Kerry Speech to Baptists Slams Bush 'Compassion'

[Nambe]

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters)

Democratic candidate John Kerry warned black Americans on Thursday to beware of George W. Bush's overtures and called the Republican president a wolf in sheep's clothing who "traffics in the politics of division."

In a tough speech to the National Baptist Convention laced with Biblical allusions, the Democratic presidential candidate rejected Bush's claim to be a "compassionate conservative," likening him instead to the two men in the story of the Good Samaritan who passed by when they came upon a robbed and beaten man.

"They felt compassion but there were no deeds," Kerry said in remarks prepared for delivery. "It is clear: for four years George W. Bush may have talked about compassion but he's walked right by. He's seen people in need but he's crossed over to the other side of the street."

Kerry also heaped scorn Bush's campaign slogans and compared him unfavorably to those who fought for civil rights in the United States.

"In the hardest passages of the long march ... amid lynchings and unyielding discrimination, the stalwart foot soldiers of justice did not look around and say, as we have heard so often from Washington these days, that we've 'turned the corner' or the job was 'getting done' or that this was the best we could do." ..


Click to sign “God is not a republican” letter.

[jeanmarc]

1. That's beautiful!

I love how they are keeping the pressure on!

[KDLarsen]

2. I saw a programm on bush*'s..

.. born again thing, and it apparently wasn't really promoted until his father realized that he only needed the Baptist vote to win an election.

If JFK v2 can succesfully peel the "born again" image off Bush and show him for what he really is, I think Kerry would have a real good shot at the Presidency.

[shockingelk]

9. If Bush supporters read and believed Matthew 5 ...

Republican religion isn't based on Jesus' message at all.

They'd sit there and scratch their heads if Bush included "Blessed are the meek" in a speech.

I'd really like to hear a reporter read the first few lines of the Beattitudes and ask Bush what he thought of them.

[RevCheesehead]

3. Thanks!

And glad to see your link to Sojourners!

[grannylib]

8. I second that; I love Sojourners. Read it faithfully. Wish more people

were aware of it. I leave my old copies of the magazine lying about in breakrooms and laundromats here and there. Hope it does someone some good.
Kerry should be really careful though about attacking Mr. Bush's religious beliefs. He should read some of Wallis' columns about Bush's bordering on blasphemy/idolatry in some of his more egregious statements. Wallis makes it clear that he thinks Bush has genuine faith but that he also confuses true faith with American nationalism or civil religion.
But he doesn't bash him. He must tread REALLY cautiously here. If there were some clips of some of Bush's really obviously theologically-clueless statements, or of him getting testy about what Bible verse he supposedly read that morning, or whatever, some reminders about that might not hurt. But caution nonetheless. Very touchy issue, accusing people of insincere faith (unless it's Bill and Hillary, of course, THEY were obvious phonies...riiight.)

[Catfight]

4. THIS is a leader! Kerry has truth and justice on his side. I am so

PROUD to be a democrat today!

[BamaLefty]

5. Correct

God is not a Dem or Repub... he is a big time liberal though.

[Inland]

6. Biblical allusion

James 2:17--"So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all - it is dead and useless."

One might add that even faith plus an attempt at good works isn't enough to win an incompetent ninny the job of president. Too late for George.

[The Stranger]

7. Fight, John, Fight.

At least, after it is all over with, you will have the satisfaction of having had your say, holding back nothing, telling it like it is.

Let them say what they want after that. It really matters not.

[BRLIB]

10. Did 'big media' pick this up?

Google search:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=kerry+new+orleans+baptist&btnG=Search+News

shows mostly local coverage.


Our local paper here in Baton Rouge has mostly what you'd expect in coverage, just a reporting of facts and quotes with basically no spin:

http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/091004/new_kerry001.shtml

[yardwork]

11. Elected Democrats need to support Kerry's message!

Every time the Kerry campaign makes a hard-hitting statement like this, the local and regional Democrats elected to represent those regions, and the national Democratic leaders, MUST step forward and support Kerry!

[theHandpuppet]

12. A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing, Indeed

Matthew 7, verse 15:

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."

The only stump "speech" we need for the Christian audience can be found in the New Testament itself, in the book of Matthew. It's called the Sermon on the Mount. These words of wisdom are indeed a testament to the fact that George Bush and Dick Cheney have exhibited, time and again, that they are the very antithesis of Christ's teachings. Too many sincere Christians have been hoodwinked by these "ravening wolves" in sheep's clothing!

Christ's own words, from the Sermon on the Mount (excerpts):

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so?

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven; therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Just who would Jesus bomb? Whose children would he deny a crumb of bread or drop of medicine? Would Jesus protect the wealth of the rich and deny the least alms to the poor? On which corporate Board of Directors would Jesus sit? Which enemies would he threaten with annihilation? Who among us can see fit to judge others in the name of God?

Jesus instructed us to be ever-merciful, humble in faith, infinitely forgiving, eschewing of earthly riches and yet boundlessly generous and compassionate of spirit. Just when was Christ excised from "Christianity" ? Any true Christian cannot deny the words of Jesus himself, yet too many of the flock have invited the pack of ravening wolves among their number and have turned away from Christ's teachings. They have been fooled, just as was prophesied -- and they had better wake up before its too late.

-- Just a person who admires the wisdom and teachings of Jesus

[tanyev]

13. Absolutely.

Ever notice how frequently these Bible thumpers use Old Testament or passages from the Revelation to fuel their rants? That's because there are so few words of Jesus they can twist to fit their demented world view.

[theHandpuppet]

14. The conveniently forgotten Jesus...

Yes, there are, unfortunately, millions of otherwise well-meaning Christians who seem to have missed Christ's message altogether. When Jesus invited people to follow him, it was not a simple entreaty to declare him the Son of God, nor was the mere declaration in itself a key to heaven. To follow Jesus one must follow his path, his way, his truth as he taught in the Sermon on the Mount. One cannot skip A & B and go directly to C. The WAY, the TRUTH, are all laid out before us in Christ's words in the New Testament. The declaration is the easiest part, but following the way and finding the truth are difficult and require a lifelong journey. One can't say, on the one hand, they believe they are "saved" solely because they believe Jesus is the Son of God if they deny Christ's truth and follow a life path so diametrically opposed to Christ's teachings. War, greed and/or obsession with material things, selfishness, revenge, passing judgment on others, parading one's faith around in public like a badge of honor and using it to condemn others -- these are the very things from which Christ said we must turn away.

"Follow thou me. I am the way and the truth and the life. Without the way there is no going; without the truth there is no knowing; without the life there is no living. I am the way which thou must follow, the truth which thou must believe; the life for which thou must hope. I am the inviolable way; the infallible truth; the never-ending life. I am the straightest way; the sovereign truth; life true, life blessed, life uncreated. If thou remain in my way thou shalt know the truth, and the truth shall make thee free, and thou shalt lay hold on eternal life. (F. F. Bruce, Gospel of John, pp. 298-99).

I cannot claim to be a Christian myself, but can certainly admire the teachings and wisdom of Jesus and find inspiring lessons in his words. As a gay person in America, I also find quite some irony that among Jesus' most oft-quoted words from the Sermon on the Mount, he had nothing to say about gays, but plenty of advice for religious hypocrites.