As long ago as
this post after last November's election, I noticed that Cal Thomas had awakened from his dogmatic slumber and was seeing the world through new eyes. I vowed to follow his public musings on the question of the relationship between religious belief and politics, and have done so. His latest column, which can be found
here, concerns the recent forum, hosted by CNN's Soledad O'Brien and sponsored by Sojourners, on the relationship between the Democratic candidates' faith and their political views. I have stated quite clearly that I disapprove of this entire exercise, and I distrust Jim Wallis and his motives for holding such an irrelevant hour-long commercial for the Democratic candidates. What I found surprising was that Thomas, too, was not a booster for this event.
While this might not be surprising - why should an old conservative culture warrior approve of liberals talking faith? - what was in fact surprising was that Thomas' reasons for not liking it are remarkably similar to my own, as summed up in the final line of his column:
Most of this God-talk by politicians is irrelevant. We're not electing a theologian, but a president. There are many moral and godly people in my church who I would trust with my wife, but with possibly one exception, not the country. Competence, not ideology or religiosity, should be primary in this election.
Careful, Cal. You're beginning to sound like a Democrat.
