Keeping the faith(ful)

I've taken some hard shots at Amy Sullivan this year, but I've also tried to give her credit where it's due, and it's due for this post at Political Animal.

"Religious" does not mean Republican. And "moral" does not mean conservative. There's going to be a lot of discussion about all of this over the coming weeks and months, and it's incredibly important to make sure we're neither sloppy about our terms nor overly broad in how we characterize "the faithful."

I'd take it a bit further and argue that in the current political climate, Republicanism is inconsistent with the central doctrines of most religions, and that the brand of conservatism offered by the Republican establishment is immoral. As someone who considers myself part of "the faithful", I consider my liberalism a natural, no, a necessary, expression of that faith.

Virtually every world religion has some version of 'The Golden Rule,' recognizing that beyond our fealty to God, we hold an obligation to protect and sustain one another. The essence of contemporary liberalism is the recognition of that mutual obligation, and the recognition that sometimes it can only be met through common effort, with democratic government serving as the mediator for that effort. It is the most fundamentally moral political philosophy devised by man, and I would argue it is the one most likely to be favored by God. Best of all, you don't even have to believe in God to believe it.

Making that clear, and recapturing the moral high ground which has been usurped by the selfish, bigoted liars who oppose us, will be one of the key elements in a return to Democratic ascendency in American politics.

The fundies who supported the Bush agenda of lies and hate may be publically pious, but their piety covers a core that's essentially irreligious and immoral and we need to call them on it, out loud, every day while welcoming the true community of faith, the mainstream clergy and congregants of every faith, into our fold.

Because what John Kerry told us so many months ago is still true.

We're mainstream. They're extreme.