It’s an old joke, punchline, politics. If those politics included things like social justice, income and marriage equality, beefing up programs for the poor and unemployed, stuff even a non believer like myself knows Jesus spoke about almost exclusively, the religious right might not take such a credibility hit. But instead it’s almost solely composed of causes that are either outright silly, or worse, restrict liberty and damage the economy, in the purported name of the Lord-eh. South Carolina’s GOP actually thinks their narrow conservative platform was inspired by God herself:
God Discussion — In fact, South Carolina’s GOP believes that its platform was divinely inspired, writing “It is our firm, God-inspired belief that the full implementation and application of the foundational principles set forth by the South Carolina Republican Party in this Platform will permit us to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and to our posterity.” (Section VI, Secure the Blessings of Liberty).
“social justice, income and marriage equality, beefing up programs for the poor and unemployed, stuff even a non believer like myself knows Jesus spoke about almost exclusively”
That’s giving Jesus too much credit. His views sounded more libertarian, saying individuals should provide for people around them to get rewards in heaven. Government wise, he was cool with submitting to tyranny for the sake of the afterlife, abandoning your family and martyring yourself for the afterlife, taxes without representation, slavery, racism, etc.
The language says their belief is god inspired, not that the platform is god-inspired.
So how does divine inspiration work in the twenty-first century? Do you get taken up on a winged horse for a tour of heaven and spend the rest of your life channeling angels? Do you get struck by lightning, fall off your bicycle, hit your head and experience blinding revelations from doG? Do you invent a story about gold tablets and start taking dictation from a moronic angel? Inquiring minds want to know.
Totally, off-topic, but since the second half of their statement was totally plagiarized from the preamble to the Constittuion, I have to say this:
Even after nearly 40 years, I still can’t read this passage without hearing it sung to the School House Rock song in my head:
@d cwilson: exactly what i thought. here it is:
http://www.schooltube.com/video/03f9c858260a4da9b582/School-House-Rock-The-Preamble
Q. What do you get when you mix religion and politics?
A. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Inquisition-era Europe, Jonestown… And yet people keep thinking it’ll just work out better if we do it MY way.