Thursday, August 21, 2008

no theocracy here

John Mark Reynolds writes a great piece No Theocracy Here: Saddleback Does What American Christians Have Always Done.

The thin slice of religious people in America who are theocrats have long viewed Warren as an enemy. The Civil Forum confirmed their worst fears. Warren held a civil conversation with people whom he is not in agreement. He was polite to the “enemy” and yet he has not yet been smitten with boils or some other sign of displeasure.

...

The more things stay the same, the more the new atheists pretend there is something dangerous and different happening. As a tiny minority this is the only way they can force the majority to strip the public square of any affirmation of our religious character as a nation.

...

The good news is that all of us can relax. Both Obama and McCain are mainstream American politicians. Our constitution is not in peril and neither is the historic relationship between church and state. Lincoln’s Union was not theocratic from any sane perspective despite the involvement of religious leaders like Beecher. A nation governed by Rick Warren’s two friends, Senator Obama or McCain, will not be either.

The rest.

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