Did Hillary Clinton Attend Church with One of the Questioners in the CNN Debate?

[JDPriestly]

COOPER: Denise has a question for Secretary Clinton. Denise

QUESTION: Yes. Secretary Clinton, during our church services, we pray for the president of the United States, we pray for the armed forces, we pray for all civil authorities, three times during our liturgy. And we give thanks to them. We pray for our loved ones. We pray for our enemies. To whom and for whom do you pray?

CLINTON: Well, I have been several times in your services and have joined in those prayers and have also been privileged to lead them in some settings. I pray very specifically for people whom I know by name. People who either have gone through or are experiencing difficult times, illness, divorce, death, disappointment, all of the life experiences that confront most of us.

I pray for the will of God to be known that we can know it and to the best of our limited ability, try to follow it and fulfill it. I have said many times that, you know, I am a praying person, and if I haven't been during the time I was in the White House, I would have become one. Because it's very hard to imagine living under that kind of pressure without being able to fall back on prayer and on my faith.

So I do pray for people in authority. I try to think about what they are going through, even when I disagree with them. Trying to find some common ground, some common understanding that perhaps can make me more empathetic. I don't always succeed. I will tell you that.

So I pray on a pretty regular basis during the day, because I need that strength and I need that support. And especially when you are in the position that I'm in and that Senator Sanders is in, where you are asking people to vote for you, to give you the most important job, not only in our country, but I would argue in the world.

I think humility is one of the most important attributes that you bring to both that seeking and then if you're fortunate enough, to that holding of office and that's what I will try to do.

(APPLAUSE)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/03/06/the-democrats-debate-in-flint-mich-annotated/

(transcript excerpt posted by Donkee yesterday in the Bernie Sanders group)

I posted in Bernie Sanders' group about this because I could hardly believe my ears, but Donkee quoted the transcript so my ears were right.

The last woman to ask questions asked Bernie something about whether he believed in God or something of that nature.

Then she asked Hillary whether Hillary prayed.

In the answer, Hillary said that she had attended the woman who asked the questions' church?

How did Hillary know what church this questioner attended?

Why was a woman from a church that Hillary had attended asking a question?

Had Bernie also met her before the event?

How and why did Hillary recognize this woman as the member of a church that Hillary had attended?

My husband noticed the same strange thing.

I noted that after the Democratic debate in which Bernie Sanders and Hillary discussed Kissinger, Bernie's remarks about how he would not include Kissinger as an adviser to his presidency were not included in some of the published versions of the transcript.

I wonder whether CNN will take that remark by Hillary out of the transcript.

Did anyone else notice this strange exchange and statement by Hillary?

The existence of the transcript proves it happened.

How do you explain it?

Was this debate pre-arranged in part?

Was it so to speak "fixed," "rigged" as Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders would put it?

Or is there some other explanation?

CNN presented the questioners as just citizens. At least that was the unspoken message in having individuals who are not newscasters ask questions.

Was there some sort of misrepresentation here?

[Punkingal]

1. It certainly seemed that way.

[7wo7rees]

2. One answer. "The Family".

[cherokeeprogressive]

3. The whole thing was creepy.

"Well, I have been several times in your services and have joined in those prayers and have also been privileged to lead them in some settings. I pray very specifically for people whom I know by name. People who either have gone through or are experiencing difficult times, illness, divorce, death, disappointment, all of the life experiences that confront most of us.

I pray for the will of God to be known that we can know it and to the best of our limited ability, try to follow it and fulfill it. I have said many times that, you know, I am a praying person, and if I haven't been during the time I was in the White House, I would have become one. Because it's very hard to imagine living under that kind of pressure without being able to fall back on prayer and on my faith.

So I do pray for people in authority. I try to think about what they are going through, even when I disagree with them. Trying to find some common ground, some common understanding that perhaps can make me more empathetic. I don't always succeed. I will tell you that.

So I pray on a pretty regular basis during the day, because I need that strength and I need that support. And especially when you are in the position that I'm in and that Senator Sanders is in, where you are asking people to vote for you, to give you the most important job, not only in our country, but I would argue in the world.

I think humility is one of the most important attributes that you bring to both that seeking and then if you're fortunate enough, to that holding of office and that's what I will try to do."

If that doesn't sound like pandering I don't know what does.

[JDPriestly]

10. I have been mystified by the solid support in the African-American community for Hillary.

Bernie is much stronger on Black Lives Matter issues.

He demonstrated and was even arrested as a young man for his strong stance in favor of equality and civil rights specifically for African-Americans. He is compassionate and voted against laws that have harmed African-Americans.

When I heard Hillary's answer to that question and when I thought about why it was asked, I realized that Hillary has a big advantage with African-Americans because of her religion.

I do not have any problem with Hillary's religion. I, too, was raised a Methodist and I think it is a good religion even though I chose to become a Unitarian. I respect Hillary's custom of prayer. I think it is a very good thing to develop a habit of prayer.

(But, the Constitution prohibits us from applying a religious test for public offices. So it is a violation of the Constitution if we in our lives vote against a person based on their religious beliefs or lack thereof.)

But I realized that, although Bernie shares the Judo-Christian morality (and it is the same pretty much for most other major religions), and by his nature, I deduce is a very spiritual person although perhaps not an loud-mouthed, revival-tent Christian, he is not connecting as well with African-Americans in their churches.

I am not saying that African-Americans are anti-Jewish or antisemitic although according to studies discussed in the article on this in Wikipedia, those sentiments are slightly more common among African-Americans than among people of European descent, I am saying that how a person prays and fits in and knows the liturgy and customs of African-American churches may be a factor in the popularity of Hillary among African-Americans.

I hope no one will think that I am accusing African-Americans of intolerance or anything. This is more an issue of a subculture with a political, social and personal loyalty to their religion. I think that a lot of African-Americans may never have visited a synagogue.

Just some thoughts on this.

I think that Hillary knows how to appeal to the common religious tradition that she shares with African-Americans. That strategy does not speak as well to Americans who are Catholic or of other religions or who are European Christian in their religious tradition. It just isn't as big a thing. It is big for Evangelical Christians who are white, but they are usually Republicans.

I am very interested in religion and spiritual matters.

[Merryland]

4. absolutely saw/heard this & was shocked

I actually was hoping I heard wrong - surely nothing THAT corrupt could be slipped in...? I hope Bernie & the campaign look into this.

[firebrand80]

5. Prayghazi nt

[oasis]

12. Lol

Hillary's touching moment reduced to a conspiracy. What next?

[rufus dog]

6. I think she was just commenting on the standard liturgy

Not that she was at her specific church.

[4139]

7. "Well, I have been several times in your services..." Hillary was there.

[JDPriestly]

11. I would hope that is the case, but we need to find out.

The questions about religion should not be asked.

Our Constitution bars applying a religious test for office, and the press should respect that bar.

I remember how controversial it was when John F. Kennedy ran because he was a Catholic.

[Svafa]

8. That stood out to me too. I wondered (and still do) whether she misspoke or whether something

more questionable was afoot.

[RoccoR5955]

9. The whole religion thing creeped me out.

I think that we should keep religion, and god out of our government. We should be allowed to practice, or not practice whatever religion we choose, separate from what government we nominate/elect.

On the other hand, I think that Bernie handled the question better than Clinton.

[Ferd Berfel]

13. Sounds like a Plant

doesn't it?

[JDPriestly]

14. Yes. But there are other possible explanations.

She asked questions that should not be asked in the debates. The Constitution prohibits applying a religious test for offices.