Firstly, I think Obama has a legitimate point. Conservatives a partisan issue. They've paint Republicans as being the Christian authority and the left as baby murdering sodomizers. Here are the reasons religious folk should favor Democrats:
1)The Death penalty - this pro-Right draconian form of punishment goes against the Church’s teachings. How many of our allies in the EU still practice capital punishment ? O. Who knew that thou shall not kill had a footnote?
2)Dealing with Poverty – Democrats are proactive in attempting to abolish poverty; Republicans give in lip service.
3)Global Warming - "Commit to sustainable development, fight global warming, Vatican tells U.N."
http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=19830The Right in this country seems to think Religion and Science are mutually exclusive, and that science (and in this administration facts in general) are like pagan rituals.
4)The War in Iraq- 3,566 Americans dead, 60- 70 thousand civilian deaths. 2million displaced Iraqis. Humanitarian crisis. The numbers don’t lie… thou shall not kill?
Secondly, The founders roll in their graves every time one of the Republican hopefuls says something like, “My faith will guide me if elected President.” The fathers of this country were deist, who were guided by law, justice and reason. They knew that religion skews debate. How can you argue with someone who thinks that their belief is mandated by God?
"The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries." -James Madison
"I have recently been examining all the known superstitions of the world, and do not find in our particular superstition (Christianity) one redeeming feature. They are all alike founded on fables and mythology." -Thomas Jefferson
I dunno there's more Tallman but I'm tired and don't have the time...
P.S. Doesn't "Senator Obama claim that religion had been hijacked from far-right conservatives who capitalize on differences rather than similarities." sound as though he is bipartisan? He is saying that while some of his beliefs differ from the Church's, he is still a religous man. Just as, you are religous even though you believe in capital punishment. He is saying he can reach out to values voters despite having differing opinions, differing opinions, debate, isn't that what this country was founded on?