Thought Theater

When I first saw the following video by Focus on the Family's Stuart Shepard...a video in which he suggests people of faith should pray for it to rain (in Biblical proportions) at the moment Barack Obama is scheduled to accept his party's nomination...it struck me as a example of the sheltered and sophomoric mind set that so often emanates from the religious right. Ever emboldened by their beliefs and an unexplored ration of righteous indignation, they frequently invoke God to administer punishment upon those they judge.

Were life only as simple as Shepard wants the faithful to believe it is. Apparently the powers that be at Focus on the Family think its more important to pray for political high jinks than to focus on those who are being challenged by a weak economy, a lack of healthcare, and persistent poverty...to name a few.

The fact that Shepard has time to play such games with his camera suggests that the employees of FOF live in an idyllic world built upon the backs of the hard working families who shell out huge sums of money to fund the organization. I guess if I were Shepard, and God had already answered my prayers for unearned enrichment, I might think the good lord is apt to grant any wish that happens to strike my fancy.

I doubt Shepard expected his little video to garner him Keith Olbermann's designation as worst person in the world. Maybe Stuart can ask the faithful to pray for Keith to be stricken mute. Then again, maybe Shepard wants to be known as FOF's evangelical version of Mad TV's petulant and persnickety school boy...Stuart. Perhaps he should ask James Dobson for some pointers on perfecting that persona?