Press: Danforth appalled by divisive use of religion - RNS

"As a three-term U.S. senator and a former ambassador to the United Nations, Missouri Republican John Danforth has all the right credentials and connections to savor the spoils of his party's dominance in Washington. Instead, at age 69, Danforth is combining his status as an elder statesman with his lesser-known role as an ordained Episcopal priest to raise uncomfortable questions about what he sees as the hefty costs paid for using religious rhetoric to fuel a political agenda. "I've been away from (the Senate) for more than 10 years, and I see politics from a distance. And I'm appalled by what I see," said Danforth. "Right there in the midst of all the partisanship, in the midst of all the nastiness, right there with their wedge issues and litmus tests and extreme rhetoric, right there as the most divisive force in American life, are my fellow Christians." For examples, Danforth notes how the Rev. Jerry Falwell urges voters to "Vote Christian" and Dr. James Dobson compares stem cell "research at Harvard to Dr. Mengele's experiments on Jews." (Religion News Service, “Donning Clerical Collar, Danforth Slams GOP's Religious Rhetoric,” 10-06-05) Subscription Required