Creative Minority Report on Gov. Bobby Jindal: "The Purpose-Driven Governor"

Creative Minority Report highlights an interview that Catholic Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal did with conservative columnist Cal Thomas:

THOMAS: Faith?

JINDAL: I read Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life right after I lost my first election in 2003, and one of the main lessons I got out of that was keeping the eternal perspective. If we truly believe what we read in the Bible and hear in our churches there are a lot of things we worry about in life that aren't that important from an eternal perspective. There are things more important than winning the next election [NOTE: Jindal's next election is in 2011, and he says he's running.] You realize you're not indispensable. The world can continue whether you are in or out of office, whether your party is in the majority or not. At the end of the day, we are not in control of everything. If you don't have that perspective, it can mean elected officials taking shortcuts to an end that justified the means.

If you don't have that perspective you can say it's OK to attack another person's character and engage in mudslinging. In 2003 we were criticized for refusing to go negative. I was asked, “You obviously regret that choice.” Absolutely not. How do you go home and tell your children, “Don't worry about what Daddy is doing, just listen to what I say.” But if we really believe from this eternal perspective that there are things more important than winning the next election or having money ... it really doesn't matter whose name is on the statue [because] that has no lasting meaning. This perspective should change the way you conduct yourself, whether it's politics, or business. And it should. None of us is perfect, but you have to strive toward that.

Second, viewing the sanctity of life, I believe the reason people are valuable is that they are created in the image of God and there's a dignity there. And that leads me to believe people should have access to health care, not because of policy reasons, but because they're valuable because we are created by God in His image.

[More]

Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Jindal Excites GOP As a Possible Running Mate

Bobby Jindal: Inklings of a New (True) Champion of the Right

Kristol Touts Jindal as McCain's Veep [UPDATED]

Bobby Jindal's National Prospects

Louisiana, The Media, and the Katrina Blame Game

Bobby Jindal - Catholic Convert and Son of Indian Immigrants - Wins Louisiana Governor's Race

Michael Denton's First Newspaper Column

A Strange Way to Woo Religious Voters

Louisiana Democrat "Know-Nothings" Attack Jindal

Dems Go After Jindal's Catholicism & Ethnicity