Dowd Trashes Religion

Maureen Dowd was once one of the wittiest liberal columnists out there. But at some point during the last few years, her wry humor became disturbingly caustic and her current columns often reek of cynicism and paranoia. Take today’s offering where Dowd comments on the political freefall of Tom Delay.

The column is a fine undressing of the ultra-shady Delay until the very end where she references the column former Republican Senator John Danforth wrote chastising his own party. For some reason, Dowd decided to end her column with this:

When the Rev. Danforth, an Episcopal minister who prayed with Clarence Thomas when he was under attack by Anita Hill, says the party has gone too far, it's way over the edge.

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Dowd uses Danforth’s religion to demean the former Senator. But exactly when did being an Episcopal priest become a disreputable profession? Sure, Danforth’s support of Clarence Thomas is fair game for criticism, but that fact seems secondary to “minister” and “prayed” which Dowd wields condescendingly as if they proved Danforth to be a far-right crazy.

If liberals like Dowd want to know why they are perceived as being out of touch with American values, maybe it’s because they are. If Dowd doesn’t want to practice a religion, that’s certainly her right. But by openly sneering at a man just because he is religious, she’s not going to convince anyone that liberals are in-touch with America.