Below are some quotes from a news story about McCain. I find his buckling to the thought police disturbing - more below after the quotes. McCain rejects pastor’s endorsement
Republican John McCain on Thursday rejected endorsements from two influential but controversial televangelists, saying there is no place for their incendiary criticisms of other faiths.
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“Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them. I did not know of them before Reverend Hagee’s endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well,” he said.
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“I believe there is no place for that kind of dialogue in America, and I believe that even though he endorsed me, and I didn’t endorse him, the fact is that I repudiate such talk, and I reject his endorsement,” McCain told the AP.
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“I’m glad to have his endorsement,” he said on ABC’s “This Week” in April. “I condemn remarks that are, in any way, viewed as anti-anything.”
Being that I am Catholic one might mistakenly think that I am pleased at Senator McCain’s belated (extremely belated) rejection of Rev. Hagee’s endorsement. Not so. Nor am I pleased with his repudiation of Rod Parsley, a preacher who has criticized Islam. I am not pleased in the least.
For me the key quote is that “I condemn remarks that are, in any way, viewed as anti-anything.” Now that’s backbone for you. Hi is anti-anti. Wow.
The Republican nominee has caved into idiotic concerns about political correctness. This new thought patrolling, this repudiating of anyone with a strong opinion is ludicrous and frankly dangerous. It is not so much an attack on free speech (though it is that),as it is a continuation of an attack on people of faith in the public square. Our society has moved into a position where those who profess a faith must leave it at the door to their homes before leaving, or risk rebuke.
I am sorry to see Senator McCain kowtow in this way. Perhaps he is not up to the social pressure. Of course he is in the same company as the presumptive Democratic nominee, Barak Obama who distanced himself from his pastor for 20 years. The actions of both men are shameful, though those of Mr. Obama are more so since it was a friend he betrayed.
Friends, this is deeply troubling for the republic. We have already lost some of our freedom, and we have given it up voluntarily because we don’t want to hear from these people who make us uncomfortable, whom we disagree with. We certainly do not stand and defend their right to be heard. What is worse is that we have no qualms about censoring those of faith, and reinforcing the unspoken (and sometimes spoken) rule that faith is to remain private.
For those with strong faith, I suspect that they will continue to stand up and bear witness. But for most of us - those with less than heroic virtue, we will be bullied into silence - harming the state of our democracy, and more importantly that of our souls. I pray we find the courage to reverse this current of intolerance that so often is misnamed tolerance.
