Video
Twitter
RSS Feed
Obama's Faith-Based Follies
FAITH COMPLEX
By Jacques Berlinerblau
What I am about to say is not going to win me new friends and U-Street Corridor tavern chums in Washington D.C. But someone needs to say it and I guess that someone is going to be me: the coverage of the Obama administration's Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships by mainstream journalists, policy analysts, and even academics has been ludicrously un-critical, the opposite of hard-hitting.
There. I said it.
In today's interview with Washington Post reporter Jacqueline L. Salmon, I set out to ask all the questions about Obama's faith-based office that I thought should have been asked months ago. (Ms. Salmon raises the counter-possibility that reporters have said so little about the Office because the Office has done so little in the four months since its inception).
I won't get into the reasons for why the coverage has been so soft, but suffice it to say that "religion and politics" reporting is essentially a new sub-genre of American journalism. It emerged, en masse, after 2004 as more and more editors and producers realized that: 1) the so-called "values voters" may have handed the election to George W. Bush, and, 2) few of their reporters had ever spoken to an actual values voter.
During the 2008 presidential race, by contrast, every major news agency in the country had a religion beat writer (or what I like to call a "faith and values" specialist) on staff. Most of this reportage rose to the challenge of covering the most religiously inflected election in recent memory. Some of it was truly top notch.
Yet I have always noticed one recurring flaw with Faith and Values journalism, a flaw that I think has come to the fore in the months after President Obama announced his renovation and expansion of George W. Bush's Office of Faith Based Initiatives. Whereas these new reporters are generally quick and eager to cast doubts on political figures they tend to be much more slow and hesitant to apply the same skepticism to religious figures who enmesh themselves within politics.
The best critics eventually do get around to the task at hand--but I find them to be overly cautious, slow to burn. This may have to do with the premium American culture places on religious tolerance and ecumenical civility; it would, after all, be untoward for a writer to attack a religious figure or religious precept that has found its way into policy discussions. It would be inappropriate to write about a pastor as cynically as one would write about a senator.
My ideal Faith and Values specialist, anyhow, assumes that once religion barges into the public sphere it loses its nimbus of sanctity. You want to write about religion and politics? Criticize and be damned!--that's your motto.
In my interview with Ms. Salmon, we explore the similarities and differences between George W. Bush's version and the bulkier model advanced by the present administration. This model features a 25-person advisory council. Some council members are described by the administration as "secular" (in my opinion, the term only applies to recent appointee and "On Faith" contributor Welton Gaddy).
Obama's 2.0 version, as we point out, does not seem to have resolved a tiny little constitutional dilemma that plagued the Bush administration, namely that faith-based groups had the right to discriminate in their hiring practices all the while receiving federal allocations! In fact, it is my opinion that the entire endeavor is something of a neon-light blinking invitation to litigation.
From there we go on to ask if having the government make decisions about which religious groups deserve to receive federal funding (and which do not) is necessarily a prudent idea. And while we are at it we try to figure out what the actual mandate of the Office is. Payouts? Policy? Placating pro-life advocates?
This interview is much longer than the typical Faith Complex episode. We decided to lengthen the discussion because we felt these issues have been so insufficiently explored. I thank Ms. Salmon for providing such informed and well-researched commentary.
Jacques Berlinerblau is associate Professor and Director of the Program for Jewish Civilization at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He is the author of several books including, "Thumpin' It: The Use and Abuse of the Bible in Today's Presidential Politics" (Westminster John Knox).
By Jacques Berlinerblau |
June 22, 2009; 11:36 AM ET
| Category:
Faith Complex
Save & Share:
Previous: Fathers and Families |
Next: Pope's Delayed Message on Greed
Posted by: InterfaithNation | June 23, 2009 11:22 PM
Report Offensive Comment
It is good to see someone highlight the issue and the hypocrisy of those who chastized Bush for mixing Church and State.
Obama has done it too, only more so.
Posted by: HumanSimpleton | June 23, 2009 7:53 PM
Report Offensive Comment
A LESSON for ALL Staff of the WHITE-HOUSE, CONGRES & the SENATE & PENTAGON & The WORLD:
Here's Something Very very very important for a special type of "Holy Cosmic Feeling Faith" INTROVISION (Experience) via Ye innate "iNSIGHT & PATTERN RECOGNITION" powers! Applies to All "SPORADES" [Lady's] & All "MAVORiTES" [Gent's].
Something for the world , not only about the "ABRAHAMIC" folks [via CHUMASH/BIBLES, QURAN/KORANS, BOOKofMORMONS] mentioned above/below that this time around its about them "VEDIC" folks [via their, not our GEETA/GITA's & KNAGYUR/TANGYUR's]:
Note: BHAGAVADiA & BHHAGAVADiANS are Prophetic names for HiNDU fullfillment and BUDDHiST Fullfilment of their
"INFIXUS BOOKS": via verse, 'Scripture, Sura, Stanza, tractate, Parsha, pasuk..
(1); The BiBLE of the JEWS & CHRISTIANS.
(2); The GiTA of the HinDUs & BUDDHiSTS.
(3); The QURAN of the MOSLEMS & KORAN of the MUSLIMS}}}. And thus
Predicted in their (not our) Bhagavadic Scriptures [song of gods, aka BLESSINGS, TIDINGS], saying,
"WHEN YE MiND LEAVES BEHiND IT's DARK FOREST OF PERSONAL DELUSION, YE SHALL GO BEYOND THE 'SCRiPTURES' OF TIME(s) PAST."
Bhagavadia = APOCALYPSE; and Bhagavadians = APOCALYPTARiAN(s) like Us HUe{MATE(s), not HUMAN(s). and BHAGAVADiC = APOCALYPTIC in the same sense that the "FREUDiAN SLIP OF GENUINE PROPHEY" running through the JUDEO-CHRISTIAN scriptures 'Predict' similar things for HUMAN fullfilment on this Space-SAhip, aka Planet of Many, and
in OUR (not only Yours) SPACEFORTH efforts which are deafinately "APOCALYPTIC" and for the 'HEALiNG OF THE NATIONS" worlwide! and it follows THAT
the Prophetic Names for the iSLAMIC (Moslem & Muslim) fullfilment of the similar 'Predictions' in their (not oUR) GLORiUS QURAN (also spelled Koran) are the "ZiLZAL and ZiLZALIANS. Hence
Such FREUDiAN SLiPS Of GENUiNE PROPHECY are ZiLZALiC in the same sense that the BHAGAVADiC 'Predictions' are Also APOCALYPTIC.
THEREFORE:, PRE-APOCALYPTiC likewise means Pre-ZILZALiC and Pre-BHAGAVADiC!
Note: Under the Judeo-Jewish BASORAh & MASORAh infixus books respectfully that,
"TiKKUN" means a'MENDING' like in of Relationships between HUMANiTY & G-D , g-d & JEW, g-d & Christian, g-d & Muzlims , g-d & hindu's, g-d & Buddhists.. for the 'HEALING OF THe NATIONS" worldwide! So "TiKKUN" is another name for APOCALYPSE in Hebrew [PELEGins], not in our "JOK{TANian" "EBERu" lingo fracas!
So, Happy Everyday, Happy G-D hunting & good Selling/living! AND
Peace, Paz, Mir, Shalom, Salaam, Ahimsa, Shantih, Zinghu...
Posted by: InterfaithNation | June 23, 2009 7:23 PM
Report Offensive Comment
Part 2 of 2b:
In SUMMARY: Since HISTORY is OUR (not their) JURY; Today's HUMAN made competing god SYSTEM9s) via someone elses "Old-Story's" novelizations is not functioning properly any more in this rapt-world of Human-LIFE {a Miracle in Holyi Motion; never born in biblio Sin/Curseth storys of god-Player(s)} simply because "the People" today (represented/reflected via their Holy-Cosmic MEME's) are considerably SMARTER than the OLD-time-Manmade-STORY(s) even in IT's most polished form, and so they (HUMANS, not like Us HU{eMATES) genuinely need to EXPOSE the Old-Story's for what it is, hence "FAITH EXCHANGING" and get on with learning the "NEW--SONG" (coming from all ye Old songs, Prophetically as Promised in all 3-Major INFIXUS-BOOKS mentioned above) from the only-thing that can refute the Old Story genuinely, and that is,
"APOCALYPTIC EVIDENCE"!
Hark! The AGE OF FAITH EXCHANGING (faithfully) is Come! Hence "APOCALYPTIC GOVERNMENT" via "GRiDARIAN DEMOCRACY" A Prophecy whose time (man-made clocks & gods) via TIME (Holy TEMPerature Mizanically) is cometh!
Goodbye man-made "HALAKAH" & "SHARIA" systems! Goodbye "CASTE" & "APARTHIED" Systems on Space-Ship Earth forever!
Note: Sadly; SLAVERY of Child Labor & or Sex slavery is still being practiced by pre-Apocalyptic ISLAMics more than their Competing pre-apocalyptic non-islamics!
Judeo-Islamics should be shamed to be Moslems. Judeo-Jews should be ashamed to be Jewish. Judeo-Christians should be shamed to be Catholics etc.. and Judeo-Hindu's should be shamed to be Krisna-ites, and Judeo-Buddhists should be shamed to be Monk like, etc..!
WHEREFORE: We [i] are STUDENTS FOREVER OF SOURCE-ONE & WE [i], NEVER GRADUATE! How bout YE?
Posted by: InterfaithNation | June 23, 2009 6:23 PM
Report Offensive Comment
Part 2 of 2:
"Modern-(SECULAR) ISRAEL is a Miracle & Ancient-(PRIESTHOODS) Israel is a Curse!"
The new name for the JUdeo-Jewish "god(s)" of Moses & Co., is "YAHWEH" or another name for suceeding aMELOCH {the Mixed Multitude of Slaves signal Deity} the "god" of Aegypt.
And "JEHOVAH" (Father) is the god of Pauls/Sauls CHRIST (of Judeo-Christianity). And the 'god(s)' of ISLAM becomes "ALLAH", and the god(s) of HINDU becomes "ISHVARAH"!
interesting fact: The ZUSEian gods AMEN-ra & AMON-re (Ram/Bull) of which Educated Moses knew about as "AMEN" or "AMEEN" & is Today carried-over (orally & now Writtenly?) still pre-Apocalyptically blurted by the Mixed-Multitudes on Earth & is loudly or silently said by Judeo-Jews, Judeo-Christs & Judeo-Islamics. And the HINDU's Amem/Amon version, through the CULTures & SECTions say, "OMMM" (Ram/Bull) & the Buddhist sing AUMMM (Ram/Bull).
--- HISTORY [our JURY, JUDGE & WITNESS] via Human Behavior & Acts & results; not via man-made (not G-D made) Chumash's/Bibles, not Quran/Koprans, not Geeta/Kang-tang/YURS.., shows Us (Apocalyptarian Nationals, not Pre-Apocalyptarians) that
folk like Mr. MOSES, Mr. JESUS, Mr. MUHAMMAD, Mr. VYASA, Mr. GAUTAMA, Mr. CONFUCUS etc.., can Manipulate the weak & desperate & those confused by their own Faith(s) via the "Mixed-Multitudes" to become his/her Servants.. and in the "PASSOVER-LINE" example of mr. Moses, not Revrend Jones & Co., that
Organized TERRORISM, via Organized Religion(s) can cuningly be disquised, by the most highly educated, as if be TRUE (opposite MYTH) via his (not OUR) EXODUS story to escape their Slavery (Physically & or Mentally) or cause to Invade other Lands for their POLYTHEO god(s) instead of our MONOTHEO G-D!
continued to 2 of 2b
Posted by: InterfaithNation | June 23, 2009 6:18 PM
Report Offensive Comment
Part 1 of 2: From SLAVERY To DEMOCRACY:
Excerpts from the "Bible Of The Future" [SEC/ 13. et et seq]. ON:
The "WORSHiP of TERRORiSM in EX-SLAVES "PASSOVER" STORY": How the Human Curse & their Sinnings all began:
Note: Fact: OUR "MEME"s Culturally & Traditionally CHANGED, EVOLVED & adopted alot through the Hot & Cold Epochs/Ages; but not our Minds & not Body's since +/- 10,000 Years ago! Please see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme
COMMENTARY: "Terrorism Worshipped is EVIL perpetuated!"
and thats exactly what ye haveth in them worshipers of the "PASSOVER", invented by Mr. Moses (a Murdere), Mr. JETHRO (Chief BAAL Priest) & Mr. AaRON (brother) & enforceres calling it "THE ANNUAL JUDEO-JEWISH CELEBRATION OF AEGYPTIAN BABY-MURDERS." [EXO. 12]. Similarly
Thats exactly what Ye hath via the Copy Cat Judeo-Christians whom concocted the SYMBOLIC CANNIBALISM which Mass Murderer PAUL of Tarsus, aka Mr. SAUL who identified such as "CHRiST our PASSOVER is sacraficed for US (not us). [COR.5:7]. And
Them 'Mixed Multitudes" SLAVES[ Blacks, Browns, Whites, Yellows, Reds etc..] believed & practiced "CHILD SACRIFICE" via Aegyptian god(s) "MOLECH" whom Moses Cunningly taught them to believe that it was their 'Signal Deity's" whom enslaved them. Thus Moses can lay Claim via his (not our) Priesthood/Rabbinite! [II Kings 23:10].
Another "Signal-Deity" believed among both SLAVES & non-Slaves alike among the Aegyptian gods , besides OSIRIS (Father) & SETH (Son), was "CHEMOSH" but was used to Sacrifice ADULTS instead of Kids; and BOTH signal Deity's was SYMBOLIZED via 'Graven-Images (carved hanmedown relics as TEMPLE-gods). [II Kings 3:27; NUM. 21:29, etc.].
Note: Such Primitive POLYTHEISM (judeos are not MONO theo) of HUMAN SACRIFICEW that Moses Freudiantly Slipped in [DEUTERONOMY, 12:31] saying, "... even their SONS & their DAUGHTERS have they [Pre-becoming-Judeo mixed Slaves] burnt in the FIRE to their god(s)."
HUman sacrifice by SLAVES & non-Slaves was so powerfull a "SUPER-STUPID-STITION" among the "Mixed-Multitudes" (Potential-Judeo's. see EXO: 12:38) that the NOVEL-STAR MOSES, aka god player, decided to become the VENTRILOQUEST of their god(s) through a Story that Moses put into the BOOK Of "GENESIS" [his main NOVEL] via that "ISAAC NEAR SACRIFICE STORY" & not to mention the most Evil Story ever Told Humanity via His (not our) DRUNKIN [racist] Story" [EXO. 6:3 & GEN: 9.18-27].
continued to: 2 of 2:
Posted by: InterfaithNation | June 23, 2009 5:16 PM
Report Offensive Comment
Interesting.
Posted by: InterfaithNation | June 23, 2009 4:23 PM
Report Offensive Comment
Why the hell does the government have a "faith based" office in the first place? Whose "faiths"? Whose are excluded? What are these "faiths" based on? What ever happened to the America where anyone could go primp, pose, pretend and pray with their own on Sunday but no tax dollars were given to them, they didn't influence politics, and they didn't try to jam their home grown theocracy down the rest of our throats?
Posted by: coloradodog | June 23, 2009 1:18 PM
Report Offensive Comment
Some litigation has been tried, but it failed. Still, if first, etc. Please, dear G-d, save us from the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
Posted by: Farnaz1Mansouri1 | June 23, 2009 12:14 PM
Report Offensive Comment
The comments to this entry are closed.
Reply ON:
America's sincere Apology's for Past HUMAN WRONGS against Past, and not too distant, HUMAn RiGHTS violations! A repentence or forgiveness who's time is cometh. Not Past Due! Hence "Time is the Best Medicine" and "Patience, not procrastination, is our best friend"!
So, Unjustified HUMAn-WRONGS against Justified HUMAN RiGHTS must End on Earth, not Only in Sweet sweet U.S. of A.'s!
--
Like "Giving Credit when Credit is duly Due" THEN
same Like "Give Forgiveness where & when Forgiveness is Duly Due":
note: To much Forgiveness, like apology cheapans the sincerity of ones due diligence.
Note again: Atleast that "GOG (Truth) & "MAYGOG (Illusion) anology, aplied to the U.S. Slavery Behaviour has been layed bare!
Important: Most Original Black Americans [from Ex Slave great Parents: [pbu them], have grown Westrernized looking, Physically Stronger, have Hard Boned & Healthy & Talented attributes. They have been Preserved.
Atleast Uncle-SAM & Aunt-LIBERTY don't have to raid the Treasury, with what someone once or twice demanded, to Pay "Reperations" or Make Restitution.?
So, Thank G-D for "Collor Greens", "Corn Cakes" , Fried Chicken, Chitlins, Grits, Biscuits, Cotton , Peanut Butter, cain, etc..
Note: Besides Inflation being Enemy #1, that for Afro-Black/Americans & Co., are VICTIMS , like SLAVES of DRUGS & ALCOHOL perpetuated & perpetrated by their Own Kind! Not Whites, not illegal!
Note: i [WE] Israeli-Americans was raised by Afro-Americans. So,
HALLALUYA & Amazing GRACE America!