Do we need another “person of faith”?

September 5th, 2007 • Related • Filed Under

Young Black Professional Guide Do we need another “person of faith”?Much has been written about how blacks – specifically Southern, small-town, and/or Christian blacks – helped Bush get “elected” in 2004.

But will anyone be able to count on the black “God vote” next year?

With so many candidates wearing “Jesus is my homeboy” tees - nearly every candidate has made faith a bigger part of their identity this go around than Kerry and Edwards ever did in 2004, it might be a harder decision.

While that may be a good thing to some as it will require voters to listen to issues beyond the surface “I love God” comments, others believe the overt expressions of faith are going to keep us where we are.

While on Larry King, a quote from TV personality and vocal atheist Bill Maher recently jumped out to me:

“Mitt Romney always says we need a person of faith in the White House …. No, we need a person of doubt in the White House. Stop with the faith and start with the doubt.”

I’m sure I’m interpreting this a bit differently from Maher’s intent, as I’m not an atheist and openly and unapologetically embrace my faith. I’m assuming he means we need an agnostic in the house. I disagree.

But if he means a person of doubt as in one who does not subscribe to the intense extremism of the Evangelical Right when determining policy, but is more like the person of faith recent revelations show Mother Teresa to have been, he might be on to something … although I doubt (no pun intended) my interpretation is what he means. After all, Mother Teresa still believed.

What do you think?

Eugene is a journalist based in Phoenix. Check out his lighter fare at Intelligent Ignorance.

Viewing 2 Comments

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    I am a recent subscriber to this blog. I think that you are doing a positive thing here, provoking thought and dialogue, and I think that it is time that I become part of the conversation.

    I have been struggling with this very thing for the past year or two. Faith and Politics, how do they co-exist. I think that we do need someone in the White House to be a "person of faith", but from the likes of which has never been seen. What we lack from our leaders in the political arena, who tout their faith badges, is consistency. For example, the Right claims to be the based on Christian moral values. They loudly condemn abortion, professing the sacredness of human life. At the same time, they are supporters of capital punishment. Wait a minute, I thought they valued the sacredness of human life? If you are going to take a faith-based moral stance, that stance should be consistent across the board. I would welcome a "person of faith" into the White House that did just that.
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    Well, I'm not a religious person, but, I do believe in God. I guess I can consider myself agnostic.

    I believe that this nation really needs to stop voting based on a person's religious beliefs. After all, this is a diverse nation and people believe all sorts of different things.

    That's why there is a separation of church and state. Yes, it's important to know a candidates morals, but voting for a man because he claims to believe in God and Christianity (and turns around to commits heinous acts of violence) just seems like the wrong way to vote.

    So, I say no, we do not need another person of faith. That will not save this country.
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