Quote of the day

"This message that has been sent out to Christians for a long time now: that Jesus came primarily for a political agenda, and recently primarily a right-wing political agenda - as if this culture war is a war for God. And it’s not a war for God, it’s a war for politics. And that’s a huge difference."

-David Kuo, former #2 guy at the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives on 60 Minutes

And it's not just limited to the Religious Right... the point will be completely lost on both extremes of the political spectrum who live in a fog that justifies "God the politician".

Comments

[Martin]

I saw this fellow interviewed on TV last night and his book sounds interesting. He struck me as a very naive person who went to Washington hoping that all his dreams would be accomplished in one fell swoop and then when reality set in, he went home crying. Did he not know Bush was not elected Emperor but President who must work with Congress?

I do believe him when he describes how the Republican elite disdain Christian leaders... some of them deserve disdain. His point should be well taken by all that Conservative Christians are considered by Republicans as "lock" vote just like Blacks are for Democrats. And, like Blacks, are treated with equal contempt between elections.

What Kuo did not mention in his interview however and wrongly blames on Bush is that the faith based initiatives were sabotaged at every level by civil servants in the goverment who couldn't get past their own "we've always done it this way, non-entrepreneurial" mentality not to mention how the ACLU and Barry Lynn were constantly carping.

Also, many of the potential recipients of these grants were frankly turned off by the massive bureaucratic red tape of applying and administering these grants which in the end were more restrictive in preaching the Gospel than most Christians could accept.

But also, for truth's sake, could it have been that aftermath of 9/11 was distracting?

Kuo is bitter and rightly says that the Republicans are trying to turn the culture war into a war for politics. But so are the Democrats. Just because both parties try to cash in on it doesn't mean there's not a legitimate culture war though.