Faith and politics at first official DNC event

Democrats have religion, too.

That was the message of the first official event of the 2008 Democratic National Convention on Sunday, the party's first-ever Faith in Action interfaith service.

"With all due respect to the commentators and the media, we didn't need to bring faith to the party. It was already here," said the Rev. Leah Daughtry, CEO of the convention. "Millions of people of faith have been, are, and will continue to be Democrat."

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter echoed that theme, saying "There is absolutely, in our party, a tremendous intersection of faith and politics." The Democrats also announced the party's first People of Faith Caucus, meeting this week.

Colorado Springs delegate Lynn Young was at the service for spiritual reasons, not political ones. She said she was in "that sweet, overcome space," after the rousing two-hour service. Young, who is active at the First Congregational Church in Colorado Springs, said she was touched by the effort of people of faith to come together and tackle complex issues in fellowship.

The gathering featured the music of Grammy winner Richard Smallwood, readings from the Bible, Qur'an, Torah and Sutra Nipata, and emotional sermons from four speakers, including Sister Helen Prejean, author of the book "Dead Man Walking" (later turned into a film starring Sean Penn).

The diversity of the crowd was evident from the head down — Muslim women in head scarves, some black women in fabulous hats, and Jews in yarmulkes.

But the gathering also featured the tensions that faith brings to a political party — with vocal anti-abortion Democrats on one side and atheists who objected to the service on the other.

The spirituals that began the service were interrupted three times by anti-abortion activists who shouted slogans at the top of their lungs until they were escorted out by police.

"Obama supports the murder of children by abortion!" screamed the first man, until boos drowned him out. Then the boos slowly transformed into a chant of "Yes we can" from the estimated crowd of 4,000 at the Wells Fargo Theater within the Colorado Convention Center.

The challenges also came from the pulpit, where speaker Bishop Charles E. Blake, the presiding bishop of The Church of God In Christ, said "something within us must be calling for a better way."

Then he defended his decision to be an anti-abortion Democrat: "Others loudly proclaim their advocacy for the unborn, but they refuse to recognize their responsibility, and the responsibility of our nation, to those who have been born."

"I was a little surprised," said Young of the anti-abortion message. "But the bigger picture is honoring those different perspectives, and being all together as we look at really complicated questions."