Guardian UK: Lack of media interest in John McCain's links to a theocratic Christian is astonishing

[marmar]

McCain's Christocrat
US elections 2008: The lack of media interest in John McCain's connections to a theocratic Christian is astonishing

Ali Eteraz

May 9, 2008 4:00 PM | Printable version

People have been asking what I think of the anti-Islam statements made by Pastor Rod Parsley, leader of one of Ohio's mega-churches, with a congregation close to 12,000 people.

So a fundamentalist Christian likes to stand on a pulpit and makes venomous statements to his congregants. Big deal. While some of his statements are not only wrong factually - especially as an American treaty from 1796 clearly states that America is not a Christian nation and not at war with Muslims - but also a flat-out mockery of the idea of Christian love, Pastor Parsley is free to make a fool of himself. (In fact, with the US economy doing as bad as it is, we'll get our entertainment from wherever we can). As long as religious figures aren't inciting violence, they should be able to spout off all the vitriol they want. They can damn whom they like.

The issue with Rod Parsley, though, isn't really that he has negative views of Islam and Muslims - not when 40% of Republicans and 24% of Democrats approve of American-Muslims registering their whereabouts - but that he is being allowed to bring his religious opinions into the political sphere.

In his campaign for president of the United States, Senator McCain has not only courted Pastor Parsley and called him a "truly great leader of America", a "moral compass" and a "spiritual guide" but has actually said that he is "honoured" to be in the pastor's company.

This is especially troubling in light of the fact that Parsley is a self-proclaimed Christocrat, promoting Christian theocracy in America, who believes that the US is guided by a "divine purpose".

In other words, Parsley's petulant stupidity isn't the problem. The issue is Senator McCain's lack of moral clarity and his failure to renounce, denounce and reject someone who violates not only the principles of pluralism and decency, but also something far more sacrosanct: the very clear demarcation between church and state in the US.

McCain's failure to distance himself from Pastor Parsley - actually the Arizona senator continues to move closer and closer to the entire cavalcade of right-wing Christianists, which includes John Hagee and Jerry Falwell - indicates not just that McCain's moral compass is broken, but that there is a very blatant double standard in our media establishment. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/ali_eteraz/2008/05/mccains_christocrat.html

[vinylsolution]

1. Britain's Guardian newspaper 'gets it' because....

.... it is not owned by a huge, war-ientated, profit-driven corporation. Is there one single newspaper like this anywhere in the USA?

Also check out The Independent - Britain's other great newspaper. These two papers contain some of today's best journalism.

[IndyOp]

2. We need to make sure that the American public understands this one-two punch...

First, McCain wants the endorsement of an insane theocrat.

Second, McCain is strictly using Parsley -- just as the evangelical Christians have been used over and over again in the past few decades.

:thumbsdown: