Do liberals really hate God?

U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., made waves for saying on a Christian radio program that ”at the heart of liberalism, really, is a hatred for God and a belief that government should replace God.” Monday an Akin spokesman was working damage control:

Staffer Steve Taylor said the point that Akin was trying to make was that conservatives believe rights are granted by God and it is the responsibility of government to aid in protecting them. On the other hand, he said, “liberals believe rights are granted by government.”

“Congressman Akin believes those two concepts define the basic debate between the two ideologies,” said Tayler. With more time to articulate his point, Taylor said, Congressman Akin could have “provided a more artful answer.” Furthermore, Akin wasn’t talking about anyone’s individual relationship with God, Taylor said, only the “defining principles of two political ideologies.”

More from Beliefnet here.

I get Taylor’s rationalization, though it sounds a lot different than what Akin quite starkly side. I don’t buy the explanation. There is a big difference between saying American rights come from the U.S. government and completely disregarding God’s role in the universal giving of rights and responsibilities.