Will the real god please step forward?

It was the title of David Kurtz’s article on Talking Points Memo that first caught my eye: My God is Bigger Than Your God. And then I clicked on the embedded YouTube video: ¶

Arnold Conrad, the former pastor of Grace Evangelical Free Church in Davenport, says to god: ¶

“Your reputation is involved in all that happens between now and November, because there are millions of people around this world praying to their god – whether it’s Hindu, Buddha, Allah – that [John McCain's] opponent wins, for a variety of reasons. And Lord, I pray that you would guard your own reputation, because they’re going to think that their God is bigger than you, if that happens. So I pray that you would step forward and honor your own name in all that happens between now and election day.”

Some observations: ¶ According to Arnold Conrad’s standard – that his god’s reputation is involved in all that happens – Arnold Conrad’s god is already kinda screwed, regardless of the election outcome. See: September 11th, tsunami in Indonesia, Hurricane Katrina, Myanmar floods, earthquake in Sichuan Province of China, Hurricane Ike… ¶ Though I’m sure he didn’t mean to, Arnold Conrad did acknowledge the god’s of other religions. He went a step further by putting them in a position to trounce the preeminence of the Christian god should Obama win the election. ¶ As I would tell my middle school students, “…if that happens. Circle ‘that’. What does ‘that’ refer to? ‘That’ refers to ‘opponent wins.’” Arnold Conrad is accusing anyone who supports Obama of not being a Christian. Arnold Conrad is afraid he will look foolish and his god look small if his prayers aren’t answered, so he gives his god an ultimatum. Three things: Arnold Conrad already looks foolish; to be concerned about the United States’ Presidential race is a sure sign that Arnold Conrad’s god is small; and I know some Hindu and Buddhist people here in South Korea, and they are not praying to their god for an Obama win. ¶ Is it really a good idea to ask god to step forward and honor god’s own name? According to Arnold Conrad’s religion, for god to oblige such a request would be the seal and cessation of the “end times.” Does Arnold Conrad really think the world will be at end if Barack Obama is elected President? ¶ Please refer to my post on “ditching” church for more about Arnold Conrad’s and other’s religious certainty…a.k.a. lack of faith.