No Theocracy Here

The following is from Americans United web site. I agree with Bishop Jakes, God does not have a political party. The hijacking of American Politics by The Religious Right is nothing more than our version of the Taliban. Americans need to WAKE UP before it is TOO LATE.

 

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No Theocracy Here: T.D. Jakes Takes On Christian Nation Claim

 

May 15th 2007

 

The Religious Right cabal that promotes America as a Christian nation and claims the U.S. Constitution is ripped directly from the Bible has an irritant in T.D. Jakes, arguably one of the country’s most influential evangelical leaders.

In an interview with National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered,” Jakes, who heads a megachurch called Potter’s House in Dallas and has penned a slew of best-selling books, buttressed his contrarian reputation by taking the very anti-Religious Right tact of slamming the mixture of religion and politics.

“I don’t think that God should be assigned to a party,” Jakes told NPR yesterday during a segment that highlighted the pastor’s new book. “When the party goes bad, then the clergy are embarrassed, and I think that faith should transcend politics.”

NPR noted in its piece that not only does Jakes reach millions of Americans with the written word, but his church in Texas will typically pack in more than 100,000 followers. It’s an impressive reach that likely unnerves the blowhards of the Religious Right who have spent decades and lots of money trying to convince their followers that they need to take control of government to advance their agenda, which includes trashing the First Amendment and privacy rights.

The African-American pastor went on to slam clergy who would prod congregants to the voting booth on behalf of a specific candidate, saying that such actions are insulting to parishioners. They don’t need a pastor “to tell them how to vote,” maintained Jakes.

Finally Jakes chided the Religious Right’s demands that candidates, especially presidential contenders, be Christian.

“You have to be president of the United States,” Jakes said, “which incorporates atheists, agnostics and all brands of faith. And many, many Christians don’t understand that. They see this s a Christian nation. But I don’t see this as a theocracy. I see it as a democracy.”

This is not the first time Jakes, whom USA Today columnist DeWayne Wickham has described as having “super-pastor standing,” has challenged the Religious Right’s Christian nation rhetoric. In 2005, Jakes told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he didn’t buy the claim that the nation is a Christian one and that “I don’t think we were meant to be.”

Jakes’ challenges to the Religious Right’s Christian nation rhetoric are commendable.

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http://blog.au.org/2007/05/15/no-theocracy-here-td-jakes-takes-on-christian-nation-claim/