Edwards Belief Net Interview: Jesus Would Be Appalled

A very quick look at this interview and it seems that John Edwards is reaching out to moderate and progressive people of faith. This is needed after the Pandagon blogger incident. However, some of these answers are rather conservative.

To the question, "Is America a Christian nation?"... the best answer is: "Of course not, our Founders rejected a Republic based upon any faith or Creed. Most of us who are believers will be glad that they didn't lock us in to just one faith tradition--not that many Puritans around anymore, for example." Further, the idea of a "quiet time" for prayer can be a problem where Christians of a certian kind represent a majority that intimidates non-believers and or believers of a different kind.

I hate to be negative, but this interview may end up alienating people on all sides--proving once again how hard it is to talk about religion and politics in America.

The full interview is here, John Edwards: 'My Faith Came Roaring Back'.

Kuo: What parts of American life do you think would most outrage Jesus?

Edwards: Our selfishness. Our resort to war when it's not necessary. I think that Jesus would be disappointed in our ignoring the plight of those around us who are suffering and our focus on our own selfish short-term needs. I think he would be appalled, actually.(snip)

Kuo: In 2004, John Kerry said that he wouldn't let his faith affect his decision making. Does it affect yours?

Edwards: Yes, it does. I do believe in the separation of church and state. But I don't think separation of church and state means you have to be free from your faith. My faith informs everything I think and do. It's part of my value system. And to suggest that I can somehow separate and divorce that from the rest of me is not possible. I would not, under any circumstances, try to impose my personal faith and belief on the rest of the country. I don't think that's right. I don't think that's appropriate. But freedom of religion doesn't mean freedom from religion. And I think that anything we can do to promote the idea that people should express their faith is a good thing.

AP Edwards: Jesus Would Be 'Appalled;'

"I think that Jesus would be disappointed in our ignoring the plight of those around us who are suffering and our focus on our own selfish short-term needs," Edwards told the site. "I think he would be appalled, actually."

Edwards also said he was against teacher-led prayers in public schools, but he added that "allowing time for children to pray for themselves, to themselves, I think is not only OK, I think it's a good thing."

In the interview, the former North Carolina senator discussed how he lost touch with his day-to-day faith during college, but that it "came roaring back" after the death of his 16-year-old son, Wade, in 1996.

Edwards has often cited religion as a part of his politics, frequently linking his efforts to fight poverty as a matter of morality.

Edwards was interviewed by David Kuo, a conservative Christian who served as deputy director of President Bush's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives until 2003. Kuo wrote a book, "Tempting Faith, An Inside Story of Political Seduction," that said Bush aides privately called conservative Christians "nuts," "ridiculous" and "goofy."