Hillary's Prayer: Hillary Clinton's Religion and Politics

[proud2BlibKansan]

News: For 15 years, Hillary Clinton has been part of a secretive religious group that seeks to bring Jesus back to Capitol Hill. Is she triangulating—or living her faith?

By Kathryn Joyce and Jeff Sharlet
Illustration by: Andy Friedman

September 1, 2007


It was an elegant example of the Clinton style, a rhetorical maneuver subtle, bold, and banal all at once. During a Democratic candidate forum in June, hosted by the liberal evangelical group Sojourners, Hillary Clinton fielded a softball query about Bill's infidelity: How had her faith gotten her through the Lewinsky scandal?

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Such references to spiritual warfare—prayer as battle against Satan, evil, and sin—might seem like heavy evangelical rhetoric for the senator from New York, but they went over well with the Sojourners audience, as did her call to "inject faith into policy." It was language that recalled Clinton's Jesus moment a year earlier, when she'd summoned the Bible to decry a Republican anti-immigrant initiative that she said would "criminalize the good Samaritan...and even Jesus himself." Liberal Christians crowed ("Hillary Clinton Shows the Way Democrats Can Use the Bible," declared a blogger at TPMCafe) while conservative pundits cried foul, accusing Clinton of scoring points with a faith not really her own.

In fact, Clinton's God talk is more complicated—and more deeply rooted—than either fans or foes would have it, a revelation not just of her determination to out-Jesus the gop, but of the powerful religious strand in her own politics. Over the past year, we've interviewed dozens of Clinton's friends, mentors, and pastors about her faith, her politics, and how each shapes the other. And while media reports tend to characterize Clinton's subtle recalibration of tone and style as part of the Democrats' broader move to recapture the terrain of "moral values," those who know her say there's far more to it than that.

Through all of her years in Washington, Clinton has been an active participant in conservative Bible study and prayer circles that are part of a secretive Capitol Hill group known as the Fellowship. Her collaborations with right-wingers such as Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and former Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) grow in part from that connection. "A lot of evangelicals would see that as just cynical exploitation," says the Reverend Rob Schenck, a former leader of the militant anti-abortion group Operation Rescue who now ministers to decision makers in Washington. "I don't....there is a real good that is infected in people when they are around Jesus talk, and open Bibles, and prayer."

more . . . http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/09/hillarys-prayer.html

RICK SANTORUM??????? :puke:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

1. But....but....that article is like 2 months old!!

Why are you bringing up this OLD NEWS to try and thwart the coronation nomination of Her Highness!

(I just wanted to get that out of the way before the Clinton supporters do ;) )

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. And Rick Santorum is no longer in the Senate!!

There's that too :)

[Benhurst]

2. I trust she is triangulating. The alternative is frightening.

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. Meaning her expressions of faith are cynical and calculated?

Isn't that just a tad MORE frightening.

Either way you look at it, this is why I cannot trust Hillary.

[papau]

14. LOL - afraid she is well known as a deeply religious Christian (Methodist) - :-) even some

DUers have been known to go to church and make an offering and pray and discuss the Bible!

:-)

More info: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/25/AR.html

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. I wonder how many DUers hang out with talibornagain freaks like Santorum

[papau]

24. In a prayer group or study group you tolerate all opinions - its "good for the soul" :-)

[spoony]

25. I wonder how many hang out with people equally as bad.

[Forkboy]

42. Don't project.

[goodgd_yall]

34. Why don't you read the Mother Jones article

It's more than that. If she were a good Methodist, I'd have no problem.

[still_one]

3. Politics does make strange bedfellows, but one thing is for certain, 2008 is about the Supreme Court

If a Democrat wins, most likely Roe v Wade and civil rights will be presevered. If not, I think we will witness the end of the Republic as we know it

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. I wonder who Rick Santorum would choose for the SC

I know who Brownback would choose. He's my senator. :puke:

And looks like they both have Hillary's ear. :woohoo:

[still_one]

7. One thing for certain, Bill Clinton did appoint two justices who preserved Roe V Wade /nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Bill Clinton isn't running; Hillary is

[still_one]

10. I am not a Hillary fan, but I do not believe she is anti-abortion

or believes Roe V. Wade should be overturned

If you have something to the contrary to what I have stated, please share

[cali]

30. And not only does she have one of the most pro-choice

records in the Senate, but her history of being staunchly pro-choice, far pre-dates her tenure there.

There's lots of things to criticize her for, and I read this article when it came out with a degree of concern, but her pro-choice bona fides are indisputable.

[RaleighNCDUer]

13. Bill is not Hil. nt

[still_one]

15. As I said previously, can you provide me a source which said she is not prochoice

or would not appoint a judge who would support Roe V. Wade?

[RaleighNCDUer]

16. Who is talking about R v W?

Oh. Only YOU.

Heresy it may be, but there are more important issues before the SC than R v W. Most places, it's already nearly impossible to get an abortion, no matter what the law says.

single issue politics is a BAD reason to support anyone.

[still_one]

18. Really, impossible to get an abortion today. Please tell me where

In Califronia there is no problem. Please tell me where a woman cannot get an abortion in their first tri-mester

Incidently, the fall of Roe V. Wade would also lead to a woman requiring permission from her husband to use birth control, and of course privacy issues

I haven't even gotten into the point of civil rights

If I implied a single issue, it wasn't the intent, but Roe V Wade leads to a multitude of other issues, that will roll back the clock 50 years

Your point is well taken though, however, the Supreme Court as a single issue is important, if not only for Roe, but for healthcare, individuals verses corporations, civil rights, and first ammendment rights especially regarding illegal wiretapping etc.

[Captain_Nemo]

21. Tthe rights of women are used as political footaballs in dire times of a democracy, historically.

Feminism and reproductive rights were skyrocketing in Weimer Germany. Nazism smashed it - the first thing the Nazis did was roll back womens rights.

[ikojo]

29. Journey outside California and you will see that

the states have done much to make it difficult to obtain an abortion, even as Roe v Wade remains the law of the land. In MO the gov, baby Blunt, wants to require abortion clinics to meet the same standards as an outpatient surgery center. That law has been blocked for the time being but it is only a matter of time before something like it is deemed OK by the MO Supreme Court.

So, if overturning Roe v Wade would mean the issue goes back to the states, and most states would make abortion illegal or very difficult to obtain, that is already happening

[Captain_Nemo]

20. Roe v. Wade affects more than half the population physically and everyone in the country, ultimately

Roe v. ade is the symbol of free people. If we let Roe go all else tumbles away. remember, they came for "insert group here" and I was silent and then they came for me....
Overturning Roe is not about fetuses. It is about controling the people.

[ikojo]

27. I am sick and tired of EVERY election being

about Roe v Wade...and YES I am a woman still in my child bearing years. I've not had any kids, nor do I EVER want one.

What about worker's rights and the right to form a union. Oy vey! I wish the labor movement was as obsessed about working people's issues as the pro choice movement is about that ONE issue.

A Democrat or Republican could be HORRIBLE on ALL other issues but if they are PERFECT on the abortion issue they will get support from the pro choice organizations.

Well, things are connected. Studies show that if women are educated and able to earn a decent income (that would be a LIVING wage) then they are less likely to have many children.

So, if Hi-LIE-ry runs and she still supports leaving troops in Iraq BUT she "says" she is pro choice, then people should vote for her on that ONE issue alone.

Oy vey iz mir.

[Captain_Nemo]

41. hi-LIE-ry? What has she lied about? n/t

[leftchick]

39. exactly

who in their fucking right mind would trust her to "do the right thing"???

:puke:

[Captain_Nemo]

44. She is irrevocably pro-choice and pro children's rights - look at the record. n/t

[Captain_Nemo]

19. Agreed, strongly. The issues are the future of our republic and environment.

[havocmom]

4. All ambition, no other religion but power and $$.

Pretense at religion just a means to an end for most pols

[OKNancy]

9. She has always been religious, just like Bill

But unlike some, she doesn't push it on others and believes in church/state separation.
She would never nominate an anti-choice justice either.

One of the things that makes the Clinton's such good POLITICIANS is because they understand
the art of politics.

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. So how do you explain her hanging out with Santorum and Brownback?

[knitter4democracy]

26. She goes to the Senate Prayer Breakfast, where they go.

She's not the only Dem there, either.

[cali]

32. Hanging out?

What do you mean by that? Do you realize that Ruth Bader Ginsberg REALLY hangs out with Antonin Scalia? Their families even share holidays. Doesn't seem to effect the way she votes.

[proud2BlibKansan]

36. Well I believe Hillary is affected by the people she hangs with

[goodgd_yall]

35. I think anyone sharing a spiritual connection with those guys

is bound to be tainted. Bad news, in my book.

[proud2BlibKansan]

37. Exactly!

[RaleighNCDUer]

43. Dangerous, it is, to deal with the dark side. nt

[Blue_Roses]

11. Wrong. Hillary is going to be protrayed by the right as the one who is

married to the "anti-Christ." I just talked to my conservative sister and she said her pastor spoke of the anti-Christ as being one who is hiding behind a political figure... any guesses to who that would be.

[Whisp]

17. would Jesus have voted for the Iraq war?

or give the money changers as much as they have?

christian, my hairy ass. User of the gullible.

[cali]

28. Hey, you know who else collaborated with wingnuts? Bernie Sanders,

That's right. Bernie's success in the House was in part attributable to his willingness to work with right wingers.

[proud2BlibKansan]

38. Times have changed

[goodgd_yall]

31. Don't like it

If "the Fellowship" has anything to do with conservative religious right wing factions, I shudder at the thought that HRC is and would continue to be a member of that group. From some of her recent votes, I'd have to say it's not having a good influence on her.

[goodgd_yall]

33. Thanks for the link---to me this is very revealing about HRC

And solidifies my decision not to support her in the primary.

[Froward69]

40. I Agree.