When Time contributing writer Amy Sullivan publisher her column Let’s put ‘Christ’-mas In Its Place in USA Today, we knew we had to have her on the show. Amy_Sullivan_Welton_Gaddy_120711As provocative as the head-line is, you may be surprised at the faith-based rationale behind the writer’s suggestion. Amy is the author of The Party Faithful: How and Why Democrats Are Closing the God Gap.



Religion Dispatches senior editor Sarah Posner insists that when single-digit Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry releases an ad promising to end “President Obama’s war on Religion,” progressives should just ignore it. She says so on this week’s show, and she wrote about it at Religion Dispatches. Still, we failed to heed her advice… And you’ll hear all about it on this week’s State of Belief Radio.

For reference purposes only, here’s the ad in question (over 4 million views by the way):

Interfaith Alliance and Welton Gaddy responded: “Rick Perry has taken us to a new low in campaign ads with his “Strong” ad. Under the guise of spirituality, Perry has taken the manipulation of religion for partisan political advantage to an incredible, almost unbelievable extreme. With a smile on his face, he trades on personal attacks and provable untruths that reveal no understanding of the first amendment to the Constitution and very little respect for the integrity of religion.” (Read the full statement at the Interfaith Alliance website.)

Our first guest, Amy Sullivan, has also written at Time about this outrageous commercial: Why Rick Perry’s New Ads Are Wrong on Religion–And Obama.

Flunking SainthoodFlunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray, and Still Loving My Neighbor. It’s an intriguing book title, and this week’s State of Belief Radio includes an intriguing interview with the author, Jana Riess.

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  • Kent Otho Doering

    Dear Inerfaith Alliance:

    I currently worship “eucmenical in Germany” as an ex-pat, Nam vet. Anyhow, glad to see you stood up to the idiot Perry abusing religion inhis own little grab for power.

    Authoritarian narcissists like Perry are what give religion a bad name and cause people to turn away fromit in disgust. (Faith alone with destructive works is the dragon, and the abuse of religion in the lust of dominion is Babylon. Those are the classical interpretations of the book of Revelation.)

    There is someting in Judeo Christian heritage called the 8th commandment. And when Perry falsely claimed Obama is waging a war on religion, he himself violated the i8th commandment. Shit, politics. I amreminded of the sick “Swiftboat captains for truth campaign against John Kerry in 2004.)

    God has his ways. I seriously doubt he´s going to get the nomination because he is up against another established politician who loves to play “throw dirt” and “some will stick”, that flip flops oneverything. Newt the fruit will get it, and we can be confident he will play “the religion card” as well.

    Interesting site you have here. All the Best. Kent Otho Doering, Munich, Germany

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