At Iowa McCain rally, pastor tries to use peer pressure — on God

John McCain had better win the November election — otherwise God will be the butt of all the other gods’ jokes. That’s the message of one Rev. Arnold Conrad who lead a prayer at McCain’s rally in Davenport, Iowa, on Saturday. “[Y]our reputation is involved in all that happens between now and November,” Conrad said “because there are millions of people around this world praying to their god — whether it’s Hindu, Buddha, Allah — that his opponent wins, for a variety of reasons. And Lord I pray that you would guard your own reputation, because they’re going to think that their god is bigger than you if that happens.” Beyond the fact that Conrad thinks he can manipulate the Creator with schoolyard taunts, there’s a problem with Conrad’s theology: neither Hindu nor Buddha are the names of gods.