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The Separation Hypocrisy

Jimmie | March 6, 2007 | Comments (0)

There’s a lot to be said John Edward’s invocation of religion today:

Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards says Jesus would be appalled at how the United States has ignored the plight of the suffering, and that he believes children should have private time to pray at school.
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“I think that Jesus would be disappointed in our ignoring the plight of those around us who are suffering and our focus on our own selfish short-term needs,” Edwards told the site. “I think he would be appalled, actually.”

Edwards also said he was against teacher-led prayers in public schools, but he added that “allowing time for children to pray for themselves, to themselves, I think is not only OK, I think it’s a good thing.”

First, it’s truly galling, in an Al Gore sort of way, for Edwards to be lecturing us on ignoring the “plight of the suffering” while building a palatial estate for himself. It is another example of dazzling elitism from a Democratic leader and for that alone it deserves attention.

If Edwards were truly that concerned about the “suffering” around him, he could put a few of them up in his mansion, or the enormous out-building he’s named “John’s Lounge”. At least then he could speak about “Two Americas” without looking like an judgmental hypocrite.

I wonder, also, when the outcry is going to start against Edwards obvious mixing of politics and religion. It has been one of the chif hypocrisies of the left that those on the Right who dare to utter so much as a religious peep must be “American Taliban” who want to force their religion down everyone’s throats. John Edwards can speak quite freely about how America is failing to live up to his beliefs and how we all should be ashamed without criticism. Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama could give political speeches last weekend from two different church pulpits and use the Bible as a political instruction manual with nary a peep. Meanwhile Mitt Romney has been taking heat for beliefs he doesn’t even hold.

The double standard on politics and religion is old hat, but still pretty frustrating. It’s always amazed me that all a politician really needed to do to get a free pass for being religious in public was to tack a “D” behind their name. I suppose you’re allowed to do that if no one really thinks you’re serious about what you believe. John Edwards has made it clear that what he says in public is just talk. Perhaps that’s the reason no one takes his religious spiel seriously enough to gripe about it.

(h/t Instapundit)

UPDATE: I think it becomes more obvious that Edwards’ faith is about an inch deep when you consider that he’s “forgiven” the two women who hold his beliefs in utter contempt. It’s simply not his place to forgive them, considering that they’ve offered no apology nor repented for their bigotry against every Christian.