OHMYGOD!

October 12, 2008

No really…Oh MY God! Yesterday at a McCain rally in Iowa, Rev. Arnold Conrad delivered an invocation prior to the candidate’s arrival that contained the following paragraphs (from the LA Times):

“I would also pray Lord that your reputation is involved in all that happens between now and November, because there are millions of people around this world praying to their God -- whether it's Hindu, Buddha, Allah -- that his [McCain’s] opponent wins for a variety of reasons.

And Lord I pray that you would guard your own reputation, because they’re going to think that their god is bigger than you, if that happens. So I pray that you would step forward and honor your own name in all that happens between now and Election Day.”

Apparently, non-Christians are only praying for Barack Obama to do well in the upcoming election. Or is it that only non-Christians are praying for Barack Obama to do well in the upcoming election? Are no Christians praying for Barack Obama to do well in the election? Since Barack Obama is a Christian, I find it hard to believe that there are no Christians praying for him. And what about the Jews? I am a Jew and I can tell you I am praying like hell for Barack Obama to do well in the election.

Where exactly is this minister getting his information? Does God have self-esteem issues? Does God care whether Hindus and Buddhists think their gods are bigger than Him*? Personally, I don’t think so. The God I pray to really does not worry about such things as guarding Her* reputation.

I also feel a need to point out to the reverend that the Muslim God is his [the reverend’s] God and my God. Our God is known in some circles as the Abrahamic God. The Abrahamic God is shared by the Jewish, Christian and Islam religions. So in fact, we are all praying to the same God – The Source of the Universe, Yahweh, Allah, Elohim – these are just some of the many names of God.

In addition, Hindu and Buddha are not gods at all. Hindus and Buddhists worship many gods. How and in what form they worship their gods is something of which I have little knowledge. However, it seems to me that before making a public prayer like this one, Reverend Conrad would be sure to check his facts before making broad generalizations.

I do apologize for bursting the reverend’s – or any of my dear reader’s – bubbles here, but I do believe God has much bigger and more important issues to be dealing with than the election of the President of the United States of America. This is truly something we the people should be able to handle all by ourselves. Isn’t that what free will is all about after all?

Thanks for reading,

Kathy B.

*Because the God I believe in does not have a corporal body, I use the personal pronouns He/She, His/Hers and Him/Her interchangeably when referring to God.