the Christian churches.

In case you haven't noticed, in the last few elections, democrats were unable to respond to lies, smear campaigns, and dirty tricks. It was diabolically cleaver.
The goal was to suggest that the competition was not a holy person, not one of us, not a real American, against the death penalty, against gun ownership, soft on terrorism, not able to protect us, not wearing a flag pin, a socialist (funny, since most of the people who repeated this wouldn't know what that even means). All one has to do is look at the red states and the people who vote for republicans.
It took a total failure of the current administration and melt-down of the economy to get people like me off my back-side to fight these lies.
Republicans either make more than $250,000 dollars, or are ignorant and fearful (vote for war, death penalty, for guns, against people of color, etc.), or are religious bigots. Red states have the lowest education and lowest IQs of this great country of ours. The highest percentage of inventions, new industry startups, etc. come from the blue states.

I was taught in Catholic college that one can know an organization by its works.
I also was taught that a righteous goal does not justify a bad means to achieve that goal.

You say that churches give to the poor. I say that this is a tactic to convert more people to the church. One exception is the Mormon church that recruits first and only gives its charity to its own. Now the churches even want to use our tax money to fund their "charities".

Lets look at the churches. They spread hate and demonize anyone not in their group. Churches even demonize other Christian churches.

When an administration started an unfortunate war, churches said NOTHING
When Texas sent a record number of people on death row to their final reward, the churches said NOTHING.
When a man asked a priest if he should give his eight year old a gun, the answer was weak and stupid. The stupid father was subsequently killed, justice was finally done.
When prisoners were tortured, the churches said NOTHING
When children are abused, the churches said NOTHING
When people die of starvation, the churches said NOTHING
When the excesses of the free marketers (who the churches worked to vote into power), caused a financial meltdown, the churches told their congregations to vote for them anyway.
When Catholic supreme court judges were added to the court, justice was not served. The Roberts court's rulings were a disgrace.
When there is an opportunity to use people's fear and loathing against gays, the churches said plenty (making something as petty as trying to block a marriage of two gays is just proof of the escalation of the issues that will never end if we allow the mixing of politics and religion - what will be next.?....one can only imagine).

I resent being told that I should live is a less free country because abortion is bad. I agree it is bad, but so are a hundred of other things bad in our society.. I have the right to vote how I want to live and I want to be free from the tyranny of the self righteous.

I fear excessive christian right influence on our society. This right wing influence could result of book burnings, restrictions on birth control, censoring of our entertainment media, etc. For whatever reason, churches appear to be obsessed with sexuality and human reproduction. You can image the laws that could be enforced....like in Dubai where people kissing on a beach were arrested and could receive a stiff penalty. Capital punishment is common for what we think are minor sins.

Look at history and you will see that this focus on a person's religion is dangerous.
And, "so called" religious people can do horrible things and think their relationship with God is good. When the Nazi soldiers led the Jewish people to the gas chambers, their belt buckles had the inscription Gott Mit Uns "God is on our side" . By the way, when this happened, the churches said NOTHING.

"It is high time that they contribute materially to this society."

The Catholic Church is by far the largest charitable organization on the planet. Whatever its shortcomings, one would think that its hospitals alone might rate a more informed comment. It might be easy to conclude that what is really desired is not for the Church to contribute materially to the society but to remove herself from the society altogether. After, of course, apologizing for the unbelievable gall of having and expressing an opinion.

Churches have an obligation to teach.

Every priest, rabbi, minister, and bishop should be teaching that abortion is wrong because all killing is wrong and life is precious.

Churches go wrong and become a political organizations when they call one of our major parties "the party of death" (what about war and the death penalty????)

Churches go wrong when they tell their members that they will be removed from the congregation or denied communion if they vote for a candidate who may not agree that it is good to make doctors criminals. This is NOT just expressing their opinion. It is not only a political act, but dangerous because believers have already been driven to violence by such actions.

They go wrong when they hand out petitions at the church door against gay marriage. What is so all-fired important about this? Why work to hard to deny rights to others that we afford ourselves. What a silly issue to choose to spend time that could be used to teach people that the death penalty is nothing but legalized revenge and against the teachings of Jesus Christ.

May I gently suggest that all of the good works of churches (and there are many. (so many that I told my young son who complained about having to go to church and listen to a boring homily that it is good for people to be reminded to charitable to others), are spoiled by bishops teaching us to hate?

It's unbelievable to read the bigotry (bigot: a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices ; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group with hatred and intolerance) and hate expressed by the supposed open-minded leftist's and centrists? The very actions they are condemning they are typing, embodying and living! Their bullying and hate does nothing for society, our country, or this dialogue. They're simply pushing their own brand of Nazism. Maybe they should reflect upon their own life and actions before claiming an intellectual or moral superiority. It seems they're just as flawed as those they accuse. Their supposed moral high ground has crumbled under the weight of their own audacity. The bullying and hatred has to stop! Let's have a conversation.

History Credits Catholic Explorer, Christopher Columbus, founder in Central America. The Major Religion of Central and South America became Catholic, after the Genocide to the Natives.

In North American the Protestants landed at Plymouth Rock and other coastal cities, and Protestantism became the Major Religion, after they did Genocide to the Natives.

In the USA, Freedom of Religion was founded for All, by Christians and Agnostics/Atheists. Protestantism was not supposed to be a State Religion, like in Europe.

Christian Icons on State buildings, Christian Prayer, The Ten Commandments, etc., became the Official State Religion, and after the first few Presidents.

In the 1890s, the Pledge of Allegiance was added, and 'under God' was added in the 1940s, regardless if a Citizen was Religious or Atheist.

Christians say Christianity was always this Way in the USA, but it was added gradually until it really was considered, a State Religion, by the World and Called Christian USA.

Today there are Protestant Protests, that Atheists Citizens want to take God out of Government. "It was always this Way".

I was born a Lutheran Protestant in 1922, and did not realize how Other Religious and Atheists Citizens felt.

I was taught 'not' to marry a Jew, Catholic or Black Male. I hope PE Obama, a result of a White Mother and a Black Father, will start Humans to accept, All Humans and their Institutions, are products of Heterosexual Body Birth Parents and Environment.

Christians accept, unconsciously, that God made Protestants the Chosen Race, instead of the Jews, with their Jewish Messiah/Christ.

So Why is the Planet Covered with Pollution and Nuclear Bombs? Why does Any God Religion Member, participate in All this Killing?

To be a Good Citizen, before being a Good Child of God? A Fallen Human cannot be both.

The USA, and our Home Planet, needs Peace Humans, not Mixed Religious KIlling Humans.

Until Religious Books relate, to the 'Literal' Cause and Effect, that Reproduced Killer Humans on our Home Planet, besides saying 'Original Sin', the Massive Book Releases Do Nothing, to Change Killers Humans to Caretakers Humans.

The Population Explosion for the past 100 years has Resulted in More Widespread Killing and Wars, More Religions, More Hate, More Deadly High Tech Pollution, and Weapons of Massive Destruction on our Home Planet.

God's Children are too busy building Pagan Temples made by Human Hands, and building High Tech Weapons for massive destruction, to GOD's Earth Temple, Each Other, and All Life on it.

Why are Christians involved? For the Love of God?

We need Translations of All Writings, and Myths, to Understand What is a Child of GOD/God. And to accept Our High Tech Past at Colonization in Genesis, up to the High Tech Science of Atlantis in Myth, and the Planetary Flood.

When the Male and Female Clones at Colonization in Genesis, Reproduced Defective Children by Heterosexual Body Birth, the Fate of the Death of All Life on Earth began.

Fallen Humans have continued Reproducing Killers, and now we are Facing the Final Planetary Judgement Day Fire Death of Earth.

Mouth Worship and Weapons of Massive Destruction will Destroy our Earth Home, not God. Nuclear Bombs 'are' the Abomination of Desolation, not Understood until Humans regained High Tech Science.

Satan/Lucifer a male, talked Eve into giving Birth to a Child, Cain? Ever since, the Heterosexual Act of the Male, is the Cause of all Misbred Humans on Earth.

Eternal Physical Life on Planets and Spaceships is Possible for Purebred Male and Female Human Clones, After Birth. What is Human 'Life' After Death?

Centrist,

If you don't like what the Catholic church, choose a Protestant one. There dozens of denominations which are certainly affiliated with the Democrats and have spoken out against the war. Try to fix the issue from the inside, instead of just giving up and leaving the church. My church, like most, gives to the poor regurlarly, but there is never any talk about joining or coming to the church. Flaws are everwhere, that doesn't mean you give up. Persistence is key. The church does far more good than bad.

"God's Daily Promise", 11/23/08. This week's promise: God is always calling us back to him Hearing God
"My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
John 10:27 NLT"
He knows our name, our nature

"Usually, when someone says, "God has been speaking to me lately," we get a little suspicious (justly so, in many cases). Many who say God speaks to them are far too often what I describe as a few clowns short of a circus.

Yet as our Good Shepherd, Jesus promises that we can hear and know His voice. This does not, however, need to be some mysterious, mystical process. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that God speaks to you quite often.

You see, the Good Shepherd knows not only your name (John 10:3), but your nature. - At times, God's Holy Spirit whispers in the stillness of your heart, "What are you doing here?" How else can we know when God is speaking to us?"

Me: This information about God in the Old Testament, and Jesus in the New Testament, has made many Religious Denominations.

What is 'your' nature? Purebred Human like Jesus, or Misbred Human like Cain?

Religious Believers, do not Live like the Bible states: "God: Thou Shall Not Kill; Jesus: Turn The Other Cheek."

Fallen Humans Build Religious Temples Made by Human Hands for Mouth Worship. Then Hate and Kill Each Other and their Home Planet.

'God' gave Equal Birth and Sharing, with Eternal Physical Life to Humans. When did Unequal Birth, and Life After Death begin? With Heterosexual Body Birth of Children, Division and Death?

With our High Tech Science Knowledge Today, the Earth Resources should be used for GOD/LIFE. High Tech Eternal Physical Life After Birth is Possible.

If you want to read more about Eternal Physical Life After Birth, on Planets and in Spaceships put 'Dolores Lear' in Google and my web site is under High Tech.

I also post on Bill Tammeus 'Faith Matters' Weblog. The past 2 years on Bill's Blog, I started posting more about High Tech Reproduction of Male and Female Clones Adam and Eve that does not go into very much detail on my Blog.

We do make a Human Fetus in the lab and Clone Animals. Now we need to advance up to the 'God' Our Human Ancestors' High Tech Knowledge, to finish making a Human Male in the lab, and his Female Clone.

Heterosexual Born Humans keep looking for their Other Half, but it is only possible with High Tech Cloning. Two Male and Female Human Clones have the same Genetic and Physical Characteristics and are Compatible.

Body Birth Mates have different Physical Genetics and Physical Makeup and keep looking for their Other Half, in Sex and Multiple Marriages. Compatibility, Peace and Eternal Physical Life, cannot be found in Body Birth Humans.

The Adam and Eve Clone Colony, in 'God's' Human Image, were not supposed to Reproduce Unequal Body Birth Humans. When they did, Hate, Division and Killing began between Unequal Birth Brothers/Sisters of Life.

High Tech Spaceship Power, does give High Tech Humans the Power Colonize another Planet, to Evacuate their Planet, when it dies, or when their Sun dies, their Galaxy dies, or their Universe dies.

Eternal Physical Life is for the Living Humans, not Dead Humans 'in Heaven'.

Equal Human Clones do Colonize Planets, like Earth was Colonized for another Home Base, and Have Eternal Physical Life After Birth on Planets and in Spaceships.

What is 'Life After Death in Heaven'? Equal Spirit Life? What is Spirit Life?

Eternal Physical Life is Possible for High Tech Males with Equal Female Clone Helpmeets, not Unequal Mates.

GOD Creator of the Atom and Electro-Magnetic Force for LIFE, Visible and Invisible, as we Know it.

Our Human Ancestors, are the Source of the Living, Visible and Invisible Life After Birth on Planets. We are in their Image. They are the He God of Religion and Myth.

Life did not Evolve on Planet Earth. It may have Evolved Somewhere in Space. Will we ever Know this GOD Source that is not a Human HE?

Since we have Communication with the World, is there any Way we can Liquidate All Religion, so All Religious, or Atheists Humans have Peace on Earth?

Not One Planetary Religion, but One Equal Lifestyle of Equality, in All Necessary Things for Life, like on a Spaceship?

People from Different Countries and Religions do get along on our ISS. I have not heard, but even some Astronauts may be Atheists.

Earth Literally is a Spaceship. We do not get Resources flown in from somewhere else.

So what are Humans going to do when we Reproduce more Humans than Resources. Maybe we already have. Over Population is happening today.

Will our Nuclear Bombs get rid of enough Humans, to let Whoever is Left Behind when the Planet is ruined, keep Human Life Existing on our Home?

Eternal Phsycical Life is for the Living, Not the Dead.

Or should we 'Not be Concerned About What is Coming', and leave all this Human Mess up to God?

Will our Planet Die, when the Ozone Layer is destroyed from our Planetary Pollution?

Then it will not Matter if Anyone is left after the Nuclear 'Arm'ageddon?

Life is for the Living, after Birth, Not After Death.

With Planetary Communications, on our Home Planet, Humans need more than 'Interfaith Dialogue' to find Common Ground, to Unite as One Human Race with Equality For All.

The One Common Denominator, of All Divisions of Fallen Humans, is Competition for GODs Resources. Why?

The Human Species, Should Not Own GODs Resources. It was Free to Humans, Animals and All Life Forms, "in the beginning". Why are Humans Owning GODs Property?

How many Gods, in our Image or Not in our Image, can One Planet Have? Who or What gave GODs Resources to Humans, to be Bought and Sold Unequally? The Human Species were to be the Caretakers of All Life on Earth.

Until we Accept the High Tech Science translation of GOD, God, and Satan, in All Religions, Interfaith Dialogue cannot Solve Fallen Humans Divided Faith Teachings.

Why are All Species are Killing, Starving, and being in Competition for their Daily Needs. Why do Fallen Humans Kill Each Other, if God will Supply All Daily Needs?

Why are Humans in Competition about their Gods, and Daily Needs? Faith and Prayer, to all the different Gods on Earth, does not Supply Daily Needs for All. Only Equal Sharing Will.

Sharing GODs Resources Keeps the Breath of Life, in the Starving and Homeless Masses, not 'Interfaith Dialogue'.

Train up a Child in the Way it should Go, and when it is grown it will not depart from it. How, can Grown Brain Washed Religious Children have Good Interfaith Dialogue?

How can Each Divided Religious Denomination, rejoin as One Family, let alone Different Denominations?

How many Human Atheists Killers are there to Blame for the Shape our Home Planet is in, in proportion to Human Religious Killers?

Jesus said: Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they will be called the Children of God.

"Charles Schulz - being realistic (about the human condition and death) and believing in both hope and redemption."

My maiden name was Schultz. I am also 'realistic'. My Faith and Hope is in the High Tech Science 'Regeneration' of my Physical Body, to a Purebred Physical Body while I am Alive, like Jesus Received.

Jesus did not Die and go to Heaven. He was Regenerated, and went up into Space/Heaven, Alive in a Physical Body, with our High Tech Human Ancestors, that Colonized Earth.

A High Tech translation of all Religious Writings and Myths, will Prove the Heaven in Religion, describes our High Tech Ancestors High Tech Eternal Physical Human Life After Birth, not After Death.

Our High Tech Ancestors, in our Image, do Colonize Planets and Travel in Space in Spaceships, and do have Eternal Physical Life After Birth.

Religion teaches, you will be Born Again at the Judgement Day, and Regenerated to a Perfect Body, and Saved 'Alive' to go to Heaven.

The Spaceship New Jerusalem in Revelation, descends down from Heaven, and will take those Saved to another Planet.

In the Past 100 years, 7 billion Humans will be Born Alive by 2011, the approximate total of All Humans that Lived in the Past. They are Born Alive again, for the Final Fire Judgement Day.

We are Fulfilling Prophecy. Our Pollution and Nuclear Bombs will burn up our Civilization, in the Planetary Judgement Day Fire, not God. Our Ozone will be destroyed, and Earth will be like Mars, no Life.

For Me Fact: Our High Tech Ancestors and Jesus Will Return, for a New Group for a New Planet. Eternal Perfect Human Life is Possible with High Tech Science Reproduction and Colonization, to Escape Dying Planets, Galaxies, and Universes.

The Bible tells us so.

"9/28/08. This week's promise: God has great rewards for those who remain faithful What will your life accomplish?
"You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live and we are not given a minute longer. Job 14:5 BLT"

What does Predestination mean to Fallen Humans? God decides Who Get What, and How Long We Will Live? No Free Will on Earth? Free Will Equal Great Rewards Only, in the Life After Death in Heaven?

Why does God give All the Inequality for Humans After Heterosexual Body Birth? Did God give Fallen Humans Free Will for Competition, Stress and Killing?

Free Will 'to get More Rewards' than God's Other Children? Or was Free Will for Sharing God's Resources Equally?

Did God cause Humans to Strive for Unequal Things and Resources, that Cause Divisions, Killing Each Other, Sickness and Death.

We do have High Tech Science today to explain all the Supernatural Events in Religion and Myth, except Why the Purebred Humans, 'fell' to Reproducing Misbred Humans.

High Tech Human Clones Way of Life is, Colonize Planets, Have Equality in All Things and Resources on Planet and in Spaceships.

They have their Other Half Human Helpmeet/Partner Clone, that Mates on Earth Search for, but is Impossible to find, with Heterosexual Body Birth.

No Mates, No Children, No Sickness and Death, on a Planet or in a Spaceship.

Free Will, Agape Love, Equality, Peace, and High Tech Human Eternal Physical Life After Birth on Planets and in Spaceships, is A Higher Human 'Being' Reproduced Lifestyle, not GOD.

Why is our 'Focus' on Eternal Human Life After Death? High Tech Eternal Human Life After Birth, on Planets and in Spaceships, is the Truth recorded in Religion and Myth.

The Bible tells us so.

'The Scourge of War', will not End, Until Fallen Humans have their High Tech End Days 'Arm'ageddon Nuclear War, and Destroy Their Home Planet and All Life on it.

"This week's Daily promise: God has great rewards for those who remain faithful
Are you looking for rewards on earth?
"…we who are still alive and remain on earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 NLT"

For the past 100 years, Humans, regained the High Tech Science Knowledge of making many 'Super'Natural God Inventions.

To fly in space, 'Alive'. To Colonize Planets. To make many Corrections/Regenerations to our physical body, that Humans in the past could not do.

We make an Immaculate Conception, Human Fetus' in the Lab. We Clone Animals. All this is the High Tech Science Human Actions, written by Fallen Natural Born Humans.

The High Tech Supernatural Gods in our Image, in Religion and Myth are a High Tech Human Species, not GOD.

Our Ancestors made Male and Female Clones in their Image. The Adam and Eve Clones 'fell' from High Tech Purebred Equal Clone Reproduction, to Natural Human Unequal Heterosexual Reproduction.

The Female became the Birth Womb for Unequal Humans, instead of an Equal High Tech Birth Womb.

The Fallen Humans Alive, after our Nuclear 'Arm'ageddon, will be 'caught up' (Ruptured), into the clouds, a spaceship, by our Human 'God' Ancestors.

The Saved will be Regenerated like Jesus was, and and will go to a new Planet, Colonized like Earth was 'in the beginning'.

High Tech Human Clones, that remain Purebred, do not Kill Each Other or their Planet, and do Have Eternal/Everlasting Physical Life After Birth, on Planets and in Spaceships.

For 50 years, now 86, I had the Faith with questions. Now I have answers. I Know the Truth of GOD/LIFE, that Can Set the Human Species Free, from Hate, Inequality, Inhumanity, Greed, Sickness, Generation Rebirth, and Death.

High Tech Science Purebred Human Male and Female Clone Helpmeets, Do Colonize Planets, and Reproduce Equal Higher Nature Human Male and Female Clone Caretakers in the Lab.

Humans now Know how to Colonize Planets and Reproduce a Human Fetus in the Lab. The Original Purebred Human Clones started Reproducing a Mixed Breed of Male and Female Humans, by Heterosexual Birth. Will we ever Know Why?

With Spaceship Travel in the Universes, Perfect High Tech Human Clones, Do have Eternal Physical Life After Birth on Planets and in Spaceships.

After Human Death began on Earth, this Lost Knowledge of Eternal Human Life, became a Religious Belief of Eternal Life After Death in Heaven, with a Spirit 'Being' God.

Now I look for, the Human Return of our High Tech Science Humans Ancestors and Jesus, at the End Times of Life on Earth, not a Spirit 'Being' and Jesus.

My 86 years of Faith, in the Christian Bible, and Genesis is the Same now, only I look forward to Eternal Physical Life After Birth, on Planets and In Spaceships.

GOD, not a Human 'Being', made the Atom and Electromagnetic Force, which made Life as we Know it, Visible and Invisible. The Religious Gods are High Tech Humans that Colonized Life on Earth, and are worshiped in many ways in temples made by Human Hands.

Eternal Physical Human Life After Birth, is for Equal High Tech Male and Female Human Clones, on Planets and in Spaceships.

Life After Death is the Return to GODs Invisible Elements, that make Visible Life After Birth.

Dolores, your "Purebred" human stuff is straight out of Nazi Germany.

They Nazis lost. Remember? After all, if you are 86 as you say, you were alive at that time.

The world doesn't need your swill.