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Are we electing Deacons?

Lord, love a duck, I lived in Iowa for about thirty years!  Even so, I am stunned, every few years, by how much religion shapes Evangelical Republican politics in that state. 


A prominent religious/political figure--Bob Vander Plaats, CEO of Christian conservative group The Family Leader, has asked Michele Bachmann to drop out of the race to make room for Rick Santorum, who plays ultra-right-field (as the ball game goes).  She says she isn't going to because lots of clergymen like her.  I suppose.  Reality is fantasy!


Then there is Rick Parry.  His bus is inscribed, "Faith, Jobs, and Freedom".  What does faith have to do with choosing a political leader?  We aren't electing a Deacon!  This is supposed to be a place where religion is not a prerequisite for either holding, or voting, for office.  "Separation", not the conjoining of church and state!


Newt has found religion, or a new religion.  He used to be a Baptist, I have read, but now he is a Catholic, and that makes it possible for him to enjoy his first, true marriage (after a couple of unsatisfactory experiments).  He is deeply, truly, genuinely religious now, you know:  the new newt.  


Donald Trump's religion, which he says is "Presbyterian within the Protestant group" (!?) might actually be Dutch Reformed, or some such thing:  there is room within The Donald for workable ambiguity.  


Mitt Romney is a Mormon:  everyone knows that, but who cares what kind of under-he- wears?  Michele used to be a Wisconsin Synod Lutheran, but she seems to have snuggled closer to one of those super-get-rich-and-right-wing mega-churches.  That is fine, but are we supposed to care about that at election time?  


These Evangelican Republicans warn us that Sharia law--Muslim everyday law that says women should keep themselves covered like Catholic nuns--is going to take over our Court Houses and Courts.  Wow!  Wow!  Wow!  Have you seen that sneaking up on you, or were you watching the Vikings lose?  What do you suppose is more likely:  Sharia law in St. Paul, or another Vikings loss?  I thought so.


Freedom is fine.  It appears to be pretty secure.  We have a really handy-dandy Defense Department, even though John Boehner might get ambushed by his own troops.  And Faith looks pretty substantial, flexing its muscles like Charles Atlas.  But Jobs?   Is Rick talking about field labor?  


Wouldn't it be nice if we could just talk about jobs?  Putting people back to work, not by dribble-down politics, but with some real objectives in mind?  Education?  Roads?  Science?  Engineering?  Sewer repair?  Health care?  Not faith jobs, or soup kitchens:  jobs!  Real jobs!

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