the rix mix

It's come to this:

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 30 (UPI) -- North Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Kay Hagan Thursday filed a lawsuit against Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole over an ad suggesting Hagan is an atheist.

Hagan announced the defamation suit after the Dole campaign refused to stop running the ad, which seeks to link her to an atheist group, The Hill reported. Hagan said the Dole campaign faked her voice in the ad to make voters think she doesn't believe in God.

"Elizabeth Dole's attacks on my Christian faith are offensive," Hagan said in a response ad that began airing Thursday.

Hagan, who has taught Sunday school, said she is running for office to help boost the economy and create jobs instead of "bearing false witness against fellow Christians" -- a suggestions that Dole broke one of the Ten Commandments.

That ought to be something to shrug off, but it is defamation in the context of southern politics. & it is an outrageously unchristian lie, bearing false witness on a matter of faith. Dole claims to be a Methodist. Her pastor should be infuriated. Her pastor should supply Dole with this statement from the United Methodist Church document, Called to Be Neighbors and Witnesses: Guidelines for Interreligious Relationships.

As we take seriously this calling to be witnesses and neighbors to people of all faith communities, old and new, we become aware of the biblical caution not to bear false witness (Matthew 19:18) and the admonition to live at peace with all people (Hebrews 12:14). How are we to avoid bearing false witness unless we know our neighbors and understand their faith commitments? How can one truly love a neighbor and hold back what to Christians is the greatest of all gifts—God becoming present to people in Jesus Christ? How can we live peacefully together, unless we are willing to be neighborly? How can we say we love our neighbor if we are unwilling to be attentive to the message and the gifts which God has given him or her? Love of neighbor and witness to Christ are the two primary attitudes United Methodist Christians must affirm in their relationship with persons of other faith traditions. When we affirm our love for the neighbor, we discover that God has given us another gift—people in other faith communities. We join hands with them to fight against the evil powers and principalities of this earth.

Does this have to explained to you, Liddy?

Labels: blogging against theocracy, religion, THE election