In a move that is sure to draw the ire of many conservatives, the Democratic National Committee has dropped all references to “God” from within its party platform.

In 2008, the platform read:

“We need a government that stands up for the hopes, values, and interests of working people, and gives everyone willing to work hard the chance to make the most of their God-given potential.”

And now CBN political correspondent David Brody reports that the DNC has re-written the paragraph as such:

“We gather to reclaim the basic bargain that built the largest middle class and the most prosperous nation on Earth – the simple principle that in America, hard work should pay off, responsibility should be rewarded, and each one of us should be able to go as far as our talent and drive take us.”

The Blaze‘s Billy Hallowell adds that the platform doesn’t mention the words “God” or “Lord” even one time, while the Republican platform mentions “God” 12 times. He also notes that the mentions of “God” in the DNC platform have decreased over the last few election cycles — 2008’s solitary mention was down from 2004’s seven mentions of “God.”

CBN does note, however, that the platform does still mention “faith” in a positive light:

“Faith has always been a central part of the American story, and it has been a driving force of progress and justice throughout our history. We know that our nation, our communities, and our lives are made vastly stronger and richer by faith and the countless acts of justice and mercy it inspires. Faith- based organizations will always be critical allies in meeting the challenges that face our nation and our world – from domestic and global poverty, to climate change and human trafficking. People of faith and religious organizations do amazing work in communities across this country and the world, and we believe in lifting up and valuing that good work, and finding ways to support it where possible.”

The committee will vote on the final platform today.

It’s unclear why the references were dropped (it might be a strange play for atheists or agnostics like me?). But it is especially odd given the fact that an overwhelming majority of Americans believe in God, and Republicans will certainly make an issue of this in order to deter those potential Democratic voters who place high value on religion.

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