Day 12: National Republican African American Caucus Has It’s Say!: An 18 Day Political Revival

May 7, 2010

NRAAC's National Chair
Dr. Jean Howard-Hill

National Republican African American Caucus [NRAAC] Blog
http://nraac.blogspot.com
http://www.nraacaucus.org



The National Republican African American Caucus Has It's
Say!: 18 Day Political Revival


Day 12: How Republican religious hypocrisy has tarnished and impacted moral values.

While yesterday's post defended the right to believe and to pray, it also is necessary to offer a sermonic discourse on the misuse of religion in politics.

For most African Americans when we think of religion, we see it as being the pattern of life which identifies the God in us. So...

When we see someone who is kind and loving, we identify it as being the manifestation of the "Love of God".

When we see someone who is evenhanded and fair, we identify it as being the manifestation of the "Justice and Fairness of God".

When we see someone who is compassionate, we identify it as being the manifestation of the "Tender Mercies of God".

When we see someone who is slow to answer, but can fashion their words to give a wise and timely response, we identify it as being the manifestation of the "Patience" and "Wisdom of God".

When we see someone who is able to articulate and teach wisdom and knowledge with great understanding, we identify it as being the manifestation of the "Knowledge of God".

When we see someone who listens and tries to understand how it feels to walk in someone else's shoes, we identify it as being the manifestation of the "Understanding, Empathy and Compassion of God".

When we see someone live what they preach and advocate, we identify it as being the manifestation of the "Righteousness of God".

Unfortunately, we are seeing less manifestations of God in the lives of those who claim they know God or that God is a part of their lives. This is especially true within politics.

Sad to say, the misuse of religion has done more to divide than to unite. Not because of our reverence of God, but because of the way in which we have crafted our own brands of religious political conjectures that pick and choose what we deem as right or wrong. This has created a strange kind of religious hypocrisy that has taken root within Republican politics.

"God and Country" is the slogan that is displayed and proclaimed as the fundamental values of the Religious Right. But when we look to the right, seeking manifestations of a Godly life, we sometimes come up wanting. You cannot be a believer or a member of the clergy or a Republican and not be troubled or conscious stricken because of this. Neither can you sit back and be silent.

As a member of the clergy, and as one who shares with other clergy and lay members of our Caucus a deep and personal relationship with God, we are sickened by the GOP's misuse of God and religion in politics. It is hard to sit back in silence or try to digest this while we see a lack of those godly principles such as compassion, fairness, truth and treating others with respect.

The Republican Party has to rethink how it has used religion and God. It also has to reconcile what it has come to believe is the role religion should play within politics, with what is expected of those who claim to know and are led by God. You cannot have it both ways. Either your relationship with God inspires you to do what is right, or it convicts you to get right. But never should it provide you with a cloak to hide behind or to do that which is not right in the name of religion and God.

Clearly there are those in the party who do practice what they preach. However, there also are those who do not, and have turned a deaf ear to the concerns of the people, and to the need for inclusion. This is something, which is hard to understand, since the Republican Party has prided itself on being more morally, as opposed to being more politically correct on issues.

Religion is something you should not use to further your own political base, especially when that base is intent upon violating some of the same moral principles by which it judges others. Our relationship with God should serve as catalysis for guiding both our conscious and our hearts, as well as our words and deeds in doing what is right, and is in the best interest of the people - not just for what is thought to be best for the Republican few who stand to benefit.

So how do we change things? How do we separate the wheat from the tare? How do we get rid of religious hypocrisy?

We speak truth! For truth sets us free from pretense and hypocrisy, and lays a foundation that will stand the test of time and scrutiny.

When we speak truth, we will see the tare separated from the wheat, and will embrace each other regardless of individual differences or race. We also will lay aside the mean spirited rhetoric and will set examples for others to see the true manifestations of God, within our daily and political lives.

To reach the NRAAC national chair:

Jean Howard-Hill
423-702-5622 NRAAC office
nraachowardhill@gmail.com
Jean.howard.hill@gmail.com

[Dr. Jean Howard-Hill is the author of Black Eyes Shut, White Lips Sealed. She has serves as the national chair for the National Black Republican Women with her late husband, Attorney Bobby Lee Hill serving as the head of the Black Republican Men for Change from 1987 to his death in 1991. After his death up until 1993, she remained head of the organization, and in 1999 combined the two groups to form the National Republican African American Caucus.

She has taught full time and as an adjunct, American Government, State and Local Government, and International Politics and Culture of Nonwestern Countries at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, and was voted 2006 Outstanding Professor of the year. Additionally, from 1976 to 1979, she designed and directed the "Democracy In Action" Program, which was a civics program taught in the local school systems. Howard-Hill also is a local political commentator and holds a law degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville College of Law. She also is ordained clergy and heads The Healing Place Ministries International, overseeing 47 ministries throughout Africa.

She also is a TN third district congressional candidate. If elected, she would be the first African American Republican and female to be elected from the third district. Her campaign website can be found at: http://ladyjforcongress.com and http://jeanhowardhillforcongress.com; http://jeanhowardhillcampaignnews.blogspot.com; http://blogwithladyjforcongress.blogspot.com; http://jeanhowardhillforcongress.ning.com; http://www.youtube.com/JHHCongress; http://twitter.com/ JHHCongress.]

The National Republican African-American Caucus is an organization that is comprised of Spirit filled people of faith within the African American community, that works in conjunction with local, state and national party efforts to embrace, and offer African-American Republicans opportunities for inclusion and involvement in the Republican Party, and builds bridges between the African-American community and the Republican Party. In doing so, it seeks to carry out the philosophy and mission set before President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas to build a stronger and more inclusive Republican Party, where those guiding principles are more important than politics.

More information on the NRAACcan be found at:

http://www.nraacaucus.org; http://nraacaucus.ning.com [NRAAC] National Republican African American Caucus Social Issue Network (members only); http://nraac.blogspot.com [NRAAC Blog]; http://youthonthehorizons.blogspot.com [NRAAC Youth on the Horizons Blog]; http://the-twig.blogspot.com [NRAAC New Generation-New Direction Blog]; and
http://theblackolivebranch.blogspot.com [NRAAC National Chair's Blog]. Each State Caucus can be accessed by state. See related links at http://www.nraacaucus.org/index_files/Page816.htm. Also can be found on the RNC group page at http://our.gop.com/Groups/National_Republican_African-American_Caucus_NRAAC.