God’s 52% Approval Rating

God’s 52% Approval Rating | American Catholic Blog HomeAboutContact UsDonateShopWho We AreChurchEntertainmentFamilyFranciscanInspirationJusticeMediaPeopleSaintsSpiritualityThe ArtsTravel God’s 52% Approval RatingPosted by Katie Carroll on Aug 12, 2011 in Church, Entertainment, Featured, Media | View Comments

Friend of the Blog Fr. Jim Martin is “chaplain” to Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report. Despite my admiration of  Fr. Jim and appreciation for Stephen Colbert, I’ve long been troubled that Colbert didn’t even consider a Franciscan as his show’s spiritual advisor. (If you’re reading, Mr. Colbert, the only truly American way to settle this is by letting one of our brownrobes go toe-to-toe with Fr. Jim— ”Stephen Colbert presents: Catholic Throwdown: Steel-cage After-death Match Edition: May the best charism win!”)

Until that great day, I try not to miss a Jim Martin appearance. On Wednesday, he was in rare form. I was delighted by his deft handling of some tough questions. Here’s a taste:

Q: Can we judge God?

A. No.

Full marks to you, noble Jesuit!

But the lead-in to Fr. Jim’s appearance was a stunner. The first bit of bad news is that we Catholics could learn a thing or two from the Mormons when it comes to promoting our “optics.” Just let that sink in for a moment: The Mormons make us look boring. The worse news is that even a slick ad campaign might not do the trick: We Americans are apparently quite demanding.

For example, a recent poll concluded that just 52% of Americans approve of the job God is doing. While that scorches Congress’s current 14% approval rating, it’s still pretty dismal, even by public school standards. Take a gander:

The Colbert ReportMon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30cYahweh or No Way? – Mormons & God’s Poll Numberswww.colbertnation.comColbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical Humor & Satire BlogVideo Archive

[Strong language warning: If you are an observant Orthodox Jew, this is NSFS (not safe for the synagogue)]

What do you think? Is the Almighty truly a “gaffe machine”? Is it OK to bring our fears, failings, and even criticism to prayer? And, of what percentage of Americans do you think God approves?

Photo by Christopher Hall, stockfreeimages.com.

   About the AuthorKatie Carroll Kathleen M. Carroll is the managing editor for the book department at St. Anthony Messenger Press. She loves reading, gardening, animals, babies, baby animals, and extreme recycling. She is the stay-away-from-home mother to four really good-looking children. And no, she will not read your manuscript.     Mckendzia

Haha; what approval rating would God give us? Priceless.
Martin did a great job as God’s press secretary for the day. Simple, balanced, and to the point. He may not be a brown robe, but he knows how to handle the media.  

Christopher Heffron

Another great blog, Katie!

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