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  1. #1
    I can live with it JoeChalupa's Avatar
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    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/23510.html

    He’s done it while talking about abortion and the Middle East, even the economy. The references serve at once as an affirmation of his faith and a rebuke against a rumor that persists for some to this day.

    As president, Barack Obama has mentioned Jesus Christ in a number of high-profile public speeches — something his predecessor George W. Bush rarely did in such settings, even though Bush’s Christian faith was at the core of his political iden y.

    In his speech Thursday in Cairo, Obama told the crowd that he is a Christian and mentioned the Islamic story of Isra, in which Moses, Jesus and Mohammed joined in prayer

    At the University of Notre Dame on May 17, Obama talked about the good works he’d seen done by Christian community groups in Chicago. “I found myself drawn — not just to work with the church but to be in the church,” Obama said. “It was through this service that I was brought to Christ.”

    And a month before that, Obama mentioned Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount at Georgetown University to make the case for his economic policies. Obama retold the story of two men, one who built his house on a pile of sand and the other who built his on a rock: “We cannot rebuild this economy on the same pile of sand,” Obama said. “We must build our house upon a rock.”

    More than four months into the Obama presidency, a picture is emerging of a chief executive who is comfortable with public displays of his religion — although he has also paid tribute to other faiths and those he called “nonbelievers” during his inaugural address.

    Obama’s invocation of the Christian Messiah is more overt than Americans heard in the public rhetoric of Bush in his time in the White House — even though Bush’s victories were powered in part by evangelical voters.

    “I don’t recall a single example of Bush as president ever saying, ‘Jesus’ or ‘Christ,’” said Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Christian group Family Research Council. “This is different.”

    To Perkins, Obama’s overtly Christian rhetoric is a welcome development from an administration that he largely disagrees with on the issues, though Perkins sees a political motive behind it, as well.

    “I applaud that. It gives people a sense of comfort,” Perkins said. “But I think it’s a veneer, a facade that covers over a lot of policies that are anti-Christian.” That includes, in his view, Obama’s stance in favor of abortion rights.


    Good for him.

  2. #2
    Orange Whip? Orange Whip? Viva Las Espuelas's Avatar
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    ......and your point is..............................

  3. #3
    dangerous floater Winehole23's Avatar
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    The last eight years of officials clowning for the religious right might have gotten us used to it. Maybe not.

    All the religious cooing is really in bad taste IMO, but it's still a commonplace of retail politics. I don't really expect that to change much.

  4. #4
    I can live with it JoeChalupa's Avatar
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    ......and your point is..............................
    That Barack Obama invokes Jesus into his speeches more than Bush did. All that whining about how President Obama wouldn't talk about his religion was for naught.

    That is all.

  5. #5
    Alleged Michigander ChumpDumper's Avatar
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    But he's an Arab Muslim!

    An Israeli woman said so!

  6. #6
    Orange Whip? Orange Whip? Viva Las Espuelas's Avatar
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    That Barack Obama invokes Jesus into his speeches more than Bush did. All that whining about how President Obama wouldn't talk about his religion was for naught.

    That is all.
    i thought religion was something everyone wants to get away from. people bash the religious right yet write this about obama. classic. i wonder what percentage of people that voted and support obama are actually believers. both sides playing the middle. laughable.

  7. #7
    These aren't the droids you're looking for jman3000's Avatar
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    I wish Obama was an atheist. I have my doubts that he's a true believer anyway. You shouldn't have to pander to a religion in order to get votes.

  8. #8
    Alleged Michigander ChumpDumper's Avatar
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    i thought religion was something everyone wants to get away from.
    Not religion itself -- religion in government.

    At least he wasn't stupid enough to say the US military was fighting a crusade in the middle east.

  9. #9
    Orange Whip? Orange Whip? Viva Las Espuelas's Avatar
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    Not religion itself -- religion in government.

    At least he wasn't stupid enough to say the US military was fighting a crusade in the middle east.
    at least someone fought instead of just talking.

  10. #10
    I can live with it JoeChalupa's Avatar
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    at least someone fought instead of just talking.
    Pssst....we are still fighting.

  11. #11
    Veteran DarrinS's Avatar
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    Not religion itself -- religion in government.

    At least he wasn't stupid enough to say the US military was fighting a crusade in the middle east.




    Last night when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far. And so in this poignant hour I ask you to join with me in prayer.

    Almighty God, our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our republic our religion and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity. Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith. They will need Thy blessings their road will be long and hard, for the enemy is strong he may hurl back our forces success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again. And we know that by Thy grace and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.

    They will be sore tried by night and by day, without rest until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame, men's souls will be shaken with the violence's of war. For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest, they fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate, they fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home. Some will never return, embrace these, Father, and receive them Thy heroic servants into thy kingdom.

    And for us at home, fathers, mothers, children, wives sisters and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them. Help us, almighty God, to rededicate ourselves with renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.

    Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long, and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts. Give us strength too, strength in our daily task, redouble the contributions we make in the physical and material support of our armed forces. And let our harts be stout, to wait out the long travail, forbear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons where so ever they may be.

    And, oh Lord, give us faith; give us faith in Thee, faith in our sons, faith in each other, faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impact of temporary events, of temporal matters, of fleeting moments, let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.

    With Thy blessing we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to a saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace. A peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men, and a peace which will let all men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.

    Thy will be done, almighty God. Amen.


  12. #12
    Orange Whip? Orange Whip? Viva Las Espuelas's Avatar
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    Pssst....we are still fighting.
    pssssst.....we were already there lonnnnnnng before 12009


    pssssst.......north korea
    psssssst. .......pakistan
    psssssst..........iran
    chatter chatter chatter

  13. #13
    Veteran DarrinS's Avatar
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    When did it become such a negative thing to be a religious person?

    Just curious.

  14. #14
    Alleged Michigander ChumpDumper's Avatar
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    Was FDR talking about a war specifically in the middle east against Muslims?

    No he was not.

  15. #15
    Cogito Ergo Sum LnGrrrR's Avatar
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    DarrinS,

    We were fighting Nazis back then... the best enemies ever. It's different.

    Honestly, I really don't care if someone is religious and looks at our war with that mindset, as long as they're not sending us over there for THAT reason.

    I don't think it's negative to be religious; I just think it's negative to use religious reasons alone to try to make policy. If you can persuade me with a useful reason, great, I don't care if there are also religious overtones. (ie. saying that you disagree with abortion due to religious reasons, but also using moral reasons to argue is 100% acceptable to me. Trying to tell me abortions are unacceptable because God says so does nothing for me.)
    Last edited by LnGrrrR; 06-09-2009 at 02:44 PM.

  16. #16
    dangerous floater Winehole23's Avatar
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    "it's bad form to wash your clean linen in public."

  17. #17
    Veteran
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    "negative thing to be a religious person"

    when "Religious" people impose, intolerantly, their morals and fantasies into Caesar's realm, and into purposely secular/non-denominational areas.

  18. #18
    They hate us - but they want to be us!
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    Obama is no more a christian than Osama - he invokes religion when it serves his purpose and to gain approval. It's all a calculated facade.

  19. #19
    Veteran DarrinS's Avatar
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    I don't think it's negative to be religious; I just think it's negative to use religious reasons alone to try to make policy. If you can persuade me with a useful reason, great,

    I'll give you a good example: Christian evangelical abolitionist movement of the 1800's.

  20. #20
    dangerous floater Winehole23's Avatar
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    Obama is no more a christian than Osama - he invokes religion when it serves his purpose and to gain approval. It's all a calculated facade.
    How uncharitable. He's like Osama to you?

    Pobrecita!

  21. #21
    Veteran DarrinS's Avatar
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    I never have anything useful to add.
    ok

  22. #22
    Alleged Michigander ChumpDumper's Avatar
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    You actually think you add anything?


  23. #23
    Veteran DarrinS's Avatar
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    Having faith in a higher power, supreme being, creator, etc. is no crazier than worshiping a teleprompter quoting community organizer than hasn't accomplished jack squat as POTUS. Just saying.

  24. #24
    Veteran DarrinS's Avatar
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    You actually think you add anything?

    Good example.

  25. #25
    Cogito Ergo Sum LnGrrrR's Avatar
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    I'll give you a good example: Christian evangelical abolitionist movement of the 1800's.
    So, you're telling me there aren't good non-religious reasons to support abolition?

    Again, I don't care if people support something from a religious mindset. I don't even care if they support something ONLY due to a religious mindset, as long as they can provide good non-religious reasons to support their cause.

    In the case of abolition, there were obviously moral arguments to be made that were independent of God.

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