This post has been updated
Jerry Falwell, Pat Roberson and Albert Mohler will be pleased with the State of the Union address made by the president tonight. A transcript of the speech made available by the White House shows that the president is seeking to pay back his friends in the religious right with proposals designed to foster intolerance and limit women’s rights. What the speech didn't do is offer an agenda rooted in Christian teachings. Take a look:
Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of society, it should not be re-defined by activist judges. For the good of families, children, and society, I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage.
– President Bush
Many religious leaders – even some of those opposed to gay marriage – oppose amending the United States constitution. If the president’s proposal were enacted in would represent the first time the constitution would be amended to limit the rights of a single class of Americans. Leaders of the United Church of Christ have been particularly outspoken in opposition to this amendment.
Because a society is measured by how it treats the weak and vulnerable, we must strive to build a culture of life. Medical research can help us reach that goal, by developing treatments and cures that save lives and help people overcome disabilities - and I thank Congress for doubling the funding of the National Institutes of Health. To build a culture of life, we must also ensure that scientific advances always serve human dignity, not take advantage of some lives for the benefit of others. We should all be able to agree on some clear standards. I will work with Congress to ensure that human embryos are not created for experimentation or grown for body parts, and that human life is never bought and sold as a commodity. America will continue to lead the world in medical research that is ambitious, aggressive, and always ethical.
– President Bush
Stem cell research – which has been severally limited by the president – is critical. How does it promote human dignity to leave people in wheelchairs without hope? Healing is the sick is a primary concern of Christians and all that can be done ethically to promote research should be done. The president’s approach isn’t ethical – it is obstructionist.
Because courts must always deliver impartial justice, judges have a duty to faithfully interpret the law, not legislate from the bench. As President, I have a constitutional responsibility to nominate men and women who understand the role of courts in our democracy, and are well qualified to serve on the bench - and I have done so. The Constitution also gives the Senate a responsibility: Every judicial nominee deserves an up-or-down vote.
- President Bush
This entire paragraph is about one basic issue: abortion. Many Christian denominations support a women’s right to choose. Taking away health care choices shows that this president lacks fundamental respect for women and their ability to make difficult person decisions. Barbara Bush, the president’s mother, understands. She’s pro-choice.
The religious right will love the speech. But does the president's agenda represent the "Christian agenda?" Not for many of us.
The National Council of Churches USA released a set of Christian principles during the last election that I think better represent the Gospel than the agenda laid out by the president. Wouldn't it be nice if he had spoken out on these issues?
Christian Principles in an Election Year
Our Christian faith compels us to address the world through the lens of our relationship to God and to one another. Public discourse is enhanced as we engage civic leaders on the values and ethics affirmed by our faith. At the same time, religious liberty and the integrity of our democracy will be protected as candidates refrain from using faith-based organizations and institutions for partisan gain. We offer these ten principles to those seeking to accept the responsibility that comes with holding public office.
1. War is contrary to the will of God. While the use of violent force may, at times, be a necessity of last resort, Christ pronounces his blessing on the peacemakers. We look for political leaders who will make peace with justice a top priority and who will actively seek nonviolent solutions to conflict.
2. God calls us to live in communities shaped by peace and cooperation. We reject policies that abandon large segments of our inner city and rural populations to hopelessness. We look for political leaders who will re-build our communities and bring an end to the cycles of violence and killing.
3. God created us for each other, and thus our security depends on the well-being of our global neighbors. We look for political leaders for whom a foreign policy based on cooperation and global justice is an urgent concern.
4. God calls us to be advocates for those who are most vulnerable in our society. We look for political leaders who yearn for economic justice and who will seek to reduce the growing disparity between rich and poor.
5. Each human being is created in the image of God and is of infinite worth. We look for political leaders who actively promote racial justice and equal opportunity for everyone.
6. The earth belongs to God and is intrinsically good. We look for political leaders who recognize the earth's goodness, champion environmental justice, and uphold our responsibility to be stewards of God’s creation.
7. Christians have a biblical mandate to welcome strangers. We look for political leaders who will pursue fair immigration policies and speak out against xenophobia.
8. Those who follow Christ are called to heal the sick. We look for political leaders who will support adequate, affordable and accessible health care for all.
9. Because of the transforming power of God’s grace, all humans are called to be in right relationship with each other. We look for political leaders who seek a restorative, not retributive, approach to the criminal justice system and the individuals within it.
10. Providing enriched learning environments for all of God’s children is a moral imperative. We look for political leaders who will advocate for equal educational opportunity and abundant funding for children’s services.
Finally, our religious tradition admonishes us not to bear false witness against our neighbor and to love our enemies. We ask that the campaigns of political candidates and the coverage of the media in this election season be conducted according to principles of fairness, honesty and integrity.
Update: The reviews from the religious right are starting to come in and my prediction they’d love the speech was right on target:
Dr. James C. Dobson, chairman of Focus on the Family Action, said he was delighted to hear the president's turn his attention to home and family.
"The president delivered a powerful, moving speech this evening," Dobson said, "speaking to the most important issues of the day with forcefulness and confident cadence."
Former presidential candidate Gary Bauer, president of American Values, said it was the best speech the president has delivered.
"It was a tremendously effective speech," Bauer told CitizenLink. "He has said himself that speechmaking is not one of his strong suits, but this speech was exceptionally well-done."
Rep. Joe Pitts, R-Pa., the House leader of the Values Action Team, also was wowed.
"The president left no doubt about where he stands," Pitts said. "I think the family-values people should be very pleased about what they heard tonight."
You can read the full press release from Focus on the Family by clicking here.
If you read the full release you'll notice how these Christian brothers of ours in the religious right never lifted up poverty, health care, the war in Iraq, or the needs of children as issues Christians should be concerned with.
When they read the Bible do they just skip over the Prophets and the Sermon on the Mount?
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