Sam

As this campaign goes on I am tempted to lose more and more of my religion. Does that mean I’ll darken the door of the local church/synagogue/mosque less? Well that ship sailed for me a long time ago. I learned that I can be spiritual without being religious; that I have every right to practice my personal beliefs as long as they don’t affect others in a negative way. If you, on the other hand, choose to worship at one of these institutions, more power to you; just be sure to leave me at least one glazed doughnut at Shipleys on Sunday morning.

That brings us to today’s sermon which will be presented by the Reverend Michael Stipe of REM fame . REM’s first single, Losing My Religion, written by Stipe, came out over 20 years ago. It’s a song about unrequited love, of seeking for something that isn’t really there (not unlike Clint Eastwood having a conversation with an empty chair). Losing my religion, however, has nothing to do with belief; it’s a southern term referring to losing one’s temper or civility. Stipe refers to the song as “a classic obsession pop song.” The video is marvelous.

This last week Fox and Friends played Losing My Religion as theme music when they covered the Democratic National Convention, in particular during a report about Democrats deciding whether or not to include the word “God” in their platform. REM protested the misuse of their song with Stipe stating, “We have little or no respect for their puff adder brand of reportage. Our music does not belong there.” Gotta admit, Michael still knows how to turn a phrase. Of course “Fair and Balanced” in their usual bluster refused to honor the band’s request not wanting to pass on any chance to smear the DNC. For more about Stipe and his beliefs look here.

Yesterday REM filed a ‘cease-and-desist’ order against FOX to prevent further misuse of their music. This follows a long list of groups who have tried to keep their music from being associated with hatred and bigotry. These include: Twisted Sister, Jackson Browne, Van Halen, Heart, John Mellancamp, and Rage Against the Machine (“Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello lit into Ryan, writing that ‘the only thing [Ryan] is not raging against is the privileged elite he’s groveling in front of for campaign contributions.’”). Thankfully for the GOP they’ve still got music icons Ted Nugent and Hank Williams Lesser on their side.

So yes, I’m losing my religion. I’m tired of those who think using the word “God” over and over in their platform absolves them from acting like they actually believe in He/She/It or in any form of natural law. I’m losing my religion over lies and attempts by the looters and polluters who are trying to buy this campaign for Romney. I’m losing my religion for those who change “Blessed are the poor” into “Blessed are the job creators”
I hope you’re losing your religion too, we’ve got a lot of work to do.