I Believe in God, but I Wish He'd Keep Out of Politics

I believe in God, attend services too rarely but with appropriate sincerity, and, like many, have difficulty in expressing a reason for my belief other than a practical version of that suggested by the 17^th Century French mathematician and philosopher, Blaise Pascal. M. Pascal argued that there either is or isn't a God, that he could choose to believe or to refuse to believe. If there were no God, then neither belief nor non-belief would have consequence. If, on the other hand, there is a God and he, Pascal, chose to deny His existence, there might be unfavorable consequences.

That may not be the rationale sought by others, but the bottom line is that belief is a matter of faith. I have the greatest respect for those with or without such faith, as long as the person follows what I hold to be the moral imperative: Do not intentionally hurt someone and if hurt is inflicted unintentionally, make it right.

My problem lies with those who claim to be His spokesperson and who preach raciest and divisive positions from the extreme left and right of the political spectrum. Even more disturbing is how those coming from the Right get a "pass" from the Press and political leaders; those from the Left are not only condemned but also taint the persons with whom they are even remotely associated.

This was brought to mind by the disparate treatment of Senators Obama and McCain and the Reverends Jeremiah Wright and John Hagee, respectively. Indeed, over the past twenty or thirty years, right-wing preachers have been allowed to make shameful statements without any diminishing of reputation and influence.

At the outset, I find the ravings of both men inexcusable and hate-provoking.