Of cudgel and cupboard, Obama and Bonhoeffer

Got my Report from the Capitol Today, the newsjournal of the Baptist Joint Committee Church State Watch dog group.
Brent Walker had a great piece on proper lens to view political candidates when it comes to the idiosyncracies of various preachers in their lives.
Brent said:

"

Learning something about candidates’ faith helps us to get to know who they are, understand what makes them tick, and examine what their moral code is like. A free and fluid discussion in the public square about a candidate’s religious convictions is not out of bounds and can enrich the public discourse during election season.
But it can also serve as a cudgel.
It is vitally important that the discussion about a candidate’s religion goes somewhere. It is not at all helpful — and is often hurtful — to have a theological discussion isolated from policy and governance. There must always be an inquiry launched and close connection made about how candidate’s religious views impact his or her public policy position or leadership style. Otherwise an examination of a candidate’s religion is little more than spiritual voyeurism and violates the spirit if not the letter of the clause banning religious tests."

I Like is use of the word cudgel.
Earlier, Tuesday week ago at Samford's Beeson divinity school, Tubingen, Germany Bonhoeffer Scholar Johannes Schwanke in reply to a question posed by me after his magnificent address on the Fragment stages of Bonhoeffer's Pilgrimage said he, Schwanke, refused to put Bonhoeffer in a "cupboard."
I didn't understand what he said at first and when I asked him again, the word sounded pitch perfect in my ear for the point he was making.
Even so easily googled articles by Damon Linker on Charles Marsh "The Idolatry of America" at the New Republic, April 23 Print issue; and yesterday's effort by Robert Parham at ethicsdaily.com open up the discussion widely to review the way Richard Land and Timothy George of the Rove/Bush administration have abused the righteous sentiments of Middle America in this discussion.
In particular George's abuse of the Barmen Declaration--a point I tried to make in Sunday School at Collinsville Baptist Church in regard the pastor's former proff Paul Simmons and how George thinking was a precipitator for Simmons dismissal--George's prostitution of the Barmen Declaration is unconscionable.
Parham undergirds such an assertion in this article of yesterday.
http://www.ethicsdaily.com/article_detail.cfm?AID=10451
I concede Linker takes the measure of Marsh and how we can never get anything done in this world if we get too otherwordly; even so lot hear to think about.

An aside, I do wish the snits, the anonymous commenters on this blog who have become mosquitoes on the ass of my discourse at this blog would take a hike on this discussion.
I was gonna take something of a holiday here on Mother's Day weekend, as my Mother had many disappointments, but I think she would applaud my ruminations here.

Stephen Fox
With apologies to another great woman in addition to Momma, my HS Advanced English Teacher who wrote in my annual:
No need to Wish you Success, it's a given.

Well not exactly in my case, but strong words for you to consider above in this righteous political moment in America and for that I do not apologize.