Mediaboss Marketing

One of the moments that resonated with me during the Vice Presidential debate was when Sen. Harris pointed out that both she and Joe Biden are people of faith. The Vice President's remarks, like comments I hear all of the time as a Democratic politician, suggest that faith, especially Christianity, is somehow incompatible with my politics.

I was raised Catholic, and for the last several years have been a member of a United Methodist congregation that is part of the Reconciling Ministries Network. In my religion we learn to treat others as we want to be treated, to serve others with humility and to take care of our neighbors (even when they don't look like us).

The culture wars, especially the reductive way that our debates about the government's role in reproductive healthcare decisions play out, have obscured the fact that there are people of many faiths serving the public as Democrats and Republicans. I've never thought it was politically advantageous to talk much about my faith, but I sure find a lot of strength, fellowship and wisdom worshipping, singing and taking my daughter to St. Paul's.

I was once asked by a neighbor who is a conservative Christian, surprised to see me playing music with the church band in the park, "How can you be Christian and be a Democrat?" My response was "I don't see how you could be anything else." This election shouldn't be about reducing people, with all of their complexity or the issues, with all of the nuances we should be able to explore, to tight little labels that set "us" against "them".

Rep. Mike McCarthy

St. Albans

Excerpt from:
Don't use religion to pit us against each other - St. Albans Messenger