John Edwards was co-chair of Hillary's "secret" Prayer Group

[MonkeyFunk]

http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/010937.php

In raising these questions about Hillary’s judgment and motivation, fairness dictates that her opponents be held to the same standard. John Edwards likewise was a co-chairman of the same Senate prayer group when he was in the Senate, so he also must have known about the Fellowship’s goals and objectives. As for his judgment, Barack Obama singled out far right GOP senator Tom Coburn, a member of Hillary’s Senate prayer group as someone whom he can do business with, notwithstanding Coburn’s documented extreme positions on women and gays. Does Obama’s desire for a new kind of politics with such people, and Edwards’ and Hillary’s association with the Fellowship disqualify them from progressive support? Or is it an unfortunate sign of the times in Washington that our top three candidates associate with and tolerate those like Coburn and the Fellowship, instead of shining a light upon such beliefs?

Daniel Akaka served as chairman, too:

http://akaka.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Speeches.Home&month=4&year=1998&release_id=1297

The beginnings of the breakfast and our Senate prayer group go back to 1942. As America went to war in Europe and the Pacific, two Senators and a Supreme Court Justice and a member of the Administration began to meet informally to talk and pray together. A House group followed soon after. The gatherings were private and off-the-record. Members met then, and continue to meet today, the Senate group on Wednesday and the House group on Thursday, in the spirit of Jesus of Nazareth and the spirit of peace. All are welcome, regardless of religious or party affiliation. Nothing spoken in the meetings is used for political gain. I served as chairman of the Senate Prayer Breakfast group and attend the weekly Bible Study, lead by the Senate Chaplain.

Democrats Howard Metzenbaum, Lawton Chiles and Carl Levin were regulars, too:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE6DF1331F934A35756C0A961948260


The notion that this is some secret right-wing group plotting to implement a theocracy is just unsupportable.

[joeybee12]

1. The article posted about this previously resembled a National Enquirer

article...not many facts, just lots of hearsay and innuendo and assumptions designed to bash Hilary.

[MannyGoldstein]

2. 'homosexual practice is incompatible with Christian teachings'

That is the stated policy of Hillary Clinton's church.

[MonkeyFunk]

3. Yes

unfortunately it's the stated policy of most mainstream American christian denominations. But it's changing.

I think you'll find it a difficult argument to make that the Methodist Church is a right-wing fringe group.

[MannyGoldstein]

4. Has Clinton Denounced And Rejected This Policy? [nt]

[MonkeyFunk]

7. What special theological authority would she have to do so?

She doesn't let the church position guide public policy. That's all we can ask for.

[MannyGoldstein]

8. She Could Do What Obama Did

And say, essentially: "This is my church; by-and-large I love it; but I condemn this particular teaching"

Has she?

[MonkeyFunk]

9. Where did Obama condemn theological teachings?

Sounds to me like he condemned political statements by a pastor of a congregation.

[MannyGoldstein]

10. That's A Point

But I don't see it as an important point. Clinton may not have the power to change the theological position of her church - but she certainly has the ability to denounce, reject, and/or condemn it.

[JVS]

5. Hmmm. White Southerners getting together to pray and lead our country?

Sounds very republican to me.

[MonkeyFunk]

6. You think only Republicans pray?

How silly.

[Forkboy]

11. Yeah, and it sucked from him too.

[MonkeyFunk]

12. Why?

Seriously - it seems like a pretty innocuous affiliation to me. A bipartisan group that meet once a week and read the bible.

What's so scary about it? I'm an atheist, I think it's sort of silly, but I don't see how people are inferring that it makes her some sort of right-wing theocrat.

[Forkboy]

13. I don't see it as making them right wing anything either.

I do see it as a interesting and scary thing to have the country's major power players meeting in secret for any reason, especially ones that mix religion into their politics. Do you really think they just together for tea and cookies and a friendly prayer? Maybe they do, but I'm too cynical to believe it personally. :shrug:

[MonkeyFunk]

15. They're not meeting in secret

at all. It's very public - the group has been around for decades. There's nothing secret about it.

The Senate Prayer Group is NOT "The Fellowship", with which Clinton has no affiliation other than she serves and occasionally prays with some members.

[dragonlady]

14. I have found nothing showing that JE was part of the "secret" group

Do you have a source for this assertion? Edwards was in fact the co-chair of the 2002 National Prayer Breakfast (these are attended by thousands of people and are well publicized). But your post strongly implies that he was part of the "secret" (and small) prayer group that Hillary Clinton attends along with Brownback et al. This is completely different. If you can't come up with something that connects Edwards to this small group, I think you should retract your assertion.

[MonkeyFunk]

16. From the article quoted in the OP

"John Edwards likewise was a co-chairman of the same Senate prayer group when he was in the Senate..."


Clinton is not in "The Fellowship". She's in the Senate Prayer Group.