NBC may no longer employ Kennedy family journalist Maria Shriver, but NBC's favorite historians can still be accused of being big Kennedy fans. A new book from RFK's daughter Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, who lost a run for governor of Maryland to Bob Ehrlich in 2002, slams the religious right and warns of mixing God and politics. In a book ad in the Book World section of Sunday's Washington Post, her book boasts three promotional blurbs: one from Bill Clinton, one from perennial NBC/MSNBC guest Doris Kearns Goodwin, and one from Michael Beschloss, listed in the ad as "bestselling author and NBC News' presidential historian."
The book's title is "Failing America's Faithful: How Today's Churches Are Mixing God wth Politics and Losing Their Way." I doubt Mrs. Townsend would ever write a book about Martin Luther King Jr., lamenting how he mixed God with politics. But if the cause is conservative, then the religion is spoiled. The book summary on Amazon explained:
For too long, religion has been a political plaything of the right-wing in this country. American churches seem more concerned with what people do with their bodies than with their souls. Now, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend issues a spiritual call to arms to those who feel like her that today's churches--Catholic and Protestant alike--are failing to promote the welfare of those who depend upon them. After recounting her personal story in one of the most prominent Catholic families in America, she shows how America's neediest are now forgotten while their churches fight political battles against abortion rights and homosexual marriages.
Goodwin's blurb is at the top of the ad: "A stirring call to the Church she loves, to reinvigorate its ancient tradition of social justice. Part memoir, part history, Townsend writes with strength and wisdom."
Beschloss plugged the book at the ad's bottom: "An irresistible combination of personal memoir, history, and provocative argument."
Clinton hailed it this way: "Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is a woman of passion, integrity, and faith...She makes a compelling case."
Earth to the book publicist: "News" is a singular, at least in the current vernacular so it should not be "NBC News'" but "NBC News's." Or just leave out the apostrophe.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center
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Check out Talk2action.org .
March 4, 2007 - 23:46 ET by M J BCheck out Talk2action.org . The report on the meeting of Hagee & McCain pretty well sums up some peoples worry over the religious right.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend's
March 5, 2007 - 00:14 ET by radiofitz34Kathleen Kennedy Townsend's book must be about her wishful thinking. Gee last time I checked we've been mixing "religion" and poltics for about 230 years in this country. If Ms. Townsend is wishing for us a more directionless life, than maybe she's right.
I've noticed a trend in American schools that leaves out any reference to religion in the textbooks. Strange how christianity is always branded simply as "religion". The libs have no desire to call it what really is. If they did, they know it would be bad publicity. Groups like the ACLU and the like have been trying for years to kick God out of the country. It's disheartening to see this take place.
Fascinating link! I had no i
March 5, 2007 - 02:39 ET by mostlymoderateFascinating link! I had no idea about Hagee.
Yeah, Talk to Action is prett
March 5, 2007 - 09:05 ET by VirindiscreenwriterYeah, Talk to Action is pretty messed up to be sure. Mote in your neighbor's eye and all that...
What continually gets me is how sadly predictable the Left is. Like here: Whenever the Left knows it's stuck in a corner without anything to stand on, they bring up the poor.
And it's SOOOOOO transparent. Because it's NOT what the Lefties--sipping $3 cups of coffee, eating out several nights a week, driving expensive hybrids, living in highstyle homes/apartments, etc.--need to do for the poor. Nope. It's what the Right needs to do for the poor.
Yep, we hear this (or some variation): "Instead of pursuing YOUR Right-wing beliefs, YOU need to help the poor (as if the Right hasn't been doing so --Ed.) the way WE say the poor needs to be helped (yeah, bang up job on that by the way --Ed.) while WE pursue OUR Left-wing beliefs with abandon."
It's transparent, as well as sleazy and self-serving. To want to use the poor for leverage is bad enough: but the fact that the Left never gives a damn about the poor unless in an ideological corner is disgusting.
"...And you yourself are a killer of children! Well, of course it's not true. But the world only believes what the media tells them to believe, and I tell the media what to believe. It's really quite simple." -Kane, 'Command and Conquer'
Kennedy
March 5, 2007 - 10:01 ET by BBallleaperIf I wish her dead is that just protected speech ala Maher?
This is what you get when you
March 5, 2007 - 00:37 ET byThis is what you get when you cross a heathen with the word "church." This woman does not know the first thing about the true church, nor does she know what the true church is called to do. Why? Because she is a true heathen.
The true church is called to expose evil works of darkness. We are called to protect the innocent as well. The unborn is the innocent. And we are to protect children who are having the perversion of homosexuality pushed on them.
The writer of that book is nothing short of a fool! That she thinks Christians are not supposed to stand against evil wickedness, is nothing short of foolishness.
Are churches supposed to play true-politics from a pulpit? Not if they are is tax-exempt. Why? Because as with all tax-exempt organizations in America, it is a privilege to be tax-exempt; and being tax-exempt comes with certain restrictions --one of which is not using money that is tax-exempt to promote a political person or party.
There is a reason that this is so. If America allowed for tax-exempt organizations to campaign with tax-exempt money, the rich would buy their way into offices (or who they want into office) and buy laws and get to write it all off on their tax returns.
All churches need to do to be able to talk about who to vote for is simply give up their tax-exempt status. And God does not need to be tax-exempt to have His church thrive.
I always laugh at the saying,
March 5, 2007 - 02:26 ET by mostlymoderateI always laugh at the saying, "you gotta separate religion from politics." Think about it. What would a liberal say if you told him, "you gotta separate liberalism from politics." Asking someone to separate their conservative, religious beliefs from politics makes no sense to me whatsover. Even though I am a moderate, agnostic Christian that follows Jesus as a guide to living, I don't understand how anybody can *really* separate religion from politics. Even John F. Kennedy was a Catholic, and I *know* that his religion affected his job as President (and probably in a positive way).
I don't normally delve into i
March 5, 2007 - 08:30 ET by GalvanicI don't normally delve into individual's personal religious beliefs, so please pardon me for asking, but isn't the label 'agnostic Christian' an oxymoron. The Christian accepts Jesus as the Son of God. To an agnostic, the existence of God is unproven and/or uncertain, ergo Jesus may not in fact be the Son of God. Have I gotten that right?
They seem to continually at
March 5, 2007 - 06:52 ET by Right2thePointThey seem to continually attack religion like it is a bad thing.
I don't understand really what continues to get their panties in a bunch.
If they wait long enough God will sort it out and explain it to them in full detail.
If they wait long enough Go
March 5, 2007 - 08:27 ET by CrimsonfistedAmen.
WhatAMaroon
After recounting her person
March 5, 2007 - 06:59 ET by motherbeltAfter recounting her personal story in one of the most prominent
Catholic families in America, she shows how America's neediest are now
forgotten while their churches fight political battles against abortion
rights and homosexual marriages.
Where
has Ms. Kennedy-Townsend been? The Catholic Church and Protestant
Churches do plenty for the poor. For liberals like Ms. K-T, nothing is
ever enough, as far as charity is concerned. What they really want is for the Church to shut up about abortion, gay marriage, etc. In their view, it's fine for churches to advocate for material things, but not spiritual.
Democrats love to mix their
March 5, 2007 - 09:18 ET by NasamikeDemocrats love to mix their religion with politics. They want us all to bow to the shrine of global warming! Typical double standard!