Religion

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has released its 2008 Annual Report, which lists "countries of particular concern" (or, put plainly, countries which stomp all over religious liberties).

The offending countries on the list include: Burma (Myanmar), Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), Eritrea, Iran, Pakistan, People's Republic of China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Countries on the Commission's 2008 Watch List include: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, and Nigeria. The hotly-debated decision on whether to include Iraq has been postponed pending a commission visit later this month.

Unlike the senseless and offensive UN Human Rights Action List (an anti-Semitic, radical-Islamic embarrassment to the world community), USCIRF's report examines true atrocities occurring in the modern world. The Commission honestly observes, as was recently exposed in the Burma massacres, that "the U.S. government navigates a world threatened by religion-based extremism and religion-imbued conflict." Religious liberty is foremost a personal human right - yet its security is also necessary to the security of the global community.

The immensely respectable and remarkably acute Acton Institute has fashioned a movie on the theme of freedom. It seems that the film will trace the conception of liberty through history, likely beginning with the Greco-Roman period and spending ample time on the crucial contributions of Christianity to the development (creation) of classically liberal civilizations.

Just as other films which do not binge in the gutters of moral and cultural relativism, and then purge as pan-deprecating, liberal indoctrination and anti-Western prejudice, the documentary will almost certainly attract the scorn and derision of the ideologically-elitist Hollywood and Indy film crowds. Diversity of ideas and thought was never on the ledger of liberal tolerance.

Of course, having Hollywood come out against a film (think The Passion of the Christ) might be somewhat akin to having the New York Times pan a candidate (ala John McCain). I recommend the film to all who are interested in the theory and history of freedom, and anxiously await its release.

Earlier today I watched the Bill Moyers interview (thanks, David, my DVR didn't catch it) with Bill Moyers on PBS and was glad to have the opportunity to hear what Rev. Wright had to say outside of the sound bites so prevelant on TV and these intertubes.

I was quite pleasantly surprised when this evening saw CNN airing, in its entirely without commercials, Wright's keynote speech an NAACP fundraiser in Detroit. For those of you interested, the speech can be seen here for now - and I'm sure more widely available elsewhere in the morning. CNN also cancelled their evening programming to get on-the-ground reaction from Soledad O'Brien and Roland Martin with other commentary from Obama and Clinton supporters.

Rich Sanchez said throughout the course of this coverage that they were being deluged with email - mostly positive. I too found Wright compelling. Alternately, he was deadly serious on the the dinner's theme, "A Change is Gonna Going to Come", academic in the arts and theology, and downright funny. ABC's Jake Tapper tooks some notes (a skill I'm trying to work on for you all):

"What Would Jesus Drive?" Florida may be providing a partial answer: He'd drive a car with their proposed new license plate:

Florida is also considering a plate with the inscription, "In God We Trust." Profits from specialty (vanity) plates - of which Florida has a selection of about 100 - go to various charities and worthy courses.

Of course, such freedom of expression has anti-civil-liberties groups, such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), screaming mad. In their tireless quest to oppress the equal-rights of Christian Americans, the ACLU has threatened to sue Florida - hoping that the fear of a lengthy, expensive litigation will bully the state into abandoning the rights of religious citizens.

The ACLU has traditionally lost court battles predicated upon the argument that states establish a civil religion by allowing private persons to spend extra money to buy specialty plates with their preferred religious motto. The ACLU has unsuccessfully challenged plates engraved with, "In God We Trust." The ACLU has also attempted to prohibit "Choose Life" plate - because people with different opinions than those held by the ACLU should not have the full exercise of their civil liberties.

In the present case, the ACLU lamented that approval of the plate might prompt other groups to seek their own designs. Heavens forbid that a civil liberties group would support a diversity of expression in America.

In a moving South Lawn ceremony attended by an overflow crowd of 13,000 guests, the largest such gathering in the history of the White House, President Bush officially welcomed His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the United States. It was a radiantly sunny day in Washington, DC, as the pontiff and the president exchanged warm words of friendship and mutual admiration between the United States and the Vatican. The two leaders looked on as the Army's Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps performed the traditional parade march across the grounds afforded to visiting heads of state, a beautiful operatic version of the Lord's Prayer was sung by Kathleen Battle, and a stirring rendition of the Battle Hymn of the Republic was performed by the U.S. Army Chorus.

In his prepared remarks, President Bush feted Pope Benedict as a man with a vital message for the world, often quoting the Pope's own words back to him.

Most of all, Holy Father, you will find in America people whose hearts are open to your message of hope. And America and the world need this message. In a world where some invoke the name of God to justify acts of terror and murder and hate, we need your message that 'God is love.' And embracing this love is the surest way to save men from 'falling prey to the teaching of fanaticism and terrorism.'

In a world where some treat life as something to be debased and discarded, we need your message that all human life is sacred, and that 'each of us is willed, each of us is loved and each of us is necessary.'

In a world where some no longer believe that we can distinguish between simple right and wrong, we need your message to reject this 'dictatorship of relativism,' and embrace a culture of justice and truth.

In a world where some see freedom as simply the right to do as they wish, we need your message that true liberty requires us to live our freedom not just for ourselves, but 'in a spirit of mutual support.'

Holy Father, thank you for making this journey to America. Our nation welcomes you. We appreciate the example you set for the world, and we ask that you always keep us in your prayers.

Today outside the White House, the liberal anti-war group "Catholics United" is hefting two 16-foot banners reading: "Enough with the Slaughter... Violence... Hatred in Iraq! - Pope Benedict XVI Palm Sunday 2008" and "Thank You, Pope Benedict, for Speaking out against War." The disgruntled protesters' aim is to portray the Catholic church as encompassing liberal social policy, dispelling the perception of the venerable hierarchy as monolithically conservative.

This strategy, as noted in today's New York Times, is shared by many within the Democratic party. John Kerry, a Catholic, lost the Catholic vote in 2004 - and the Dems are terrified of losing yet another traditionally faithful (no pun intended) block of voters. Sens. Clinton and Obama have both recently unfurled their Catholic credentials, fronting prominent Catholic supporters, hiring "Catholic outreach" managers, and extolling their Catholic-esque views. While everyone agrees that the "Catholic vote" is a diverse, complex and multi-layered concoction, there is a parallel consensus that it is a block that cannot be ignored.

"You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"-Joseph Welch

I'm certain that many of you have noticed the recent "Hot Seat Poll" featuring the question, "Is Barack Obama a fake Christian?"

I am certain of it because, as of this writing, nearly a quarter of a million of you have voted in it. Now, what I am about to say is my opinion alone, and not reflective of the views of anyone else on The Political Machine. This bit of push-polling is an offense on the conscience, and I feel compelled to condemn it.

I condemn it, not because I like Barack Obama, or because I feel there is some sacred force-field around questioning someone's religion, but because of the insidious nature of the question. I would equally condemn a question about John McCain's bravery in captivity, or the strength of Senator Clinton's marriage, because they serve only to raise doubts that are unanswerable.

We face accusations, on a daily basis, of favoring Barack Obama in our coverage. This accusation has been leveled at the entirety of the mainstream media. On a case-by-case basis, there may be some truth to it, but overall, I believe there is a failure on these critics' part to recognize that fairness doesn't equal balance.

Is this push-poll an attempt to make up for that perception in one fell swoop? Or is there some legitimacy to the question? While we're at it, what about the flag pin? After the jump, the gloves come off.

Today the President and First Lady will personally hail the arrival of Alitalia flight "Shepard One" on the tarmac of Andrew's Air Force Base - according Pope Benedict XVI a diplomatic courtesy unprecedented in American history. The Holy Father's first papal visit to the U.S. provides many Americans with their first look at the recently elevated leader of over 1 billion Catholics worldwide.

Earlier today, EWTN interviewed President Bush (transcript here), covering a broad scope of issues bearing on religious liberty. Helen Alvare also provided a insightful article in Our Sunday Visitor, discussing the meaning and likely themes of the Pope's message of hope.

In order to fully appreciate the Pope's visit, it is perhaps most useful to recall his words in anticipation of this historic visit:

Pope Benedict XVI's first-ever trip to the US this week will coincide with with his 81st birthday and there's one celebration he'll miss:

President Bush and his wife, Laura, will host a White House dinner in honor of the pontiff Wednesday evening. U.S. Catholic leaders from around the nation will attend. The menu will offer Bavarian-style food in recognition of the pope's German heritage. It's even the pope's 81st birthday. But he won't be there.

"He's on a very ambitious official schedule," Anita McBride, Mrs. Bush's chief of staff, said Friday. "He'll be meeting with U.S. bishops that night" at a university in Washington.

We assume that 'university in Washington' to be the Catholic Georgetown University. (Correction - assumption wrong, its The Catholic University of America - thanks, Justin!)

President Bush is scheduled to meet the Pope's plane when it arrives and is also hosting a reception with the faithful and tons of hot shots on the White House lawn Wednesday. I must say that if I were the President, I'd be pissed at getting blown off like that - Pope or no Pope. I'd think that maybe I'd done something to anger His Holiness like start a pre-emptive war or torture people. Oh, wait...

Well, if the Papa of Honor does not show to the German-themed dinner, hopefully the leaders of the Catholic Church that ARE expected to attend will enjoy all that wiener schnitzel and bier.

In other Papal news, the Archdiocese of Washington got a little miffed at a Metro ad campaign meant to encourage those attending the big Mass at Nationals Stadium to use public transportation. The ad featured a Pope bobblehead on the Metro. The Archdiocese wasn't mad about the ad, per se, but the way the bobblehead is dressed. Apparently Popes don't wear red capes. I don't know, I think it 's cute, but it is missing red Prada slippers.

On the April 15th Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, "Shepard One" will arrive at Andrews Air Force Base, where the President of the United States will be waiting to hail the first visit of Pope Benedict XVI to America. The week-long visit will involve plenty of opportunities for the general public to greet the Catholic leader as he travels from Washington, D.C. to New York - oftentimes within the famed "Popemobile."

While the Supreme Pontiff will be meeting with the heads of over 200 Catholic colleges and presiding over several Catholic functions, his visit will also include ecumenical and interreligious activities. The Pope will hold a conference on "Religions Working for Peace" with 200 religious leaders in Washington before expressing his good will to Jewish communities at the commencement of Passover.

The visit has already inspired radical conjectures of the Pope's anticipated activities, particularly regarding his speech before the United Nations. George Weigel more astutely posits that the Pope's visit to the UN on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is "likely to challenge the world body to take more seriously the moral truths that undergird the human dignity the U.N. was founded to defend - moral truths that can be known by reason."

Fortunately, polls reveal that the Pope is likely to receive a warm welcome in the U.S., where his ratings are favorable by a ratio of 4.5:1 - impressive numbers for the head of a sovereign state. But then, he's got friends in high places....