Major Freakout Over One Word in the Inaugural Address or "Obama A Heretic and SERIeS Threat"

[K Gardner]

This just blew me away. And to justify this *storm over nothing, the article cites most of the uproar as coming from "African-Americans". I've also heard several times on MSM that most of the audience at the inaugural was "African-American", so I guess that's the meme for this week, even tho its the Fundies they're obviously referencing in this rightwing freakout they're trying to turn into a news story. Disgusting.

http://news.aol.com/article/obamas-nonbeliever-nod-unsettles-some/316339

(Jan. 23) - Not everyone was happy with President Barack Obama's nod to nonbelievers and non-Christians in his inaugural address. And some of the stiff criticism about Obama’s religious inclusiveness is coming from African-American Christians who maintain that no, all faiths were actually not created equal.

"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness," the new president said. "We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth," he also said. Nothing too controversial, proclaiming that America's strength lies in its diversity.
But between those two statements, the new president got specific: "We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers."

By mentioning, for the first time in an inaugural address, the 16.1 percent of Americans who check "no"’ when asked about religion, Obama turned it into the most controversial line in his speech -- praised by The New York Times editorial board and cited by some Christians as evidence that he is a heretic, and in his well-spoken way, a serious threat.

With that one line, the president "seems to be trying to redefine American culture, which is distinctively Christian," said’ Bishop E.W. Jackson of the Exodus Faith Ministries in Chesapeake, Va. "The overwhelming majority of Americans identify as Christians, and what disturbs me is that he seems to be trying to redefine who we are.’"

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

1. As somebody who checks "NO"

I waited for, and was satisfied with President Obama's inclusion of those who choose not to follow any one organized religion.

Heretic? What the fuck is this, Old Salem? Grow up and get some backbone, people.

[jonasmkl]

22. As one who would definitely check "Christian"

I would like to say that these objectors are definitely full of it.
Wasn't one of the main points of the teachings of the guy they confess as the Christ to "do onto others
as you would like them do onto you" if the shoe was on the other foot, i.e. not to marginalize all
those who are different? (The point is not unique to Christianity, but I think hard to ignore.)
Wasn't one of the main points of proclaiming that all human beings are "endowed by their creator with
certain unalienable rights" and later appending the Establishment Clause as central to these rights
the notion that no majority should ever be allowed to order the minority what to believe or not to
believe.
So in my book insisting on the diversity of believes and non-believes sounds mighty American and mighty
Christian of President Obama. Well, good to have him around instead of some asshole who wants to force
his personal believes and philosophies on others.

[PatSeg]

2. The irony is

Obama IS redefining who we are. Our diversity is our strength and sets us apart historically from other nations. It is our hope for survival.

[K Gardner]

4. I guess it will take some time for the "them and us" people to realize we are truly ONE nation.

Well said.

[PatSeg]

5. Sadly

I don't know if they're capable of realizing we are ONE nation. They seem to be stuck in that black and white mentality.

[zeemike]

3. No mater what Obama said they would find fault with it.

Because that is what they do.
But there strategy now seems to be to make him a "black" president and divide us into black and white camps...and we must not let that happen.

[Lyric]

6. We have already re-defined who we are. Obama is simply acknowledging it.

The "overwhelming majority" who identify as "Christian" phrase is misleading: if we offered around a poll of America that asked, "How big of a role in your day-to-day life does religion play?", I suspect that the answer would indicate something startling to the Christian right-wing. The fact is, for most of us, religion really *isn't* that important. Even if we consider ourselves "religious," we are not devoutly so. Only a tiny percentage of us actually live religious lives, which I loosely define as attending church or worship services regularly, praying/invoking at meals, praying/invoking at regular intervals throughout the day, strictly observing religious rules about everyday behavior, and so forth.

The Christian right considers anyone who even vaguely identifies as "Christian" to be part of "the fold," but the reality is that when it comes to how we live, most American "Christians" are really only Christians in name. We don't live that way anymore. I do not know a single person--not even ONE--in my real life who attends church every Sunday, for example. Most of them go at Christmas and Easter to "catch up," if that, but nothing more. And yet, plenty of them say that they're "Christian" if asked.

I submit that "Christian" as a word in America has ceased to mean what it used to mean. It is now more of a vague indicator to how someone was raised than about how they live their actual lives. We repeat what our parents told us out of habit--not out of devotion.

Just my opinion, based on my own observations.

[Dawgs]

19. Nice post.

You're describing me, and I'm sure many others.

[jazzjunkysue]

7. I used to attend church daily until the inaugural, now I lie, cheat, shoplift,

beat seal cubs, impregnate minors, read pornography, drive over the speed limit, lie on my taxes, ignore my mother and stopped paying child support.

Obama made me do it.

[K Gardner]

11. ROFLMAO ! That's going to be my response to RW/BS from here on out.

[jazzjunkysue]

25. Take irrational people at their word. It pisses them right off.

[pdxmom]

8. Another one of those petty grievances Obama spoke of. Every time

they open their mouths, they prove him right.

[tomg]

9. What don't they get?

Barack Obama did sort of mention that he was going to be the president of all Americans. Bishop E.W. Jackson,incidentally, seems to be pretty much the right-wing loon type. He was last concerned over lapel-pin flag gate ( remember that). I copied this from an article about Jackson. You can find the article across the web, but I chose to copy it from Michelle 'Meltdown' Malkin who was citing the original article,obviously, approvingly, to place Jackson in a little better context:

"Bishop Jackson is an unapologetic patriot. He has criticized Barak Obama’s removal of his flag lapel pin. 'People have bled and died under the banner of that flag, and it’s not good enough for you to wear it?' Jackson asks rhetorically. 'What is it about our flag that you don’t like?' " http://michellemalkin.com/2008/04/12/jeremiah-wright-to-preach-in-norfolk/


Seriously, first it is the oath; now it is mentioning non-Christians and non-believers ( like me). Where do they get their reality from - Jack Chick?

edit: typo

[jmowreader]

17. Jack Chick isn't quite as clueless as Bishop Jackson

It's close, though.

[Lilyeye]

10. A poster said it best in another thread...this article is nothing but race baiting.

[RDANGELO]

12. Diversity insecurity.

These people make up the largest segment of the Republican base. This is what motivates them politically. They are scared to death of our countries diversity.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

13. Obama a heretic? Great news! Welcome to the club!

Sufis are considered heretics by many mainstream Muslims. I'm honored to think Obama joins us in this company.

[juno jones]

15. Heretics are good company.

;)

[WinkyDink]

14. I really don't care about the opinions of every moron out there.

[Generic Brad]

16. That's very Christian of them - not

For a minute there I was starting to finally feel included. Well, that was short lived.

[Danger Mouse]

18. Believers have to acknowledge the right of nonbelievers to be nonbelievers.

It's as simple as that.

[wildeyed]

20. when I read about Jesus and what he did,

caring for the poor, sick and needy, I think I could almost be a Christian. And then I read quotes from people like this Bishop E.W. Jackson and think, nah, never gonna happen. Couldn't tolerate the company.

[skepticscott]

21. At one point, it could have been said that

"The overwhelming majority of Europeans identify with the Church in Rome, and that damned Martin Luther seems to be trying to redefine who we are." But I'm sure that irony is completely lost on Bishop Jackson, as such ironies always are on fundamentalists.

[Thrill]

23. Why? because he spoke the truth? There are non believers in this country

[skygazer]

24. The overwhelming majority of Americans identify as Americans

THAT is who we are.


Divisive morans. :eyes: