11 Nov 2004 Fighting Theophobia*

From a Morton Kondrake column in the November 8 Roll Call (excerpt):

“…Democrats need to understand where Evangelicals are coming from, what George Bush’s faith is all about and stop being either terrified by or (often) bigoted against what they imagine conservative Christians are all about.

A prime example of condescending bigotry was the widely read Oct. 17 New York Times Magazine hatchet-job against Bush, “Without a Doubt,” by Ron Suskind, which likened Bush’s “faith-based presidency” to the Islamic extremist movement.

If fair-minded secular Democrats went to church — they are open to the public, by the way — here’s some of what they’d learn:

Lesson No. 1: Far more than abortion, evolution or homosexuality, Evangelical Christianity is about love, redemption, forgiveness, charity, humility, hope and self-sacrifice.

The best Evangelicals I know truly change lives – they turn around people who are addicted to drugs and pornography. They give the despairing and the guilt-ridden reason to persevere. They restore marriages. They transform criminals in prison.

They try to follow Jesus, who, if they studied him a little, no Democrat could possibly be scared of. I think this is what Bush’s faith is all about – not arrogance or mindless certitude, but humility and a sense of duty.

Lesson No. 2: Evangelicals are scared, too. They are scared of the fruits of secularism and the deterioration of the culture in which they’re trying to raise their children. Of hip-hop lyrics that encourage rape and murder. Of PG-13 movies and “family hour” sitcoms that tell children that if they’re not having sex at 16, they’re out of it. Of the scuzzy showbiz people who often surround Democrats.”

There’s lot’s more, not all of which I agree with, but it is thought-provoking.

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* “Theophobia” refers to people with an irrational fear of religion or religious persons.