Howard Dean told the Boston Globe about how Jesus is a role model for him, and how he will start to talk about it now that it is time to start campaigning in the south.

He acknowledged that he was raised in the "Northeast" tradition of not discussing religious beliefs in public, and said he held back in New Hampshire, where that is the practice. But in other areas, such as the South, he said, he would discuss his beliefs more openly.

He figures that those Southern bumpkins with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks like to hear the God-talk, so he had better start talking.

The Globe says that Dean described himself "as a committed believer in Jesus Christ." But then it describes what that means in these practical terms.

• Dean’s mother was Catholic, but he was raised Episcopalian.
• Although he learned he could get strength from religion, their family did not read the Bible.
• As an adult, he left the Episcopalian Church not because of doctrinal reasons, but because the church he was attending opposed a public bicycle path running across the church property. He felt "it was hypocritical of me to be a member of such an institution."
• After leaving the Episcopalian Church, he joined the Congregationalist Church, again not for doctrinal reasons, but because according to Dean, in that denomination "there is no centralized — almost no centralized authority structure — and I like that."
• He married a Jewish woman who did not convert to Christianity because "both felt strongly about their respective religions." They did consider both becoming Unitarians as a middle ground between Christianity and Judaism, but then decided that "our religions mattered enough that we didn’t really want to change."
• They allowed their children to pick whether they wanted to be Christian or Jewish, and both children chose to follow Judaism.
• To this day, he doesn’t attend church very often. But he does pray every day.
• Dean explained that Jesus is an important role model for him. He said, "Christ was someone who sought out people who were disenfranchised, people who were left behind. He fought against self-righteousness of people who had everything . . . He was a person who set an extraordinary example that has lasted 2000 years, which is pretty inspiring when you think about it."

To sum up: Dean believes religion his religion is important, but it didn’t rise to the level of influencing his choice of wife. It isn’t important enough that he raised his children to believe it to be the truth and the only way of salvation. But perhaps that isn’t surprising because the Christianity he described is nothing more than walking In His Steps, so to speak. It is not a matter of truth and salvation. It is simply being nice to other people and allowing public bike paths.

The article also notes that Dean has already spoken to a black South Carolina church, and that he spoke "in a rhythmic tone notably different from his usual stampede through policy points." I’ve heard audio tapes of Al Gore speaking in black churches, and he would do the same thing, mimicking the black preachers. But strangely, the congregations seem to enjoy it and don’t see it as pandering. I’ve always thought that if a Republican would do the same thing, they would be accused of being racists and pandering for the black vote. But I digress.

But in its own way, this is pandering to the Southern Christian voter. Dean has made a political calculation that he needs to win in the South to become president. And to win in the South, he needs to talk about his Christianity. But in his talking, he reveals how little he believes, how little truth and doctrine mean to him, and how inconsequential things are deciding factors for him in where and how he worships. It is not a matter of heaven or hell. It is just one option among many equally valid options. In other words, in talking about his Christianity, he reveals that he is no Christian.