Barack tops the God-O-Meter

[boston bean]

Obama Stops By Another Evangelical ChurchBarack Obama spoke this morning at the Harvest Cathedral, an evangelical church in Macon, Georgia. You can read a spirited local debate about his appearance here. In God-o-Meter's humble opinion, it's these kinds of appearances, matched with Hillary Clinton's reluctance to appear as frequently before evangelical audiences or to talk to the evangelical press, that helps explain why Obama trounced her among frequent churchgoers in yesterday's South Carolina primary.


http://blog.beliefnet.com/godometer/

[Occam Bandage]

1. "We are attempting to inject faith into policy."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4158307

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3. Imagine that coming from someone like Huckabe. It is just as scary coming from Obama.

I want no part of someone on a mission to inject US policy with religion. None.

Makes me think the government should be protected from people like that, not handed to them.

[Occam Bandage]

6. Actually, that's a quote from Clinton. Click the link.

Still just as "scary?" Think the government needs to be protected from her?

[Unsane]

15. LMAO SNAP

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29. NOT a quote from Hillary. She uses similar words to describe Obama, not herself. Next..

sheesh, twist her words and then make up a quote - unless you have another link to that quote - :shrug: -

[Occam Bandage]

36. Here's one for a full quote.

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=40423

Challenged over the country’s “narrow and excessive individualism” and asked about the need for sacrifice and restraint, Mrs Clinton said: “I think you can sense how we are attempting to inject faith into policy and also to elicit from people a sense of our common humanity.

[thunder rising]

8. Imagine that the actual speech is read and that context is added...but then that's not your agenda

[Occam Bandage]

11. I'm sure now that they know it's Clinton, they'll be eager to find the context.

[MADem]

20. It's ALL disgusting. It's pandering. Horrible.

Clinton AND Obama. I haven't looked at the Edwards God o Meter yet...I can only take so much.

This is bullshit:

Obama stressed he's a Christian who was baptized as an adult, prays daily, and has a close relationship with Jesus. To wit:

The prayer that I tell myself every night is a fairly simple one: I ask in the name of Jesus Christ that my sins are forgiven, that my family is protected and that I am an instrument of God's will. I'm constantly trying to align myself to what I think he calls on me to do. And sometimes you hear it strongly and sometimes that voice is more muted.
God-o-Meter was surprised to hear Obama take that further by saying he applies Christian, or Judeo-Christian--tactics to the rough and tumble of presidential campaigning:

In terms of on the political trail, I don't find it challenging to be respectful and courteous to people, including my political opponents. You know, the Golden Rule still applies in politics.
I do think that being a Christian doesn't mean that you're passive or that you aren't going to confront injustice. What I think is important, though, and is important not just for me, but also for my team—I'm trying to always reinforce this within the culture of our organization, and I'm not always perfectly successful—is to at least be scrupulous and honest in how we present our disagreements with other people.

I try to measure whether what I'm saying is fair by seeing how I would feel if I was at the receiving end of it. And, you know, there are a number of people—there have been a number of times where I've been criticized during the course of this campaign. And I say to myself, “Well, that's a fair criticism in the sense that I may disagree with the criticism, but it's substantive and there's a legitimate difference of opinion.”

There are other times where I feel as if people are just distorting what I say to score cheap political points. And that gets you frustrated or weary or occasionally angry. And so, I try not to do that to other people.

Does this strike anyone else as sanctimonious? What stood out most to God-o-Meter, though was the Illinois Senator making the case that his exposure to Islam--by way of his Kenyan father's side of the family and his years in Indonesia as a child--made him better suited to engage the Islamic world and possibly make us safer.

[Occam Bandage]

21. And everyone does it. It's unfortunate, I suppose, but it doesn't really bother me.

I guess I'm not offended by candidates stressing aspects of their lives to receptive audiences, any more than I am when they tell me they're concerned about the issues I care about.

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32. It is NOT Hillary. Show me where she says that.

[Occam Bandage]

35. You just keep digging yourself deeper, dear.

At the Sojourners faith forum last June, she referred to how she and the other two Democratic presidential candidates invited to speak – Obama and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina – are trying "to inject faith into policy."

[MadBadger]

10. looks like somebody just got owned

[Occam Bandage]

12. It's almost too easy.

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31. Hey Occam, where is that quote at the links you provide? Hill said that about Obama, not herself.

And I don't think what you quote exists, certainly not at the links you provide.

How did that wind up in quotes, and talked about as a quote?


Why do this?

[Occam Bandage]

34. The CSMonitor article. She was referring to herself, Obama, and Edwards.

At the Sojourners faith forum last June, she referred to how she and the other two Democratic presidential candidates invited to speak – Obama and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina – are trying "to inject faith into policy."

The full form of the quote appears elsewhere in that article.

[TankLV]

38. We have a WINNER! This should scare the crap out of everone...

bush* already excuses his crap because he is "doing god's will"...it's just as bad when obama or anybody else does it...

[Occam Bandage]

56. So, you won't be supporting Clinton any longer then? It's her quote.

[mckeown1128]

41. I am glad to hear that you will no longer be supporting...

Clinton... may I suggest Obama or Edwards as her replacement for your vote.

[MADem]

18. That is disgusting. I agree with the poster who said if Huckabee said that, we'd be up in arms.

I'll add that to my list of "Why Not."

[Occam Bandage]

19. Why you're not supporting Clinton? I've got a list of gems from Edwards and Obama, too.

A preview of Edwards: "Freedom of religion doesn't mean freedom from religion."

[MADem]

22. See post twenty. I make myself QUITE CLEAR there.

Thanks for the Edwards quote....not. Now I am thoroughly disenheartened.

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27. BULLSHIT. Are you purposely lying, or just confused? Here:

You're quote "we are trying to inject faith into policy" - in quotes, cannot be found in your post here, the thread you link to, or the two sites to which you link from there. Did you make it up and throw quoutes around it, or does it really exist, from Hillary, as you clearly state? Link please.

Having said that, I did find a similar quote from Hillary at one of your links, and she said something about "injecting faith into policy" alright - she was talking about Edwards and Obama.

-------------------------------
At the Sojourners faith forum last June, she referred to how she and the other two Democratic presidential candidates invited to speak – Obama and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina – are trying "to inject faith into policy." In an address to the United Methodist General Conference in 1996, Clinton laid out how her faith informs her politics.

"For me, the Social Principles of the Methodist Church have been as much a description of our history as a prod to my future actions," she said. "We can find direction, if we look to the church's call to strengthen families and renew our schools and encourage policies that enable each child to have a chance to fulfill his or her God-given potential."
----------------------------------

I'd really like to see the quote you use for your post and thread title...

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33. Hellooo.....

[Occam Bandage]

37. So now *she and the other two* doesn't include Clinton?

:rofl:

Here's the full quote. I like how quickly your standards of evidence change.
http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=40423

[krabigirl]

40. Scary coming from anyone!

[Seen the light]

2. I saw Senator Clinton speaking from a church pulpit today on CNN

And I was at an Edwards event last week in SC where his top guy had us all hold hands and sing Amazing Grace right after a couple of songs about the beauty of God.

They all pander.

[cboy4]

4. Mmmmm hmmmmm.

And someone got mad at me for referring to the senator from Illinois as Rev. Obama. :eyes:

[kikiek]

5. A godmeter! Who would have thunk. I like that. I don't like a 9/10 though. I expect it to be 0.

[Bluebear]

7. Were any "Ex-gay" ministers featured this time?

[boston bean]

9. In his interview with belief net, he does not deny being a born again christian.

he actually doesn't answer their question.

People should see read that interview it is very interesting.

[Bluebear]

13. That would explain his pandering to the born-agains at the expense of gays, then.

:(

[1corona4u]

25. Interesting indeed.

Especially about the "church being protected from the state".

Okkk.....

[TankLV]

39. na - he gave them the day off this time around...!

[ErnestoG]

14. Obama is ok with Gay marriage.

That right there would get him disinvited to most envangelical BBQs.

[ruggerson]

17. In your dreams

or my dreams for that matter

[Occam Bandage]

23. No he isn't. He's for civil unions.

[ErnestoG]

43. politically safe terminology for "gay marriage"

Back to you, Bob....

[Bluebear]

46. He most certainly OPPOSES gay marriage.

[ErnestoG]

47. proof?

[Bluebear]

49. 3 seconds of The Google:

...He told about 150 people at the library that he couldn't endorse traditional marriage for gay and lesbian families.

"You want the word marriage and I believe that the issue of marriage has become so entangled - the word marriage has become so entangled with religion - that it makes more sense for me as president, with that authority, to talk about the civil rights that are conferred" with civil unions, Obama said. Individual denominations should make the decisions about what to recognize as a marriage, he said.

Neither Lamb nor Swanson was satisfied with Obama's position.


http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071030/NEWS09/710300384/-1/caucus

[ErnestoG]

51. Ooooh TRY AGAIN Memsahiib

Nowhere....NOWHERE in there....did he say that gays had no right to be married. He said that marriage has become entangled with religions, and institutions of religion, and for that reason he wanted to endorse civil unions to take the legal question out of the religious sphere.

You know how to Google, but not how to make a case. Next time, be more careful in citing what you were actually looking for.

[Bluebear]

52. 'he couldn't endorse traditional marriage for gay and lesbian families'

PERIOD.

Welcome to DU, I'm sure everyone will welcome your friendly style. :eyes:

[RoadRage]

16. Obama's being forced to play the Religious card...

1/2 of the emails in my box this month state that he's a "Muslim".. with smear tactics like that, he's gotta show up for church on Sunday to prove people wrong.

The Clintons or the Repugs started this.. and now it's going to backfire, becaue it just makes Obama look like a church going golden boy, which seems to be important to independants, and the Republicans open minded enough to actually consider voting for him.

[xchrom]

24. oh it's everybody else's fault -- everyone but obama.

:eyes:

[RoadRage]

28. Right.. he should just not do anything to counter the Muslim Smear Tactics...

But then you could accuse him of not "fighting" or "defending" himself.. so he really can't win either way, eh?

So what if he's a 9 on the "god meter".. he is pro-choice, pro gay rights, and has the votes to prove it. If he's a smart enough politician to get the bible thumpers to throw him some votes.. enough to win him an election - the more power to him.

Everyone who thinks he's crap for getting votes from anyone who isn't far-left is just stupid.. this guy (or any dem who wants to win) is going to need every friggin' vote he can get.

[ErnestoG]

44. Obama didnt ask to be called "Ossama"...

or "Hussein"..or be accused of being a terrorist because he attended an Arab school as a kid (hint: "Madrassa" is an Arabic word that simply means "school")

I guess you'd rather the guy roll over like John Kerry did and not fight to dispel lies about him.

[MADem]

26. He's not being forced to play it to earn a NINE on this God o Meter thing, though.

Even Clinton's SEVEN is too much, as is Edwards' SIX.

WhodaTHUNK that Fundie-Beloved ex candidate Shar-Pei Fred Thompson would weigh in with a paltry THREE?

Did you see Obama's assertion that his background living in a Muslim country and having Muslim relatives makes him a better pick to deal with them? That's pretty odd, IMO...

Does this strike anyone else as sanctimonious? What stood out most to God-o-Meter, though was the Illinois Senator making the case that his exposure to Islam--by way of his Kenyan father's side of the family and his years in Indonesia as a child--made him better suited to engage the Islamic world and possibly make us safer.

It's all stupid.

[krabigirl]

42. I know! Yikes! Gravel is the best Dem with a 4.

[Bluebear]

48. Yeah, "forced" to hire "ex-gays" to host his events. Nothinh is ever his fault.

[Bitwit1234]

30. Are his wings made of gold....and how big is his halo.

[pauldg0]

45. Remember about...

..his real estate scams....he's a crook.

[Scriptor Ignotus]

50. crook?

what charge was Obama convicted on?

[usregimechange]

53. Hillary supporter above trying to paint Obama as a fundy.

The say anything to get elected folks.

[OzarkDem]

54. I'm rather sick of religion in politics

Hypocrisy usually follows.

[sunonmars]

55. its scaring me, this guy beats Bush in the God stakes