WednesdayâÂ?Â?s Religion News Roundup: Dems do faith, drop God. Chuck NorrisâÂ?Â? apocalypse. Atheist schism

Former Ohio governor Ted Strickland cites the Gospels for an Old Testament jeremiad against Mitt Romney’s offshore wealth. The GOP likes "God" more. 

Who says only Republicans can use faith as a political tool? Opening night of the Democratic convention, and former Ohio (cue “battleground state” line) governor Ted Strickland cited the Gospels for an Old Testament jeremiad against Mitt Romney’s offshore wealth:

“In Matthew, chapter 6, verse 21, the scriptures teach us that where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. My friends, any man who aspires to be our president should keep both his treasure and his heart in the United States of America.”

Ouch. But Republicans were not about to yield the mantle of sanctimony and noted that the Democratic platform does not mention God even once, while theirs cites the Almighty 10 times.

Democrats tell CNN that the word “faith” appears 11 times in the platform, “religion” or “religious” 9 times, “church” 2 times, and “clergy” 1 time. So there.


And religious liberals argue that religion “filled the air” in Charlotte, especially when it came to issues like immigration.

Another sign? The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says that this year's Democratic convention features a record number of American Muslim delegates: more than 100, up from 43 Muslim and Arab-American delegates at the 2008 convention, and 25 at the 2004 convention.

Some say religious labels don’t matter much any more in politics.

But can you find a Muslim cleric offering a prayer this week in Charlotte? Our own Omid Safi couldn’t.

Here’s a rundown of the other clergy who will be praying from the platform this week.

While speakers try to bolster Obama’s bona fides with Jewish voters, the party platform tries to finesse the whole Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Good luck with that.

Pro-life Democrats wish the party would throw them a bone.

Pro-choice groups invert the conventional wisdom, say ensuring religious freedom means keeping the controversial birth control mandate.


Bill Donohue of the Catholic League compares some of those abortion rights supporters – namely Catholics for Choiceto the KKK.

Chuck Norris reads from the other end of the New Testament, warning of an apocalyptic “1,000 years of darkness” if Barack Obama is re-elected.

Nonbelievers have issues, too: American atheism may be headed for a schism.

Author David Niose is optimistic. He talks about his new book, “Nonbeliever Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans.”

The Catholic bishops in Washington come out against the state’s ballot to legalize gay marriage, and a priest in Minnesota bucks his bishops and donates $1,000 to help pass that state’s gay marriage referendum.

A memorial for moonwalker Neil Armstrong will be held at Washington National Cathedral on September 13.

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David Gibson

Photo credit: The prophet Jeremiah from the Sistine Chapel ceiling, via Wikipedia

 

 

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