Obama was OK until he praised jesus Christ

[question everything]

is this what we want?

[Thrill]

1. Vote for who you want.

What is this 'we' crap? This isn't France

[Hoof Hearted]

14. Why France, pray tell?

No pun intended.

[Captain_Nemo]

I certainly don't want him naming a Supreme Court Justice.

[Captain_Nemo]

2. I certainly don't want him naming a Supreme Court Justice.

[Renew Deal]

3. When did he say that?

:shrug:

[question everything]

11. Toward the end, stating first that he is a Christian

and ended with Jesus Christ.

I am sure someone can find the video or the transcript some place

[Renew Deal]

15. I heard the Christian bit

I don't remember hearing JC get thrown into it. Obama gets a pass on it for one reason. He's been attacked as not being Christian.

[question everything]

37. The transcript

posted below

And as somebody who believes deeply in the precepts of Jesus Christ, particularly treating the least of these in a way that he would, that it is important for us to not concede that ground. Because I think we can go after those folks and get them.


http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/21/debate.transcript3/index.html

[iconocrastic]

61. Praising Jesus Christ? Now that's a scandal!

We're for Satan here.

Sacrilege.

[robbedvoter]

4. Saying "we didn't have a majority in 2000, 2004" didn't do him any favors either

Bush STOLE those, Barak!

[THUNDER HANDS]

5. was he responding to Hillary at the time, as in 'Oh Jesus, here you go again'?

[question everything]

21. The transcript

You know, I am a proud Christian. And the...

think there have been times -- there have been times where our Democratic Party did not reach out as aggressively as we could to evangelicals, for example, because the assumption was, well, they don't agree with us on choice, or they don't agree with us on gay rights, and so we just shouldn't show up. And when you don't show up, if you're not going to church, then you're not talking to church folk. And that means that people have a very right-wing perspective in terms of what faith means and of defining our faith.

And as somebody who believes deeply in the precepts of Jesus Christ, particularly treating the least of these in a way that he would, that it is important for us to not concede that ground. Because I think we can go after those folks and get them.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/21/debate.transcript3/index.html

That sounded very pandering.

[rox63]

54. If someone questioned Hillary about her religion

I'm sure she'd say she was a Christan as well.

[immoderate]

70. I'll put my Atheist's Secret Decoder Badge on the line, and at the risk of excommunication...

I'll say that this is probably good politics. He has to attract Christians. He will probably already get most freethinkers against any Republican.

Personally, I find all expressions of religious faith a little creepy, but if Obama gets the nom, I'll vote for him. He's not my primary choice though.

--IMM

[angie_love]

6. say what?

Um whats so wrong with praising Jesus? I only heard him say he was christian, how was that praising Jesus?

[Bodhi BloodWave]

9. This place has a rather strong anti-religious presence i think

so just saying something like that is considered to be very bad

[Cha]

25. I'm not a Christian and I

don't like the hypocricy of so-called christians but Obama acts like he's into Peace and that's all I fucking require.

[Radical Activist]

7. Yeah, that Jesus guy is real unpopular. Better be careful about that.

[Unsane]

8. Wow, he references Christ as an example of taking care of the least among us.

You found objection with THAT???? :crazy:

[avaistheone1]

18. Does that mean Obama is saying he is Jesus now?

It is best to keep religion out of politics, and politics out of religion.

Obama looks weak and like he is pandering when he does this. It is shameful.

[Bonobo]

10. Half the country thinks he's a muslim. He had to. nt

[Countdown_3_2_1]

16. BINGO. Thats the reason he did it. Cut the guy some slack.

Mention God, and some people get all threatened.

[Auntie Bush]

71. It politics pure and simple and he had to defend the crap about him being

Muslim. Yes, give him some slack! That's what this whole primary needs. Some slack for everyone.
We as a party need to completely change course and attitude or we are going to bite ourselves in the butt and give this election to the damn Rethugs!

[thoughtcrime1984]

17. Bingo! NOT MUSLIM

He has to shout it from the rooftops because of the negative connotation that the untrue Muslim emails have brought up. I'm not saying I have a problem with that religion, but it is a fact that many people won't vote for him simply because they perceive that he is Muslim!

[question everything]

24. He could have been more subtle

Probably was OK for the SC crowd, but for viewers at home it sounded very much pandering.

I posted the transcript, above. I understood it when he said that he was a Proud Christian, but when he went on and on about embracing the evangelicals and ended with Jesus Christ and, truthfully, I did not bother to listen to the complete sentence, it sounded gratuitous.

What bothers me about reaching for the evangelicals is that it is bound to be a one way. They will not compromise on anything, they will not try to meet us half way, or even a third of the way. They are the "value voters."

Well, I am a value voter. My values are an open society that respects others' opinions and privacy, where no one, especially a leader, claims to get his/her marching orders from his/her god.

My values are that taking care of the poor and the sick and the elderly is more important than helping millionaires keep their spoils.

My values are to be ashamed that so many CEOs make millions while their employees can barely make ends meet.

[avaistheone1]

36. Couldn't have said this any better myself.

Kudos to you.

[question everything]

40. Thank you for your kind words (nt)

[Kat45]

42. Not all evangelicals are wingnuts.

We hear about that group because they're the loud ones. But there are people, and entire churches, who call themselves evangelical but listen more to Jesus' words and act like one would expect real Christians to act (unlike the wingnuts). I contend that THOSE are the evangelicals being reached out to with talk about religion. Many of these people will then stop and listen to a Dem who claims his Christianity, and then realize that the Dems are the party whose policies are more in line with their beliefs.

[Virginia Dare]

48. So he plays the "I'm a Christian and I can prove it" game..

that Mittsy played? He's going to lose that pissing contest. Not impressed..:thumbsdown: I'm trying very hard to like Obama, but this aspect of his campaign completely turns me off.

[MadBadger]

12. STOP questioning Evvvvverrrrything.

[sandnsea]

Hillary is saying he supports Farrakhan

so yeah, he kind of did have to make it clear he is a Christian.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

19. link !

[question everything]

26. Here

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/21/debate.transcript3/index.html

And I posted the transcript, above.

[CyberPieHole]

22. No. Obama's mentor is Jeremiah Wright who praises and loves Farrakhan...

Obama belongs to a church that had Farrakhan on the cover of their church magazine as their hero. Farrakhan is a disgusting asshole and anyone who is involved in his anti~semitic filth deserves to be exposed. Obama is pandering to homophobic bigots and now he is pandering to the reagan worshipers as well. Good luck to him in securing their vote, but he'll need the vote from Democratic women and the Latino vote to get the nomination and, thus far, he doesn't seem to be getting through to them.

[Bluestar]

43. Hear, hear

I am so sick of Obama running from his roots. The more I learn about him, the more he scares me. He is so right wing it is ridiculous.

[NYCGirl]

51. What roots are you referring to? NT

[Bluestar]

66. A poor choice of words--should have said "his past". n/t

[rox63]

55. You don't have to agree with everything the pastor says to attend a church

:eyes:
If you did, most churches in this country would be empty.

[CyberPieHole]

81. Obama has called Wright his "MENTOR" and used the quote "The Audacity of Hope"...

from one of Jeremiah Wright's SERMONS. Obama prayed with Wright on the eve of his decision to run for president. Will he be praying with Wright before choosing a nominee for the U.S. Supreme court? Wright heaps praise on Louis Farrakhan who is a racist anti~semite asshole. How anyone can think that voting for Obama won't get us years of the same shit we have dealt with with bush is beyond comprehension.

Do you call your pastor your "MENTOR"?:eyes:

[Cha]

31. That's not all hilary and

the hilarys are trying to do to him. What was that about hilary bringing up sexshops?

[The_Casual_Observer]

13. It's a bush ploy.

Whenever the chips are down, make a reference to Jesus. the guy is beginning to really act like a turkey.

[ursi]

20. that was for Hillary and the GOP liars who like to bring up his middle name

[CyberPieHole]

23. His middle name is not HUSSEIN? Is that a lie?

:shrug:

[Kucinich4America]

29. What's it to you anyway?

I'm not even an Obama supporter, but I find your posts to be the most ridiculous of ALL the Hillbots.

Maybe it's because YOU DON'T EVEN LIVE IN THIS FUCKING COUNTRY, SO WHY DO YOU GET A SAY IN WHO OUR PRESIDENT IS??

[CyberPieHole]

33. Because I am an American citizen, born and bred in the U.S...

I have never even noted your existence...I guess kinda like the effect Kucinich has had on the race.:evilgrin:

So, yeah, since I vote and continue to be an American, I GET TO HAVE A FUCKING SAY IN WHO OUR PRESIDENT IS. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT GO POUND SAND.

*reaches for the iggy button*

[rox63]

56. How is a person's middle name relevant to whether they would be a good president?

The only reason to even bring it up is to push the "Muslim" lie.

[Cha]

27. Precisely...tell them to put that

in their pipe and inhale.

[CyberPieHole]

35. I don't think Obama admitted to smoking crack...he said he snorted cocaine...

and he smoked pot...there is a difference.

[Cha]

39. billandhilary are so fulla shit they

have to waddle.

[Radical Activist]

30. Yeah, he really does have to say it.

I've had people seriously ask about his being Muslim. People who should really know better to begin with.

[peoli]

28. Hillary Clinton and John Edwards are Christians too. So is MLK and most of the country.

Do you hate all these people as well?

[question everything]

41. Right, and they don't feel the need to proclaim this in a nationally

televised debate.

And.. if you read the transcript that I posted, above, you will also read about his desire to embrace the evangelicals. As if they will embrace him back, not unless he shed any Democratic stands like... keeping god out of politics.

[VarnettaTuckpocket]

46. He's already shed keeping god out of politics

"I'm a Christian. And so, although I try not to have my religious beliefs dominate or determine my political views on this issue, I do believe that tradition, and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman."

http://pilgrimsole.blogspot.com/2007/12/god-is-still-speaking.html

[question everything]

78. Thank you for the link. Fascinating reading

Senator Obama... is a Congregationalist. He belongs to the UCC... He belongs to a church that made a nationwide effort to support the rights of homosexuals to marry. Not only does the UCC encourage same-sex marriage within their church, but they have issued actual literature that encourages legalizing same-sex marriage at the federal level.

Unlike many people, Senator Obama didn't stumble into just any church that would take him. He searched and pondered. He chose... This is reprehensible. Disagree with the legal platform if you must, Senator, but don't blame your endorsement of discrimination on the Jesus Christ my family worships. Shame on you.

[rox63]

58. He's being smeared with a lie that he's terrorist-loving Muslim extremist

That's the only reason he has to keep bringing up his religion. Because others are spreading lies about it.

[onenote]

62. Really. Cause this transcript says otherwise.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0706/04/sitroom.03.html

[question everything]

80. There is a differnce between discussing faith specifically

on a one-on-one discussion, as Soledad did, and injecting it in a debate.

Viewers expect different responses.

[Samantha]

32. I think he feels forced to keep saying this to offset that email

stating he is a Muslim. What else can he do?

He didn't constantly make religious references until recently, and that's why I think he's doing it.

[PassingFair]

34. Duh.

My mother told me that Obama was a MUSLIM.
She heard it at her knitting group, so it
must be true. (His middle name is HUSSEIN!!1!!)

I had to assure her that he was "Christian".

I'm an atheist.

How well do you think this sits with ME?

I give him a pass THIS time.

He should jettison the homophobes out there stumping
for him, though. No excuse for that.....

[CyberPieHole]

38. To quote Shakespeare: "The lady, methinks, doth protest TOO much."

This could apply here.

[and-justice-for-all]

44. No preachers for President. nt

[Occam Bandage]

45. I can't imagine the horrors that could be caused by electing a Christian as President.

After our string of 43 secular humanists and atheists, I worry about what a theist might do.

[question everything]

47. You cannot? Look at the past 7 years!

This is how Bush ran, as Jesus sitting on his shoulder, whispering in his ears, telling him that it was his destiny to be the President. For all I know he told him to invade Iraq to, as Coulter suggested, convert them all to Christianity.

[Occam Bandage]

49. And look at the 200 years before that. Every President has been Christian,

with the exception of a few early Deists.

[Virginia Dare]

52. It's an unspoken prerequisite now..

and that's wrong. Obama continues to play the game on religion while breaking down the door of race. It's disappointing.

[onenote]

59. which candidate doesn't "play the game" on religion?

[Virginia Dare]

74. Obama seems quite a bit more up front about it..

this is my OPINION, from my observations. I'm sure somebody could send me 1,000 links about what Hillary did or Edwards did, but I think Obama is being reactionary about religion, and that aspect of his campaign turns me off.

That's a major reason why he is not my #1 choice.

[onenote]

77. I suggest you read this speech from Clinton

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/speech/view/?id=1362

Frankly, its sounds like religious pandering to me.

But I'm okay with it. I will have no trouble supporting HRC, Obama or Edwards, notwithstanding anything they have said about the role of faith in their lives (and they all have said such things).

[Virginia Dare]

50. I've got no problem with a Christian as President..

I've got a problem with mixing governing and theology.

[Little Star]

60. I have a problem with wearing religion on your sleeve. Plus

what you said! As far as I can tell his church is not in the mainstream either.
http://www.tucc.org/about.htm

Trinity United Church
10-point Vision:

A congregation committed to ADORATION.
A congregation preaching SALVATION.
A congregation actively seeking RECONCILIATION.
A congregation with a non-negotiable COMMITMENT TO AFRICA.
A congregation committed to BIBLICAL EDUCATION.
A congregation committed to CULTURAL EDUCATION.
A congregation committed to the HISTORICAL EDUCATION OF AFRICAN PEOPLE IN DIASPORA.
A congregation committed to LIBERATION.
A congregation committed to RESTORATION.
A congregation working towards ECONOMIC PARITY.

[onenote]

63. those are awful values for a church to have. just awful

:sarcasm:

[mckeown1128]

69. did you get that info from Sean Hannity...

because I could swear he mentions it every night on fox. EVERY NIGHT. stop repeating GOP talking points.

[question everything]

82. And, apparently, encourages same sex marriage

http://pilgrimsole.blogspot.com/2007/12/god-is-still-speaking.html

[Scriptor Ignotus]

53. you name a major, viable candidate that hasn't done so

in the past fifty years. Shit, past two hundred years. Go ahead. Find one. Link it on here. Prove me wrong.

[robbedvoter]

57. Separation of church and state - remember that?

[SoxFan]

64. Free Excercise

That ring a bell?

[Occam Bandage]

65. "Freedom of religion doesn't mean freedom from religion."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4158424&mesg_id=4158424

[mondo joe]

67. OK with whom? He was okay with me until he started kissing anti-gay-bigot asses.

Just sayin'.

[question everything]

83. I was talking about the debate, sorry.

Did you read this?

http://pilgrimsole.blogspot.com/2007/12/god-is-still-speaking.html

[bidenista]

68. good grief

If he wants to praise Jesus Christ, let him. All of our candidates are Christian, so I'm guessing that all of them have praised Jesus Christ at some point.

[Mz Pip]

72. Haven't seen any

declared atheists running for POTUS so if you don't want someone who is a Christian then I guess you'll be staying home.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[jab105]

73. Politically, he had to, because he has been successfully

labeled a Muslim out to get America to many many people...

He had to make that distinction...

They are all CHristian, he just neeeds to stress it more because of the misinformation campaign...

[saltpoint]

75. As a point of reference, and this is a political observation, Jesus was ok until

he decided to take on the Roman Empire's local authorities with 12 guys and a prostitute.

Yes, people, I'm aware Mary Magdalen may not have been a prostitute and that there's no evidence to demonstrate that she was, but just then same, there's no evidence that Jesus even existed, so humor me the arithmetic of 1 principled Jewish scholar versus the might and breadth of Rome.

All this went down long before the United States, let alone our presidential candidates this cycle, existed.

Senator Obama is permitted, except perhaps on DU, to invoke any figures from the historical debate he wishes. Senator Clinton may invoke Eleanor Roosevelt. Senator Edwards may invoke Dr. King or RFK. John Kerry may invoke Benjamin Franklin.

[themaguffin]

76. Yes.

[BeyondGeography]

79. He was OK with me until I heard he was a Muslim

Out, out scary avatar!