Washblog

However, given the butt-kicking Ralph Reed got in Georgia, a public figure's professed religious beliefs and how those beliefs are either lived up to or conveniently ignored is certainly fair game in judging character. Something we have heard about ad nauseam from Republicans.

First of all, Pensacola Christian College is an unaccredited, fundamentalist, independent Baptist institution with very strict codes of conduct and a very literal interpretation of the Bible.
Looking at the home page for the college, I saw the general info section. The first item that dropped down was "Articles of Faith" Looking down the list of "We believe" and "We affirm", I discovered:

We believe that God created the universe in six literal days and that man was created in the image of God but chose to sin. Hence, all persons inherit a depraved nature and are lost sinners in need of salvation.

I wonder what their science classes are like. The text went on to say,

We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and lost: those that are saved unto the resurrection of eternal life in heaven and those that are lost unto the resurrection of eternal damnation in a literal lake of fire.

Wow, a literal lake of fire. And more,

We believe in the imminent, pre-Tribulation return of Jesus Christ for all believers. This Rapture of the saints will be followed by a seven year period of Tribulation, after which Christ will return in glory to judge the world and set up His millennial reign on earth.

Does this mean that McMorris is a rapturist? Yes, it does. A simple search reveals that McMorris attends Grace Evangelical Free Church (and "enjoys playing the piano"). A check of that church indicates its belief in the Rapture.

But does she, herself, live up to the strict teachings of her school and church?

Continuing around the college site, I went to the school's Miscellaneous section: Standards of Conduct. In the third paragraph I found this:

The Christian must endeavor to avoid practices that cause the loss of sensitivity to the spiritual needs of the world (1 Cor. 8:9, 12-13; 10:32) and loss of the Christian's physical, mental, or spiritual well-being (1 Cor. 9:27). In today's society this includes avoiding such practices as gambling, dancing, profanity, obscenity, abuse of drugs, the use of tobacco and alcohol, and attendance at movie theaters.

I have been following the money McMorris receives for a while. So now I wonder: Is there a difference between receiving $6000.00 of PAC money directly from R. J. Reynolds company and the use of tobacco?
Is there a difference between receiving $10,000.00 from the National Beer Wholesalers Association PAC and the use of alcohol?
Is there a difference between receiving money from Abramoff via Delay, Ney, and Doolittle and the practice of gambling?
Bottom line, does receiving such Republican leadership PAC money and other special interest Pac money, and being part of this corrupt leadership, "cause the loss of sensitivity to the spiritual needs of the world"?

I am also reminded that McMorris gave Cheney a warm reception when he visited Spokane recently. Very practiced in profanity and obscenity is he.

hypocrisy?

I can only assume that she holds these beliefs since they are so easily linked to from her government website. She certainly doesn't appear to live these beliefs or she conveniently ignores them for a "greater cause". Or maybe she is completely clueless as to who is supporting (using?) her.

Also very troubling is a question I must ask myself. Isn't there a conflict between holding such fundamentally extreme, pervasive, and seemingly exclusionary beliefs and faithfully representing a diverse population in a secular government? Can she ever forget her belief that the great majority of the rest of us are damned?

As another layer is peeled away from that American girl facade, instead of a garden variety Reagan conservative Christian, I see another hypocritical fundamentalist.

Perhaps, for many this would seem unremarkable. But to me, not so. I was greatly disturbed by this. My soul searching as to whether I should post this diary kept me coming back to the same conclusion that with only two clicks on my congressional representative's official website, I find that I am condemned to suffer for eternity in a literal lake of fire.

We have an alternative to this cynicism in Peter Goldmark.