Still, some voters were confused by Haley’s campaign Web site, thinking she may be both Sikh and Methodist and were unclear which “Almighty God” Haley was referencing on the site. (Sikhs, like Christians, believe in one omnipotent God, but not the same God.)
Haley’s campaign changed her Web site two months ago to read, “My faith in Christ has a profound impact on my daily life and I look to Him for guidance with every decision I make. ... Being a Christian is not about words, but about living for Christ every day.”
Haley and her opponent in Tuesday’s GOP runoff for governor, U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett of Westminster, also have aired television ads that include references to their Christianity.
Barrett, a nondenominational Christian who was raised a Southern Baptist, said Tuesday that Haley could best answer questions about her faith and voters will decide what they think.
“Faith is very personal for everybody … but whether it’s Nikki or Vincent, I’ll let them talk for themselves.”
Democrat Sheheen said Friday that he has been spared attacks based on his faith. His family attends a Catholic church in Kershaw County, where his great-grandfather was a founding member in the late 1800s.It's an interesting prospect, having to explain to people that "I'm a Christian too" to people in 2010. I understand that for South Carolina the election of either as Governor would be a huge step, and I understand equally that there's a very good chance that neither candidate will make religion an issue, that too being a large step forward.
Sheheen said his one brief encounter with voter angst over his faith came during his 2004 state Senate race when he stopped by a sporting-goods store in rural Kershaw County to buy a shotgun. Sheheen said the store owner pulled him aside and said a group of people recently had been in and expressed concern about Sheheen’s Catholicism, doubting his Christian credentials.
“Unquestionably, people care about the character of their elected officials and they care about their core beliefs,” Sheheen said. But, he added, voters seemingly are becoming more tolerant of differing religious views.
“It was more of an issue when my uncle (former S.C. Speaker of the House Bob Sheheen) ran in the ’70s and ’80s,” Sheheen said. “He spent a lot of time explaining to folks that he was a Christian and our family had been forever.”
It would be nice to see other religions tolerated more freely, as well as atheists. (There are more than you think out there.) Sadly, politics is still a Baptist/Episcopalian/Methodist game in this country. Yes, there are plenty of Roman Catholics, Jews, and increasingly Muslims and Buddists in politics in 2010 and that's a great thing. But tolerance on religion in politics has lagged far behind gender and race in this country and still does.
When we get an avowed atheist, Wiccan, or Unitarian in the White House or even in a Governor's mansion, we'll have gotten somewhere. And even that will only be another step forward, not the end of the race.
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9 comments:
Well we did almost have a witch in the White House...
gee wafflez, this is stupid even for you.
Slight humor, guess you're a little slow but I've picked that up from your prior comments. Can't really disagree with this since religion has a heavy influence on the political picture which I do disagree with. Regardless of what (if any) God you believe in that should not overshadow your stances on issues.
i'm guessing most of your jokes are at the expense of liberals and that's why i think you're such a fucking tiresome 'tard. of course, you could prove me wrong. post some links to the conservative blogs you post on where you call them on their hypocrisy. i'm sure you were a busy fellow during 8 years of the bush administration, weren't you? i'll bet instapundit, althouse and any number of conservative blogs have permanently blocked you for your wild contrarian thinking. you're just another boring troll who visits liberal blogs because, GASP! teh liberals have cornered the market on hypocrisy in your shit-stained opinion. you're a sleeping pill with a laptop, nothing more.
lulumad?
"eh liberals have cornered the market on hypocrisy in your shit-stained opinion."
Where have I said that?
See also "I'm going to throw out my opinion based on absolutely nothing besides some comments posted in a liberal blog"
Quite frankly the fact that you don't see a problem with what's going on in Washington shows just how far your head IS up your ass. Going to liberal blogs, liberal news sites and spouting off liberal talking points does not mean you have a clue. But keep pretending t-man, you're with good company.
wow. you are seriously full of yourself, aren't you? do you think what you're doing here matters? you somehow HAVE a clue because you aren't a liberal yet you troll liberal blogs with your lame and tiresome retreads of cato institute talking points? good god, you are truly the biggest, smuggest idiot i have ever encountered. yes, you and you alone have it figured out. everybody thinks they're right, all the time. few of them are ever justified in that belief more than once or twice a day. i'd wager that coincidental occurrence happens a lot less frequently in your case. yes, continue to rub our liberal faces in the harsh truths that only you truly understand. also, why so much time on this blog? is there something about Z you find especially interesting, because you sure don't troll steve m's blog as often.
umad bro?
oh and of course YOUR earlier post was a model of even-tempered reason. is this what you have to resort to when you have no answers? c'mon man! you cannot possibly be this effing lame.
bro, umad?
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