At the first official event Sunday of the Democratic National Convention, a choir belted out a gospel song and was followed by a rabbi reciting a Torah reading about forgiveness and the future.
Helen Prejean, the Catholic nun who wrote "Dead Man Walking," assailed the death penalty and the use of torture.
Young Muslim women in headscarves sat near older African-American women in their finest Sunday hats.
Four years ago, such a scene would have been unthinkable at a Democratic National Convention. In 2004, there was one interfaith lunch at the Democratic gala in Boston.
But that same year, "values voters" helped re-elect President Bush, giving Democrats of faith the opening they needed to make party leaders listen to them.
The result was on display at Sunday's interfaith service, staged in a theater inside the Colorado Convention Center, and will be evident throughout the convention agenda and on the sidelines.
There will be four "faith caucus" meetings, blessings to open and close each night, and panels and parties run by Democratic-leaning religious advocacy groups that didn't even exist in 2004 — not to mention protests from religious groups and leaders opposed to the Democratic platform.
Other challenges may come from within. At Sunday's service, Bishop Charles Blake, head of the predominantly black Church of God in Christ and a self-described pro-life Democrat, said Barack Obama should be pressed to "elaborate upon his stated intention to reduce the number of abortions by providing alternative programs."
One hallmark of Democratic faith efforts at the convention is diversity....
Lipstick on a(n abortion-loving) pig.
Posted by: BillyHW | August 25, 2008 at 09:15 AM
"Lipstick on a(n abortion-loving) pig" (Billy)
What does that even mean? All I know is it sounds mean.
Posted by: SocietyVs | August 25, 2008 at 01:24 PM
What a joke. These are the same people who despise GWB for his Christian faith, along with anyone who voted for him! They were all supposed to leave the country if we evil Christians helped him get relected in 2004.
I'm still waiting for them to go. And I'm still ready to pack their bags for them.
Posted by: Mo | August 25, 2008 at 01:36 PM
Record levels of "window dressing" at this debacle. Reminds one of the artificially staged composite of humanity that perched the stage behind Jimmy Carter in 1976.
Posted by: cp | August 25, 2008 at 02:44 PM
I read you loud and clear BillyHW!
Brad B
Posted by: Brad B | August 25, 2008 at 07:24 PM
Hmmmmm...
Why not let the Muslim speaker give Islam's view on homosexuality, and let the Catholic speaker talk about abortion?
Something tells me that wouldn't fit the party line. I like how they pick and choose the topics they want and ingnor the rest of the world views.
Posted by: Shaun | August 27, 2008 at 07:40 AM