Democrats open faith-filled convention with prayer

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT/AP: Democrats open faith-filled convention with prayer
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: August 24, 2008

DENVER (AP) -- At the first official event Sunday of the Democratic National Convention, a choir belted out a gospel song and was followed by a rabbi reciting a Torah reading about forgiveness and the future. Helen Prejean, the Catholic nun who wrote ''Dead Man Walking,'' assailed the death penalty and the use of torture. Young Muslim women in headscarves sat near older African-American women in their finest Sunday hats.

Four years ago, such a scene would have been unthinkable at a Democratic National Convention. In 2004, there was one interfaith lunch at the Democratic gala in Boston. But that same year, ''values voters'' helped re-elect President Bush, giving Democrats of faith the opening they needed to make party leaders listen to them. The result was on display at Sunday's interfaith service, staged in a theater inside the Colorado Convention Center, and will be evident throughout the convention agenda and on the sidelines.

There will be four ''faith caucus'' meetings, blessings to open and close each night, and panels and parties run by Democratic-leaning religious advocacy groups that didn't even exist in 2004 -- not to mention protests from religious groups and leaders opposed to the Democratic platform....

One hallmark of Democratic faith efforts at the convention is diversity, which might soften objections from party activists wary of the Christian right or any mixing of religion and politics. Behind the scenes, efforts to attract the religious vote will concentrate largely on Christian ''values voters.'' ''If we create or become a mirror image of the religious right, we have failed,'' said Burns Strider, who ran religious outreach for Hillary Clinton's campaign and now does faith-based political consulting. ''But if we have increased the number of chairs around the table, ... then we've succeeded.''

One reason religion is playing such a prominent role at this week's convention is that Obama has made faith outreach prominent in his campaign. ''People of faith are being engaged in the convention in a new and robust way ,and it's because of Senator Obama's acknowledgment that people of faith and values have an important place in American public life,'' said Joshua DuBois, the Obama campaign's religious affairs director....

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/washington/AP-CVN-Democrats-Faith.html

[whistle]

1. Is the DNC being streamed on the internet?

[DeepModem Mom]

2. I have no info on that. Anybody else know? nt

[gauguin57]

7. There's a video player on the Convention web site.

http://www.demconvention.com/

[DeepModem Mom]

11. Thanks, gauguin! nt

[whistle]

27. Great, thanks

[DeepModem Mom]

12. See post 7, whistle. nt

[whistle]

28. Got it, thanks

[eleny]

3. Native American Tribes Bless Pepsi Center For DNC

http://cbs4denver.com/denver2008/Ute.Native.Pepsi.2.780665.html

Jul 26, 2008
DENVER (AP) ― Native American tribes from Colorado have performed a blessing outside the Pepsi Center, the site of next month's Democratic National Convention.

Members of the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute tribes burned sage, chanted, sang and said prayers Friday, a month before the start of the convention.

The DNC committee said a feather was used to "smudge" smoke around the site. Tribe members also prayed for delegates and people around the country whose lives will be affected by the work done at the convention.

Both tribes have reservations in Colorado's southwestern corner near Mesa Verde National Park.

[KittyWampus]

4. that's heartwarming to know. thanks

[skyounkin]

5. LOL

Religions United Against Republicans!!

[DeepModem Mom]

6. Good news -- thanks! nt

[eleny]

8. You're welcome!

[roguevalley]

37. about ten or twelve priests, rabbis, etc did a prayer. it was nice.

[Zhade]

9. "Four years ago, such a scene would have been unthinkable at a Democratic National Convention."

Yeah, and rightly so - it should STILL be unthinkable.

This is a disturbing development, especially given the fact that recent polls show a majority of Americans support the Constitution by agreeing that religion has no place in politics!

Way to tell us nonbelievers we're not truly welcome. Secularism is the only thing that allows societies to flourish - shame the party's turning its back on the Founders' intent.

[Bicoastal]

14. Maybe, but if you're going to bring in religion, invite as many as possible...

...for better or worse, America is still way too religious to completely shut it out.

But come on--do you think Native Americans or ESPECIALLY Muslims would be invited anywhere near the GOP convention?

[Zhade]

23. No, of course they wouldn't. But this is teetering on the brink of violating the 1st Amendment...

...if not outright violating it.

[greenvpi]

15. Agreed!

Pandering to violent religious people that have guns only encourages them. This sucks.

[progressoid]

30. Yeah,

It would have been nice if, instead of having to appease the religious, we could have learned from the debacle of mixing religion and politics and avoided the whole thing.

While some of this can be blamed on the problem of Obama having to prove his faith to the religious proletariat. Sadly, I think this is a sincere endeavor by a lot of Democrats. :sigh:

[Solon]

10. Is this a political party or a religious organization now?

That's what I want to know.

[qwlauren35]

18. It's a political party with many, many people of faith.

Pretty much all of the data on American demographics says that the majority of the nation is Christian, and the number of people who are truly agnostic or atheist is small.

In God We Trust is stamped on our coins. I have no doubt that the HUGE majority of black Democrats have deep, deep Christian roots. So, the party is moving to the center.

Those of us who don't place our faith in a God have had a nice break from that emphasis for several years, but I will admit that over the years, I've matured and recognized myself for the minority that I am.

To me, it's the words that matter more than the idea of "prayer". If the words are "we give thanks for xxx", then there's no statement of where the thanks are going. I for one am very, very glad that the natural aspects of our planet, the revolving of the earth, our relationship to the sun, the growing of plants, the cleansing of water, the presence of air, etc. are as they are. I'm grateful, I'm thankful.

I have a feeling that those who do not welcome prayer at the convention are in the minority. Frankly, I think we can use all the help we can get. IF there's a god, goddess or collection of such, I'd sure like to have him/her/it/them on OUR side for a change.

[Solon]

19. The party is already in the center, if it moves any further right, it'll will be...

damn near indistinguishable from the Republican Party. Is that really what we should let happen?

Its not even so much what the content of the prayers are, but the (lack of) principle for a POLITICAL party to involve itself, officially, in religious activities. To be frank, I find the need for Religious in the Party to have to have their faith reaffirmed by the party to be an indication of having a very weak faith overall.

[mkultra]

36. im deeply spiritual and believe people shoudl have thier choice

but i dont think religion should drive law or law shoudl drive religion.

Prayer is fine as long as its very inclusive and multicultural.

[mzmolly]

13. K and R.

Glad to see diversity being embraced.

[QC]

16. I must be getting old--I remember when we were a political party,

not a church.

[LibDemAlways]

17. I find this a bit cringeworthy. It's pandering to the

fundie types who aren't going to vote for the Dem ticket anyway. And yes, I realize that it's inclusive to appease every group, but the real intent is to demonstrate that Democrats are "faith based" and that religion isn't the sole domain of the repukes. I'd rather religion not play an official role in any US political convention.

[qwlauren35]

22. It's NOT the FUNDIES!!!!!!!!!!

Every day that the Senate is in session the day is opened with a PRAYER!!!!!!!!

If it's good enough for the SENATE, why is it a problem for the Democratic Party?

Folks, you've already lost this battle. Just because someone believes that prayer has a place in the governance of our nation doesn't make that person a fundamentalist. It doesn't make them a Republican, either. It probably just makes them more centrist than you are!

GET A GRIP!

[Zhade]

24. Yeah, and every day it's wrong.

NT!

[LibDemAlways]

26. Showcasing religion at a Democratic political convention is

pandering to the "religious right" that freely mixes religion and politics. How the heck did the pastor of the House of the Lord Church get to be the chief executive of the convention in the first place? That was a political act with the express purpose of convincing voters that the repukes don't have the market cornered on religion.

Opening Congressional sessions with a prayer is apparently a long tradition. Turning a Democratic National Convention into something akin to a revival meeting is something else entirely.

Besides, the Democratic Party doesn't need to wear "religion" on its sleeve in order to espouse Democratic party values which are really human values - justice, fairness, equality, non-violence, etc. The focus this week needs to be on what all Democrats believe with regard to a common shared vision of a better America.

[DustyJoe]

31. The Utes

Of Southern Colorado in my neck of the woods I think do not consider themselves part of the mainstream fundie church. I am glad to see the tribe have a chance to participate in the convention.

[LibDemAlways]

33. If they were going to do it anyway, yes it's a good thing it was

at least inclusive, encompassing everyone from those of the Orthodox Jewish tradition to the Native Americans. However, the ultimate motive was to try and prove to those on the religious right that repukes don't have the market cornered on religion.

[progressoid]

29. Yeah, get a grip!

It's different when we coddle the religious in America, right? Because we only appease the "right" flavors of religion. :eyes: :eyes: :eyes:


"If it's good enough for the SENATE, why is it a problem for the Democratic Party?"

What the hell kind of rationalization is that? Problem is, it's NOT good enough for the Senate!! Simply because something is done by a group of people doesn't justify it.


"Just because someone believes that prayer has a place in the governance of our nation doesn't make that person a fundamentalist."

Nor does it make it legal or right. Besides, bringing prayer into govt does nothing to further a quality govt. And it only dilutes and neutralizes the personal nature of religion and prayer.

Good grief, this country is regressing.

:banghead:

[Erin Elizabeth]

34. Fundies do NOT own prayer.

SO many different people pray. People of all kinds of different beliefs. I resent this idea that they own it.

[LibDemAlways]

35. I'm all for prayer. I just don't like to see it in a political

setting for the purpose of convincing one group that our party is as holy as the other one.

[Erin Elizabeth]

40. I, too, really wish that religious/spiritual beliefs

could be totally private.

[SoxFan]

38. Yeah, that Sr. Helen Prejean is a real RW nut

:sarcasm:

[LibDemAlways]

41. I'm not criticizing Sr. Helen. I was raised Catholic and

have a lot of respect for her. This isn't about any one person who participated in the interfaith gathering.

What I'm not comfortable with is the reason why the Dems felt the need to conduct a religious ceremony in the first place. It had everything to do with proving to the repukes that we're religious too. I think that showcasing Democratic Party ideas and values is what this convention ought to be about, not engaging in some sort of pissing contest to prove our "religious" cred.

[Arugula Latte]

20. Let's all embrace irrational thought now, m'kay?

Oh joy.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

21. FUBAR! (The only rational response.) n/t

[RNdaSilva]

25. I would offer this video to open the convention...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in9dBuA_sIk

[Born_A_Truman]

32. CSpan 1 is playing it now (10:25 PDT)

I watched it last night. Love Rev Leah!! She rocks!

[bdamomma]

39. my wish to keep religion out of politics

or I am dreaming.