Wesley Clark Says I Can't Be A Christian!

Well, General Clark is just pushing all the right buttons on this campaign, hmm? From Hugh Hewitt's daily radio show [emphasis added]:

Here's Clark, captured on tape by National Review's Rich Lowry earlier this week in New Hampshire, on faith and the two political parties: "What we've got in this country today, is one political party that, if you listen to them, you'd think they were connected directly to the Lord God Almighty with a telephone line. They're always talking about religion and so forth. But you know the other party, our party, is not like that. See what I saw about religion in every religion that I have studied and been part of it works like this. They all agree on one thing. That if you're more favored in life, if you've been luckier, if you've had more advantages, then you should help people who are less favored in life and have less advantages. There's only one party that lives that faith in America, and that's our party, the Democratic Party, and that's why I'm proud to be a Democrat."

Ah. So. There you have it. If you are a Republican (which I am not - though I do share some of their conservative ideals), you cannot be a Christian. Or a Muslim. Or a Jew. Not "You're being a poor example." Not "I disagree on where our Scriptures lead us in the area of politics." No - if you are conservative, then you are not religious. You're a phony. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Somehow, I don't think the General has much chance against his opposition for the Democratic nomination, and stuff like this certainly won't help him; but now we've had two of the candidates speak out on the subject of religion [emphasis added]:

Dean's most prominent religious statements have come from that conversation with reporters on Friday [January 2nd, 2004], when he talked about visiting Galilee and standing where Jesus reportedly preached the Sermon on the Mount.

"If you know much about the Bible - which I do - to see and be in the place where Christ was and understand the intimate history of what was going on 2,000 years ago is an exceptional experience," he said.

Responding to this comment, along with earlier statements that Dean has read the Bible cover to cover, a reporter asked the candidate what his favorite book from the New Testament is. He answered by citing Job, a book from the Old Testament.

"But I don't like the way it ends," he said. "Some would argue, you know, in some of the books of the New Testament, the ending of the Book of Job is different. I think, if I'm not mistaken, there's one book where there's a more optimistic ending, which we believe was tacked on later. Many people believe that the original version of Job is the version where there is not a change, Job ends up completely destitute and ruined. It's been a long time since I looked at this, but it's believed that was added much, much later. Many people believe that the original ending was about the power of God and the power of God was almighty and all knowing and it wasn't necessary that everybody was going to be redeemed."

Job in the New Testament? Saying he's read the whole of the Bible, then not knowing what happens at the end of his 'favorite book?' It's not looking good for these guys in their pursuit of the Theological vote.

Also, there's something else to learn from all of this: when you puff yourself up, you have much, much further to fall.
-- posted by Austin @ 8:33 PM (PermaLink/Comment) ¶