TFN Conference Finishes Strong (8-18-04)

Helen Thomas was a tough act to follow, but the second day of the Texas Freedom Network's Conference on Religion and the Media truly was as good as the first. There were many pleasant surprises at the forum on "How would Jesus Vote?" Evan Smith, editor of Texas Monthly Magazine, moderated the discussion.

Diane Connolly, editor of ReligionLink, spoke first and mentioned the irony that Baptists, who in the 1960's worried that Catholic politicians would be under the thumb of the Pope, are now cheering Catholic Bishops for trying to influence Catholic politicians by denying them communion.

James Moore, author of Bush's War for Reelection, admitted that he voted twice for G.W. Bush to be Governor of Texas and once to be President, but described himself now as a "politically angry man." He said Bush governed as a moderate when he was in Texas. He's angry because Bush as President is not governing as a moderate and because he did not fulfill his campaign promises to not be involved in nation building, to not send troops into harm's way without an exit strategy, and to not run up the deficit. He contended that, "If ever there was a bleeding heart liberal, it was Jesus Christ."

John Moyers, editor of TomPaine.com, quoted his good friend and mentor, James Dunn, as saying, "The media are so cowed by this (President's) Administration that you can hear them moo." He also quoted James Forbes as saying, "God will not revitalize America by a religious crusade. It will be an interfaith movement." He advised progressives to take back morality from the religious right and asserted that, "morality does not equal sexuality." He offered Micah 6:8 as the definition of morality.

Kudos again to Samantha Smoot and her team at the Texas Freedom Network. Every workshop, forum, session and speaker at the conference was top notch.