Democrats drop 'GOD' and 'Jerusalem' from Party Platform

CBN - Democrats Drop God from Party Platform

This is the paragraph that was in the 2008 platform:

“We need a government that stands up for the hopes, values, and interests of working people, and gives everyone willing to work hard the chance to make the most of their God-given potential.”

Now the words “God-given” have been removed. The paragraph has been restructured to say this:

“We gather to reclaim the basic bargain that built the largest middle class and the most prosperous nation on Earth – the simple principle that in America, hard work should pay off, responsibility should be rewarded, and each one of us should be able to go as far as our talent and drive take us.”

In recent years past, 'GOD' has been mentioned multiple times each year in the Democratic platform.

Huffington Post - 'God' and 'Jerusalem' dropped From Democratic Platform

Democrats Remove All References to 'GOD' from Party Platform

And the craziest thing to watch ...
Dick Durbin evades the question put to him by Bret Baier - 'WHY did the democrats remove 'God' and 'Jerusalem' from the platform?

It was a simple question. Dick Durbin could have easily answered. Instead he evaded and evaded and refused to answer. He even managed to fake some indignation. He must be taking duck and cover lessons from Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Look .. if your party platform is a certain way and you are a ranking member of that party .. then you should be able to answer a simple question as to WHY the party platform is a certain way. The evasion stunt by Dick Durbin was absolutely hysterical.

If you support removing 'GOD' and 'JERUSALEM' from the party platform .. then be proud of it and answer the question and say why it was done. Otherwise ... LAME!!

I've seen a lot of them having trouble answering the question. At first i thought it was a mistake, but now I feel it was on purpose. I believe in respecting other people's God and even the rights of those who don't believe in God, but this move was a little over the top.

Why should God be in a political platform? Maybe they took it out because they are too principled to wrap themselves in religion for political gain like the Republicans do.

Remember, in America there is no requirement that I show respect for your God or even tolerance for your religious views. What you believe is your problem and your business, not mine. Resisting the knee-jerk reaction to mention God to please the religious is a sign of maturity for the Democrats.

Way to go paying people huge salaries to present their idea/political group etc but not being able to answer basic questions.

When people are asked direct, simple questions and they get all defensive and start evading the question it's quite clear that they are either A) uncomfortable with the question B) Uncomfortable with the answer C) Both

That just brings up more questions. Why isn't he answering?

Originally posted by Grumble
Why should God be in a political platform? Maybe they took it out because they are too principled to wrap themselves in religion for political gain like the Republicans do.

Remember, in America there is no requirement that I show respect for your God or even tolerance for your religious views. What you believe is your problem and your business, not mine. Resisting the knee-jerk reaction to mention God to please the religious is a sign of maturity for the Democrats.

Amen to that brother!

No doubt.

However, dropping the highly racist and self-serving country of Israel is a good idea that every party should adopt.
I mean, they are aren't going to be around much longer anyways (it seems), right?

reply to post by Swizzy


What do you think? Of course he wouldn't answer with "we don't want to loose even one vote just because someone said something like god, but fails to mention allah, jahwe, buddha, etc.".
Thats a problem for people who try to stand for a large diversity of beliefs and views.

No problem for the GOP of course, as they are all white, old and christian people. See the pictures of the RNC, no non-whites, nearly no young and definitely no non-christian (on first view, like the disappearance of goth, sihk or other groups) people in the audience.

Originally posted by jam321
I've seen a lot of them having trouble answering the question. At first i thought it was a mistake, but now I feel it was on purpose. I believe in respecting other people's God and even the rights of those who don't believe in God, but this move was a little over the top.

Who else have you seen even be asked that question? I am curious to see all the responses.
What about respecting no god?
You seem to have no respect fro that.

reply to post by FlyersFan


What is your point?
Religion is a touchy subject - and a politician evading simple questions doesn't sound like anything new to me.

Originally posted by FlyersFan
If you support removing 'GOD' and 'JERUSALEM' from the party platform .. then be proud of it and answer the question and say why it was done.

And that's exactly the problem I have with it. They've shifted their position on the issue, now they need to defend it, or at least explain why. Apparently they can't.

Just a guess, but I suspect that this change is being pushed by the Obama campaign and that the reason some of these other Dems can't answer for it because they don't entirely agree with or believe in it.

This is just one step closer to editing the word God from all books. In this attempt at political correctness, another foundations stone of what our once great nation used as a moral compass, has been eroded. It makes sense, I guess, to those who prefer a society using as it's foundation the concept of no accountability.

jmoho...

Des

Originally posted by Grumble
Maybe they took it out because they are too principled to wrap themselves in religion for political gain like the Republicans do..

MAYBE. But the point is ... we don't know. They are refusing to answer the question ... WHY? They are running and ducking and covering and faking indignation at being nicely asked to explain their party platform. It's very strange.

Originally posted by Mads1987
reply to post by FlyersFan

 

What is your point?

Seriously? I was pretty darn clear in the opening post.

[ ATS Thread - Dems Adopt Marriage Equality ('gay marriage') as part of party platform.

When the Democrats adopted gay marriage as part of the party platform, they were not hiding or ducking and covering when they were asked about it. They gave a good answer when asked 'WHY". They weren't ashamed or embarrassed or tongue tied (or whatever) about marriage equality.

But with taking 'GOD' and 'JERUSALEM" out of the Party Platform ... they duck and cover and fake indignation at being asked.

My point .. very simple ... WHY are they behaving like this?

When the dems adopted gay marriage as part of the party platform, it made a lot of the black evangelicals very unhappy. Do the dems think they'll lose the black evangelical vote by overloading them with things they disagree with .. things like embracing gay marriage and taking God and Jerusalem out of the platform? Answer ... WE DO NOT KNOW because the dems are ducking and covering. They don't want to discuss this which is in the official party platform. That's REALLY STRANGE.

Originally posted by FlyersFan

MAYBE. But the point is ... we don't know. They are refusing to answer the question ... WHY? They are running and ducking and covering and faking indignation at being nicely asked to explain their party platform. It's very strange.

Both sides are guilty of not wanting to discuss their party platforms. You didn't see many Republicans willing to discuss their platforms goal of banning abortion with no exceptions during the RNC. Likewise, you won't see many Democrats discussing the more controversial parts of theirs.

Personally, I am gad to see them remove it. The increasing level of religious influence in the Republican party is alarming and I would hate to see the Democrats go down the same dark road to religious zeolotry.

Maybe that means they will no longer be controlled by Israel. Nah!

A sudden burst of common sense in American politics - stop mentioning God, and this thread is a result of it?

The guy is afraid of saying "We removed God, because God does not belong in politics". The problem is that the network would, as he suggested, twist his words into something "Godless". Why is this even taken up? It's not important per se, and the reason is evident.
It was taken up only to be able to extract something out of his words to use against the party - for no reason.

Mixing politics and religion is some sort of scary Talibanism. And now you're mocking the one moving away from that? Even scarier.

I've learnt so much about the U.S the past few days, unfortunately.

reply to post by Consequence


I don't think anyone is 'mocking' them. If they've made religion a part of their platform in the recent past, and they have, and now they've dropped it, it is hardly unreasonable to expect a straight answer as to why.

Originally posted by Consequence
A sudden burst of common sense in American politics - stop mentioning God, and this thread is a result of it?

No. (and you sound just like the guy who is ducking and covering). The reason this thread resulted is because of politicians hiding and denying what is on their platform. and them faking indignation.

The guy is afraid of saying "We removed God, because God does not belong in politics".

If that's what he believes then he should back it up .. not wimp out and fake indignation.
it's childish.

They removed "God" from their platform?, wow */clap* America must be heading in a good direction where they don't have to please people who believe in these fairy tales. This must have taken them lotta balls.

It easy to see why they dodge the question, they know some people who vote their party are religious.

Originally posted by Kaploink
Both sides are guilty of not wanting to discuss their party platforms. .

Which is absurd ... right? If someone belongs to a party and the party has a platform, you should be able to answer questions about that party platform. And just because you belong to a party doesn't mean that you believe all that the party platform says. It's perfectly OK to go on TV and say 'my party platform is this but I think this instead _______ '. Or it's perfectly okay to go on TV and say "I'm a member of the Democratic party and I agree that God doesn't belong in politics'.

At the very least, the members of the party who are at the convention and doing the 'talking head' thing should be able to be grown up and discuss what is in the party platform and answer questions .. not duck and cover and fake indignation like a kindergardener.

Democrat and Republican alike.

Originally posted by luciddream
It easy to see why they dodge the question, they know some people who vote their party are religious

So they avoid the question and refuse to discuss the Party Platform because of fear of losing the evangelical black voters who are already on the edge because of the Party Platform adopting Gay Marriage. Kinda hypocritical. ANY political party who refuses to even discuss what is in their platform are just a bunch of hypocrites. It's not being honest.

The republicans have far-right language about abortion not being okay under any condition. The democrats have removed God and Jerusalem from their platform. Admit it's there and discuss it otherwise you are all in the same boat .... two faced and not honest. Republican/democrat = same/same.