Politics and religion: surefire controversy

Senior Moments
Terri Andersen
Why is it so upsetting for some people to hear the word “God” mentioned? Everyone in this world has a belief system of one form or another. Usually we associate belief with a supernatural being who has our best interests at heart and we worship that being as we see fit. Atheists deny there is any such being and fight against it as much as they can, although fighting against anything actually admits that it exists. Normally this is not a subject I would write about, because I believe everyone has a right to their own belief. But when it comes to politics and our country being so engrossed in that right now, it surprises me that so much attention is paid to whatever is said by one party or another that might relate to religion of any kind. (In all the years I’ve been alive I never saw so much campaigning) Earlier in this exceptionally long campaign year there was a worry in some people’s minds that Senator Obama might be a Muslim, but the Senator clearly proclaimed that he’s been a Christian for over twenty years and that he believes in Jesus Christ. Fine. If he believes in Jesus as the son of God, most likely it would follow that he believes in God the Father. Yet when Republican Vice President nominee Sarah Palin stated in one of her appearances that she hoped to follow God’s plan for our country, she was criticized by Obama, and probably many others, who were afraid that she would let religion have an impact on her decisions. Would that be so terrible? Would a God who loves us dearly steer us in the wrong direction? Incidentally, to learn something about Muslims I looked the word up in my encyclopedia and found that Muslim means “one who submits to God,” which only goes to show that the religion itself is not the reason some people become terrorists. It’s the people who don’t follow their religion who become terrorists. This reminds me of the time when John F. Kennedy was running for President of the United States. Because he was a Catholic, many people thought electing him would result in the Pope ruling our country, which was an unnecessary worry because that never happened. Today, Kennedy is rated as one of our best Presidents and many people wish his term wouldn’t have been cut so short by assassination. Another one of the big concerns these days is the Ten Commandments. Even thought this country was founded on those principles, and even though those commandments are engraved on doors and walls in many of our nation’s capital buildings, and the Senate starts its day with prayer, there are all kinds of protests that the commandments should be removed to honor the “separation of church and state” that many citizens see as something the First Amendment to our Constitution calls for. Actually, those people got that wrong. The Constitution does not use the words “separation of church and state” per se. What it actually calls for is not forcing any particular religion on the people, but to allow its citizens freedom to choose whichever religion gives them the spiritual rejuvenation they seek. “Separation of church and state” is traced to a letter written by Thomas Jefferson in 1802 paraphrasing the First Amendment.
To digress from politics and the religion conflict, I’d like to quote some of the information I’ve read, stating that a big factor in health and longevity is a person’s religion and/or spirituality. Scientific research has actually shown religion to be good for the body and soul. A book I have that “unleashes your body’s healing power” (by the editors of FC&A Medical Publishing) states that faith “helps you thrive after surgery, heals your heart, overcomes high blood pressure” and much more. Be aware that “faith is a benefit to your health” and “more things are wrought by prayer than men dream of.”
I’m sure the 2008 November election will be a close one and my prayer is “may the team that is best for our country win”. Amen.