Election 2012: A New Day for Religion in America

[cbayer]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-raushenbush/a-new-day-for-religion-in-america_b_2088482.html

Paul Brandeis Raushenbush
Senior Religion Editor, The Huffington Post
Posted: 11/07/2012 12:37 pm

President Obama gave an inspiring victory address last night. However it was the vision as the cameras panned over the listening crowd of faces that truly inspires the hope I feel for America and the world today.

People of all races, ages, and cultures stood side by side as they showed their appreciation for a president who himself represents a mix of race, religion and cultures. Yesterday America voted to recognize and celebrate our diversity and reaffirm our deep commitment and responsibility to one another.

This celebration of E Pluribus Unum was a turning point in American religion as well. The 2012 elections soundly defeated one brand of religion as another vision for religious expression showed its strength and promise.

The big religious loser last night was the spiritual abuse of power that seeks to diminish the rights and dignity of others. Maine and Maryland passed historic gay rights ballot initiatives; Minnesota defeated an anti-gay amendment effort, and Washington looks poised to have held off a challenge to its gay marriage laws. Similarly, the two Senate candidates who ran on the religious conviction that they would force women to carry a pregnancy to term even when it was the result of rape, found that their invocation of God's will repulsed voters, even deeply religious ones.

more at link

[codjh9]

1. I will exult every time I read one of them being pissed off or despairing or (comicly) 'afraid'

as a result.

[cbayer]

2. One of who?

[codjh9]

3. Fundamentalists! Anyone who thinks that God has 'abandoned us' or whatever due to Obama

being re-elected.

[cbayer]

4. Got it. Thanks for the clarification.

[trotsky]

5. Religion doing what it does best.

Rushing in after the fact to claim credit, and promoting itself in the process.

Here in Minnesota the successful defeat of the marriage amendment was a largely secular effort. Yes, various religious groups voiced their disapproval of it, but ads and literature appealed to secular values of not limiting personal freedom or denying rights to others.

[dimbear]

6. It is wonderful that clearer heads have prevailed, but as a Californian I'm miffed that we

are so late to the party because of the Catholics and the Mormons, and I verily hope that resentment against the sponsors of Proposition Hate had at least some role in the defeat of Mitch Romney.

[E_Pluribus_Unitarian]

7. Progressive religion was a major player in the Marriage Equality votes.

It wouldn't have been successful anywhere without the years of groundwork that has been laid by organized liberal-religious social justice activists, especially the Unitarian Universalists. Those coordinated efforts are the major reason that this issue is as far along as it is. Don't let anybody kid you otherwise.

[cbayer]

8. I know that and you know that, but close minded people will never believe it.

Not that it matters.