Obama dismisses Dobson criticism about Bible
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0
frontandcentre
The US Presidential election is about selecting a secular leader, not a religious one. I wish that both sides would keep religion out of it. The Bible's such a long shaggy dog story that you can probably find quotes in it which would appear to support alomost anything
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SushiSake3
Not a good move on Obama's part to slag off Jamese Dobson, who has a pretty big following among evangelists.
I'd be interested to know what James Dobson thinks about George Bush, especially the president's interpretation of the Commandment 'Thou shalt not kill' - except if you are targeting people living in a country full of oil that can keep 'Merica Strong and Free.' <-- I think that's how Bush's interpretation goes....
And is John 'No, what I REALLY meant was -" McCain professing his strong Christian roots, or did he only become a "committed born-again Christian Believer" when he launched his presidential campaign?
0
SushiSake3
Obama is a Christian.
Sen. McCain isn't.
Sen. McCain is therefore far more likely to succumb to evil desires, sin and The Terrorists (if he hasn't already!).
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RedMeatKoolAid
Obama was born a Muslim. Even the NY Times has published this. It's pretty obvious he converted to Christianity (no record though) when it became politically useful to do so. As long as he does not seek to accomodate in any way the encroachment of Sharia into American courts his religious outlook is not that big of a deal. Anyone who thinks McCain is not Christian obviously doesn't know the facts about his stay in the infamous Hanoi Hilton.
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SushiSake3
RedMeat - trust you to bring Obama's religion.
He is a committed Christian, unlike Sen. McCain.
And if you are so certain Sen. McCain is a Christian, you might like to explain why he hasn't mentioned it on the campaign trail.
"Obama was born a Muslim."
Where do you get this stuff from? If you bothered to think about your words just for a second you would quickly realize how farcical they are.
No one is born Muslim, Christian or anything. It's a personal choice. Just because my parents were Christian didn't make me a Christian at birth.
You need to relax your obsession with Obama and start thinking rationally.
0
skipthesong
don't know why yous are all so hyped. Who is this guy? I ain't heard of him. Thought he was someone else until I checked it. Let him say what he wants, he don't have anyone who would vote for either McC or Obama.
However, one quick note: Sushi, what redmeat posted was not off mark. Things what he seems to be worried about are happening in London, Toronto, and Australia. You need not plow into him. Why don't you explain it to him in a respectful manner and make him understand. Otherwise, you are just as guilty what you accuse him of.
0
SezWho2
RedMeatKoolAid,
It's pretty obvious that, when you think it is politically useful for you to do so, you will accuse Obama of having an ulterior motive for his conversion to Christianity. Now if you only had a fact to support your hysteria....
Dr. Dobson's understanding of the Bible may be thoroughly evangelical, but his understanding of what Obama was saying about the Bible was either benighted or intentionally obtuse.
0
Madverts
"Now if you only had a fact to support your hysteria...."
Heh, memebers of the Bush Sect don't need facts Sez.
But the hysteria is highly amusing.
0
RedMeatKoolAid
Barack Hussein Obama was born a Muslim. What's the big deal? It is a basic tenet of Barack Obama Sr.'s adopted faith of Islam:if your father is a Muslim you are a Muslim. It beggars belief that people who constantly criticize American foreign policy post 9-11 and necessity or validity of the War on Terror can be so ignorant about Islam. There is nothing to worry about in this case. Obama jr. did not leave the faith but was abandoned as a child. I don't think he can be classified as an apostate, unless he is invited by a prominent Muslim to rejoin his brothers and he refuses. Dobson and his crowd should at least be happy that though Obama still has many Muslim relatives in Africa (he met and described them in his books as Muslims) he himself chose Christianity, albeit a pretty freaky strain.
0
tclh
Sen. McCain is therefore far more likely to succumb to evil desires, sin and The Terrorists (if he hasn't already!)....? Sen John Mc Cain will have endless laugh with this remark.What else can he do except laughing!
0
SezWho2
Nobody is born a Muslim or anything else. They are born and they are raised in a faith and deemed by others to be a part of that faith. Ultimately, when people are free to choose, they choose their own faith if they need one. Obama chose Christianity.
The big deal is that you say he did so for political gain. Perhaps you mean to say that Christianity has no merit that would attract a convert and that his conversion must have been for political gain. If so, you're forgetting the babe factor at the very least. But we don't know. You have no evidence for your contention.
As far as apostasy is concerned, that is a non-issue. Yes, Obama might have trouble if he goes walkabout in Africa, the Middle East or in Muslim Asia. But it's not like any of the Republican crew are going to get safe passage.
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RedMeatKoolAid
Obama described his choice of Trinity Church in one of his books. I heard the story narrated by the author. To me there seemed little to indicate a spiritual need was being satisfied. He said he had been told by many in the community that he needed to be affiliated with a church to really win trust. Hence my characterization of his actions as basically political in nature. Trinity Church's Black Liberation theology is avowedly political. It stands to reason their interpretation of Christianity's revealed text is no less so. Obama - who we are supposed to believe is so wise in judgment we can overlook his complete lack of presidential caliber accomplishments - soaked it up quite contentedly for 20 years.
0
SuperLib
I don't remember caring about what James Dobson said yesterday...so I'm not sure why I should start caring today. The fact that I'm even hearing a religious man talk about a Presidential candidate's view of the Bible is actually offensive to me. It's also offensive to listen to a candidate quote scripture if he's speaking in his official capacity.
0
SushiSake3
Superlib, you are as welcome to your apparently non-religious beliefs as I am to my Christian beliefs. I, too, think there is little place in politics for religion, and this election will I believe be the one where religion fails to play an important role.
Who can forget when JFK ran for president, people were spooked that he was - wait for it - Catholic.
It's pretty sad, too, to see posters like RedMeatKoolAid trying to pin - wait for it - the Muslim religion - on Obama (& italicizing his middle name <-- the height of immaturity, in my view) considering America is now such a melting pot of cultures and religions it hardly makes a difference what you are or believe in.
0
Betzee
I recall reading about how the Bible was cited in defense of segregation. God meant for the races to live separately. Now we have issues related to same-sex couples with some prominent members of the religious right claiming 9/11 and Katrina were God's revenge against a country that tolerates homosexuality.
Somebody needs to stand up to these people rather than paying lip service to their ideas in order to get the backing of their faithful followers at the ballot box.
0
Betzee
Dotson was the one who put together the program for the Reverend Tag Haggard to "go straight." He expressed disapproval of Mary Cheney's pregnancy and Obama might be wise to echo her response:
She said Mr. Dobson was entitled to his opinion, 'but he's not someone whose endorsement I have ever drastically sought.'"
And boy did she get slammed, and deservedly so, for wanting it both ways.
Like I said, good start, Mary. But what's with the "drastically"?
Could it be this: You sought endorsements from James Dobson and his organization Focus on the Family in the past—your father certainly has, and you worked on his campaigns—but now, to avoid tough questions, you want to qualify and minimize your past sucking up to the likes of Dobson by stating that you never sought his endorsement all that, you know, drastically or anything.
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=153145
0
usaexpat
Dobson should be dismissed period. A true wacko religeous fascist and relic of the 80s culture wars. Whatever I think of Obama I have to give him props for challenging this hater.
0
RedMeatKoolAid
Dobson, Rev Jeremiah Wright or Fr Pfleger - who is the biggest 'hater'?
0
adaydream
Oh you love to keep posting that Obama is a Muslim crap. Makes the republicans feel good when they can keep a falsehood running on and on.
I can't wait for Lemming Day.
Those who believe and want the truth will vote for Obama.
Those people who love poassing on these stupid lies will vote republican.
Looks like we'll have Lemmings from all over and all parties. < :-)
0
RomeoRamenII
“I think he’s deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology”
obama has awakened a sleeping giant. The Evangelical base will be energized because of this. Lord Soros' meat-puppet has only himself to blame for this one. Heh, democrat Lemming Day fast approaches.
RR
0
RomeoRamenII
Those who believe and want the truth will vote for Obama.
Wait until David Freddoso’s book on your hero is released in early August. Heh, barack will be lucky to keep his Senate seat after it comes out.
RR
0
Betzee
There's enough hatred to go around. The more interesting question is who has been able to leverage their views into policy? The Reverend Wright? I don't think so. By contrast, while Dobson may not have been part of GWB's weekly conference call with Christian leaders, the Reverend Ted Haggard certainly was. By politicizing sexuality in the terms advocated by this group, how many times has the Republican Party ended up with egg on its face in the past two years? Do the names Mark Foley and Larry Craig ring any bells? And that's only at the national level.
The Reverend Wright scandal turned out to have a silver lining for Democrats in that it revealed the double standard under which the parties operated. If you are going to solicit support from those with non-mainstream views, you better be prepared to defend them. No longer will "I welcome his support but don't agree with everything he says" cut it (as John McCain learned from his short-lived relationship with Reverend Hagee.)
Dobson must have read the polls which place Obama 12-15 points ahead of McCain and gotten nervous. The thing is, I don't understand why the Christian right has reservations about McCain (making it unlikely they will turn out in droves to support him). He's anti-abortion and that's a sincere belief, one of the few in contrast to his ever lengthening laundry list of flip-flops.
0
SezWho2
RedMeatKoolAid,
The measure of a Christian has never been spiritual need. And even if it were you are hardly in a position to judge it.
I doubt if Lincoln today could be elected to any meaningful position were he not active in some faith-based movement. So you seem to be accusing Obama of taking good advice.
After the last 8 years, I'm all in favor of a president who knows good advice when he sees it.
0
Taka313
Superlib,
I think it depends on the scripture. For example, if a candidate were to quote something that is applicable to all, like, "Judge not, lest ye be judged" or "yet he is is without sin cast the first stone," then I don't see a problem as it is a valuable lesson to anyone, and not just those of religious faith.
Taka
0
Betzee
The problem for the Republican Party is that is is comprised of social conservatives who want to use the power of the government to regulate private behavior, tax-cutters, and neocons who favor a militaristic foreign policy.
And, after eight-years of this, we've ended up with one scandal after another where someone was revealed to be engaging in privately what they had denounced publicly, record deficits, and a war with no end in sight. Even a candidate much more adept than John McCain would have trouble holding this together.
0
Betzee
Really? It doesn't appear to be the case particularly since Dobson indicates he plans to sit this one out.
"I don't know that McCain's campaign realizes they cannot win without evangelicals," David Domke, a professor of communication at the University of Washington who studies religion and politics, told the AP. "What you see with McCain is just a real struggle to find his footing with evangelicals."
Struggle may be putting it mildly, even though Thursday was hardly the first time McCain has tried to reach out to Christian conservatives during this election cycle. McCain has shown little enthusiasm for positions many Christian conservatives hold dear, such as bans on gay marriage and stem cell research. He also angered evangelicals by seeking endorsements from conservative preachers Rod Parsley and John Hagee, then disavowing them after their controversial sermons drew criticism to his campaign. On top of that, James Dobson, the influential Christian conservative, has also said he could not vote for McCain in good conscience.
http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/
0
sdmsec
While I can understand and respect your personal opinions, I don't think it's realistic to expect most other people to ignore religion when they consider which politician they'll vote for.
For many people religion is the basis for their ideals and values. These people expect that a politician's specific religion will give them at least an overview the values and ideals of that politician.
As a person who is quite religious myself I care about religion, but I'll admit that I think most politicians use religion when it's convenient. I also recognize that I could share the same goals with someone and completely disagree with them about the best way to accomplish those goals.
One thing I don't have a problem with though is a citizen voicing their opinion or concerns about a candidate - whether that citizen is a well-known religious leader, a talk-show host, a Hollywood celebrity, or a news analyst. I just take them all with a grain of salt.
0
TokyoHustla
The Bible is in English for a reason.
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