CNN contributor L.Z. Granderson questions statements made by four GOP presidential hopefuls, who say that God led them to run for office. Granderson compares the candidates to evangelical preachers, who in this instance hope that invoking God's name will help them win votes.
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… [Herman] Cain was a guest on the Christian Broadcasting Network recently and recapped a conversation he said he had with God before entering the race.
"I felt like Moses when God said, 'I want you to go into Egypt and lead my people out,' " Cain said. "Moses resisted. I resisted. … But you shouldn't question God."
Repeat: You shouldn't question God.
OK, fine.
But why aren't we questioning the candidates who make these kinds of statements the same way we would question whether God actually wanted a particular athlete to win a game?
I do believe a person's faith is personal, but I'm not the one using it to get votes. Four candidates have claimed a level of divine intervention with their campaign, which either means the creator of heaven and Earth is hedging his bets or somebody's mistaken.
When a candidate claims to have a plan to create jobs or turn our economy around, we expect thoughtful analysis, as we have seen with President Obama's jobs package and Cain's 9-9-9 plan. Why are we not demanding the same level of critical thinking with respect to these candidates? Is the media so afraid to appear to be attacking someone's faith that interviewers don't bother to ask follow-up questions?
If I could trade places with Anderson Cooper, who is moderating Tuesday's debate, I would ask, "Now which ones of you were really called by God and which ones are hearing voices in your head?" then let them discuss among themselves.
Read L.Z. Granderson's complete blog entry at CNN.
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