Al Sharpton, right, leads a prayer in a Miami church with Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry, left, and Jesse L. Jackson. (Jim Young -- Reuters)  

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Kerry Seeks Support in Black Churches
Talk of Faith, Politics Well Received

By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 11, 2004; Page A04

MIAMI, Oct. 10 -- John F. Kerry used a Baptist pulpit Sunday to speak of eternal life and denounce President Bush, as Jesse L. Jackson and Al Sharpton joined him for a home-stretch push to energize African American Floridians who felt disenfranchised in 2000.

Kerry, who has been reticent about his faith but plans to talk of it more, tried to reach socially conservative blacks put off by his support for civil unions for gay couples by warning against those "who try to divert and push some hot button that has nothing to do with the quality of your life."

"Never again will a million African Americans be denied the right to exercise their vote," he said.

The Massachusetts Democrat, who has battled apathy about his presidential candidacy in the black community, prayed, tapped along to rollicking gospel tunes and held up a pocket Bible in a church where he was repeatedly called "the next president" and even "president."

"We are taught to walk by faith, not by sight," he said, drawing shouted responses of "Amen!" and "Teach it!" Kerry went on to speak of "the great gap today in America," and to quote from the New Testament book of James that "faith without works is dead."

"When I look around me in this country, I see a whole bunch of people who talk about faith, I see a whole bunch of people who put it out there, but I see an awful lot of deeds undone, I see a lot of work to be done in this country," he said. Without specifically mentioning Bush, Kerry said he thinks of "these folks from Jeremiah who, we are reminded, they have eyes but they don't see and they have ears but they don't hear."

The senator reminded viewers during Friday's debate that he is Catholic and was an altar boy and said that "religion has been a huge part of my life."

Some bishops have said they would deny him the sacrament of Holy Communion because of his support for abortion rights, which is contrary to Catholic teaching. Kerry began his Sunday by attending a Catholic Mass in a Haitian area of North Miami, where he received Communion.

Later Kerry told parishioners at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Miami's Liberty City that he was "not here to preach," but an enthusiastic congregant shouted, "You are preaching!" Kerry told of the teacher who asked Jesus "what do I have do to gain eternal life?"

"I can tell you, it's in Luke 10," Kerry said, referring to the commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Kerry became more explicitly political, and the congregation roared its approval. "In the 1990s under Bill Clinton, we lifted more people out poverty," he said. "This president has taken that $5.6 trillion surplus and turned it into the biggest deficits in American history. . . . These folks want to take Americans backward and cut overtime pay. Not in my America. . . . These people talk about values?"

Congregants waved fans emblazoned "People of Faith for Kerry-Edwards." Kerry smiled after former U.S. representative Carrie Meek (D-Fla.) said he is "fighting against liars and demons."
Kerry, who has compared Bush to those in the Bible story who ignored the wounded man before the Good Samaritan helped him, joked about the risk of being upstaged by Jackson and Sharpton. He said he didn't mind because "God's speaking here today, and we're going to listen."

The minister, the Rev. Gaston E. Smith, endorsed Kerry, saying, "To bring our country out of despair, despondency and disgust, God has a John Kerry."

That church should have thier tax exemption pulled!

I know alot of the predominately white churches in this area were threatened with being reported earlier this year if they so much as mentioned politics during this election year.

It was reported that this group doing the threating would have monitors going around to various churches trying to catch them!

Of course certain so called religious leaders are always exempt from the laws!

556mm

Oh, so it's only OK to use them to get GW elected?

errrr!

of course it is, , god talked to him personally .

tax them all for the political strong arming.

Chris

Quoted: Oh, so it's only OK to use them to get GW elected? errrr!

All churches should have their tax exemption removed

Sorry, this wasn't a church service. It was nothing short of a political rally with the minister delivering campaign support from the pulpuit rather than a sermon. Highly ILLEGAL.





Pandering is what I call it.

These blacks are dead serious racists.  Of course no one will point out that simple truth. And when I see kerry with them I wonder how the press would react if G Bush was photographed praying with a couple of KKK members?  Same damn thing.  



Zen






"This is my rifle, there are many like it, but this one is mine"  

Quoted: Sorry, this wasn't a church service. It was nothing short of a political rally with the minister delivering campaign support from the pulpuit rather than a sermon. Highly ILLEGAL. powerlineblog.com/archives/Church-thumb.jpg

Not ILLEGAL, but certainly grounds for the IRS to pull their tax exempt status.

Quoted: That church should have thier tax exemption pulled!

Now that I gotta agree with.

-LS

Quoted: Quoted: Sorry, this wasn't a church service. It was nothing short of a political rally with the minister delivering campaign support from the pulpuit rather than a sermon. Highly ILLEGAL. powerlineblog.com/archives/Church-thumb.jpg Not ILLEGAL, but certainly grounds for the IRS to pull their tax exempt status.

Correct. Sorry for mis-speaking. What we used to call a 'pop-off' in the military. Mouth moved (in this case it was the fingers) before the brain engaged.

Quoted: Oh, so it's only OK to use them to get GW elected? errrr!

Can you substantiate that claim with evidence?

-LS

Quoted: Quoted: That church should have thier tax exemption pulled! Now that I gotta agree with. -LS

The ONLY reason why I posted this is to show the two sided nature of the Dems on this (and every) issue. Kerry says he won't legislate religion but panders for votes.

There is a HUGE difference between a political offical attending a religious service and one holding a political rally at a church on Sunday morning.

Let's stick to the topic. Please take the ALL churches should lose their tax exemption comments and start your own thread.

Quoted: Oh, so it's only OK to use them to get GW elected? errrr!

no, DOPE.

ARE YOU INTENTIONALLY BEING STOOPIT????????

The reason this is a problem is cuz the Dems WHINE ALL DAY about legislating morality, but then show up in churches every election cycle.

Repubs got no problem with Dems in churches - EXCEPT for the rank hypocrisy.

Stoopit.

Quoted: of course it is, , god talked to him personally . tax them all for the political strong arming.

You know back in Campaign 2000, before our Lord made him our President, I used to get a little creeped out by the Pat Robertson types and every other Evangelical group in the entire country, throwing their huge asses behind W and the Republcans.  (Can anyone deny that happened?  No metion of him on the 500 Club?  No church groups endorsed him?  C'mon.)

I admit I was worried that the lines between church and state would blur completely with all of His (W's) faith based initiatives and all that - but ya know what?  Nothing ever really came of it - jack shit really.  Nobody has ever forced me to go to a certain church, nor has any of my tax dollars been sent to buy bibles for the slave labor in China  - so what do I care?

In fact, the only really controversial thing W has done was during those times he stepped in and prevented those monuments to the 10 Commandments from being remoed from the court houses down south... Oh wait...

Quoted: In fact, the only really controversial thing W has done was during those times he stepped in and prevented those monuments to the 10 Commandments from being remoed from the court houses down south... Oh wait...

Prevented the 10 Commandments from being removed from the courthouses???? I guess that explains why they are still being removed.

When you get a chance, please go look up the word "sarcasm" in the dictionary.  

(There'll be a picture of guy with a beard banging a cowbell next to it)

Quoted: That church should have thier tax exemption pulled! I know alot of the predominately white churches in this area were threatened with being reported earlier this year if they so much as mentioned politics during this election year. It was reported that this group doing the threating would have monitors going around to various churches trying to catch them! Of course certain so called religious leaders are always exempt from the laws! 556mm

Ditto! Our church is probably one of the most conservative in the state and we almost live in fear of loosing our tax exempt status. Our preacher is very careful at sculpting words to be pointed yet unpartisan. This is an outrage! That the dark side can get away with such blatant disregard for the law! Planerench out.

I have been in many Catholic Churches and never have heard any priest preach for a canidate from the pulpit.

If I did I would leave.

SGatr15

that church and any other church that gets involved in the election process should have its tax exempt status revoked.

Quoted: Oh, so it's only OK to use them to get GW elected? errrr!

Hey, dumbass! We (conservative churches) can't so much as mention the name of the candidate that most closely follows our beliefs without risking loosing our tax status. ONLY the left seems to get away with this because any lockdown would have the liberal blacks screaming racism! Planerench out.

Quoted: When you get a chance, please go look up the word "sarcasm" in the dictionary.   (There'll be a picture of guy with a beard banging a cowbell next to it)

When YOU get a chance, look for the emoticons / animations provided you as you type in new posts to help us catch your "sarcasm"

Levave it to chance and you get what you get.

Quoted: I have been in many Catholic Churches and never have heard any priest preach for a canidate from the pulpit. If I did I would leave. SGatr15

actually the protestants denominations could learn a lot from the Catholics.  They talk about issues in Church and tell you to vote based on the issues.

Same result, but doesn't cross the line.

Apparently no one here has heard of the bishops telling there flock that voting for Kerry is a sin?

Apparently no one here has heard of the archbishop in MO aligning other bishops that don’t condemn Kerry with the Nazis?

Apparently no one here has heard of the Dioceses across the country that are distributing pamphlets that remind Catholic voters of their duty to support those candidates, whether in the presidential race or congressional contests, who oppose abortion, stem-cell research and same-sex marriage?

Last time I checked, except in KKK country of course, the Catholic Church wasn’t in any danger from anything!

Quoted: Last time I checked, except in KKK country of course, the Catholic Church wasn’t in any danger from anything!

more sarcasm????

Quoted: Apparently no one here has heard of the bishops telling there flock that voting for Kerry is a sin? Apparently no one here has heard of the archbishop in MO aligning other bishops that don’t condemn Kerry with the Nazis? Apparently no one here has heard of the Dioceses across the country that are distributing pamphlets that remind Catholic voters of their duty to support those candidates, whether in the presidential race or congressional contests, who oppose abortion, stem-cell research and same-sex marriage? Last time I checked, except in KKK country of course, the Catholic Church wasn’t in any danger from anything!

The catholic shurch does not, in its services, tell its followers to vote for a certain candidate. They will tell them that certain issues and posit\ions fall in line with catholic beliefs, but leave it up to the individual to research who believes in what.

Thats a far cry from having a candidate on the pulpit and campaign signs displayed.

Kerry makes me sick.

He quotes Paul and then supports the marriage of homosexuals and the murder of the unborn.

He campaigns in churches and yet liberals rail about the seperation of church and state.

Kerry is a hypocrite of the worst kind, who uses the cross to further his own agenda that is completely contradictory to the message of the Cross.

God help us if such a man is elected to the presidency.

"Walk by Faith, Not by Sight."

Ignore what you see in me.  Ignore what you have seen me do over the last 20 years.  Ignore what your eyes and ears tell you.  Just have faith in me, that I will suddenly change my ways.  Let your faith in me guide your hands in prayerful reverence as you vote for me.

Quoted: "We are taught to walk by faith, not by sight," he said, drawing shouted responses of "Amen!" and "Teach it!" Kerry went on to speak of "the great gap today in America," and to quote from the New Testament book of James that "faith without works is dead." "When I look around me in this country, I see a whole bunch of people who talk about faith, I see a whole bunch of people who put it out there, but I see an awful lot of deeds undone, I see a lot of work to be done in this country," he said. Without specifically mentioning Bush, Kerry said he thinks of "these folks from Jeremiah who, we are reminded, they have eyes but they don't see and they have ears but they don't hear." The senator reminded viewers during Friday's debate that he is Catholic and was an altar boy and said that "religion has been a huge part of my life."

Not only is it sickening that he would stoop this low (not that it's surprising though), but it's the SAME lines that he used in the debate. Verbatum. The guys just recites stuff. It's practiced. It's rehearsed. There is NOTHING geniue about him. And people are following this guy?????

He memorized one line from the Bible and these people think he's the Messiah.

This, and everything else that has happened to try to buy/force/steal the election for Bozo and The Wonder Boy is a travesty and a mockery of our electorial process.

I am not sure I can take much more of this sickening crap.