The crowd at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia last month during an address by the Rev. William J. Barber II. “We must shock this nation with the power of love,” he told the delegates.CreditDamon Writer/The New York Times
The Democratic Party is engaging in “religious talks”. Samuel G. Freedman writes: "Four months ago, as Hillary Clinton turned her attention from the Democratic primary for a fall race against Donald J. Trump, her campaign released a commercial titled 'Love and Kindness.'" In her advertisement, Hillary projects video clips of her embracing several citizens, including a grieving mother to the soundtrack of a soulful ballad. The onscreen text for this display states: “do all the good we can, in all the ways we can, for all the people we can.”
Hillary has Rev. William J. Barber II preach to America that “we are called to be a nation of love and “we must shock this nation with the power of love”. Without further investigation, this “God talk” seems like a step forward for the Democratic Party, but what is the real underlying agenda of this new campaign?
Hillary is using pseudo-religious values to manipulate the masses. Her commercial echoes with axioms from the Church and “spiritual language” to tug on the heartstrings of religious viewers. This apparent “religious shift” in Hillary’s campaign is an attempt to humanize her.This campaign also makes her appear more lovable than before and takes a not-so-subtle jab at her opponent by using the pun-inflicted: “Love Trumps Hate.”
What does Hillary mean when she speaks of “love”? Can love be defined as being kind to family members and friends? Is it comforting those who have been there for you? Is love a warm hug from a cherished person? Do we have to love our enemies? Love is not easily defined and is impossible to define without Scripture.
We as humans tend to view love in a sentimental way. Dr. Moss states that “the way God loves us — agape — is not about me liking someone or me feeling good about someone, but about God making a deep demand on humans to seek the kind of equitable society termed ‘the beloved community.’”As Christians, love should not be tethered to our emotions. Mathew 5:44 tells us “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” God has commanded us to love everyone.
“Religious theology” waivers but God’s love is unchanging.How, then, can secularists uphold the values God has given to us? Truthfully, these values were never meant to and cannot be upheld without God. What moral standard does Hillary have without a single, God-given, authoritative command to follow? We cannot be sure. These new principles are being set up by fallible man. How long will they last? Again, we cannot be sure because man has a tendency to change ideas, philosophies, and theologies at the drop of a hat with no definitive standard to uphold.
Is this shift in the campaign better than the previous hate language? It depends on who is listening. As Christians, we must know there can be no solidity found in man. Psalms 121:2 helps bring some clarification on this issue by stating: “My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Giving reassurance and love to one another is healthy and ideal. However, we must see this standard that has been set as God’s command; not man’s. A house built on sand will crumble with the force of a storm.
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