Perhaps even the very religious have decided that their beliefs are not soley defined by abortion and the gays.

"Weeks ago, you made a silly, tin-ear comment about small town people "clinging" to religion."

That wasn't a silly comment; it was a moment of unscripted candor. Obama's a humanist at heart, like his mother, and like me. I found that remark greatly reassuring.

"Weeks ago, you made a silly, tin-ear comment about small town people "clinging" to religion."

That wasn't a silly comment; it was a moment of unscripted candor. Obama's a humanist at heart, like his mother, and like me. I found that remark greatly reasuring.

To Ed and the other Christian readers:

If you have Christian values then you should vote these in the upcoming election just as any person should vote his or her values, regardless of the basis of them.

If you believe abortion is murder then that should factor into your voting decision. But consider the other Christian values as well.

What did Jesus teach us about war? Bush, who is beloved by the Christian community, got us into two wars, even though the UN inspectors were telling us that Iraq has no WMD and Jesus teaches us to turn the other cheek when attacked.

What does Jesus teach us about guns? Jesus told us to beat our swords into ploughshares, yet the Republican party supports guns with a fervor and opposes all kinds of gun safety measures.

Jesus was the first to champion the poor and the sick. Yet the Republican party struck down a measure to give poor children health insurance (SCHIP) and has favored tax cuts for the wealthy.

The Book of Genesis teaches us that God placed the earth in our care. Yet the Republican Party has been environmentally hostile, particularly with regard to the issue global warming which threatens us all (just look at last week's vote on global warming where Republicans blocked bringing a bill to the Senate floor to curb greenhouse gasses and Robert Novak's editorial in today's Post criticizing McCain for not aligning with Christian Conservatives' views on global warming and other issues (McCain claims global warming needs to be addressed))

Jesus taught forgiveness from crimes--when he was being crucified, he asked those persecuting him to be forgiven, not punished. Yet the Republicans back the death penalty.

Do you really believe the Republican party embodies your Christian values? Are you willing to trade all of what Jesus teaches just to get Roe v. Wade overturned or to keep gays from getting married? Aren't world peace, protecting our earth and helping the poor and sick more central values to what Christianity is about? If you think so, then vote your values.

Anonymous reacted: "FATE, if you happen to be a white American who would not want to read the book on the grounds that nothing good could come out of Texas, all the more reason for reading the book. To overcome your prejudices. Believe me."

Prejudice is based on an emotive response based on superficial facts. If you can give me a few examples of what has come out of Texas that has helped move this nation forward, I'm willing to listen. But I know Texas, I know many people who live in Texas, and I know that there is little Texas has given this nation over the past century except headaches and grief. But if you have some contributions that Texas has given this nation, please, lets hear them!

Anonymous wrote: "Senator Obama has now opened a real conversation on race. It is in everyone's best interests to join in the conversation. The book provides some valuable insights for the open minded."

I'm probably more opened minded on race that you are. What has that to do with Texas? It not whites in Texas I have a problem with, or blacks, or any particular group you want to define. Its the whole state, from the Red River to the Gulf of Mexico, from the El Paso to Beaumont.

Texans live 40 years in the cultural past as our current president and the people he brought with him from Texas to "lead" this nation show. The culture of favoritism, loyalty and cronyism is alive and well all over the state. Sorry, I've had enough of Texas. I put them up there with North Korea on trusting what they say or do. And what I find most interesting is that when you talk to people around the country about Texas, the closer they live to Texas, the more they dislike it. I rented a car in Denver and drove to Yellowstone and back. That rental car had Texas tags. I found out first hand just how much the west dislikes Texas. But as I say, I'm open minded. I'm willing to listen to what you have to say about the good in Texas.

FATE, if you happen to be a white American who would not want to read the book on the grounds that nothing good could come out of Texas, all the more reason for reading the book. To overcome your prejudices. Believe me.

Senator Obama has now opened a real conversation on race. It is in everyone's best interests to join in the conversation. The book provides some valuable insights for the open minded.

Anonymous wrote: "*Every White American* must read the book, The Heart of Whiteness by Robert Jensen, a white American and professor of journalism at the University of Texas."

Sorry, I've sworn off Texas and anything from Texas. I'm trying to think of anything good that has come from that place ..... nathin. Lyndon Johnson was bad enough. Bush just sealed it for me.

Elitist is a term that should be reserved for someone who is well to do and does not do anything for the less privileged in society; someone who is false and patronizing at best in their dealings with the less privileged in society.

aw:

I think that was the saddest rebuttal I have ever seen on Obama being elitist. If you read anything on where he came from and what jobs hes taken, you'd be eating your words right now.

Btw, the people you mentioned (Kerry, Stevenson), even more important than them being white, is they were called elitist because they're also RICH.

Oh, and btw, how is it that the Democrat is always the elitist? This is the biggest crock of them all. Bush grew up with more money than he knew what to do with, yet that label is never used. McCain grew up the son of a very important admiral and has never really been "middle class" or lower. Why is it used for one, and not the other? hmmm...maybe this has more to do with party than race OR income.....

There are religionists who go to the other extreme and claim that abortion should not be performed even to save the life/health of the mother, little realizing that developing child gets to die as well. Does a double death, namely the death of the mother somehow vindicate the death of an embryo/fetus which is a developing human that cannot develop into a human outside of the mother's uterus?

There are some of us humans out there who cringe with moral horror when women talk of their *right* to abort their child, Medicalspeak for taking an innocent life not capable of independent existence. Hippocrates, the father of modern allopathic medicine, did *not* consider abortion a normal medical procedure. That one resorts to it in exceptional circumstances should not normalized to the extent that it is considered as routine as using a contraceptive to prevent pregnancy.

The onus should not be on politicians who wish to provide legal abortions to women for the sake of safety to the mothers' health/lives but on the morality of women who choose to abort the children they have conceived as if they were merely flushing out a "clot of inconvenient blood." The question that needs to be discussed is why women have so little respect for the innocent life in their womb and what story they tell themselves to justify abortion morally.

*Every White American* must read the book, The Heart of Whiteness by Robert Jensen, a white American and professor of journalism at the University of Texas.

Response to AW:
"if one remembers, KERRY was labeled elitist...as was Stevenson, and many other politicians... ...supposedly, with the above writer's logic, one (if they are white) can never say anything honestly critical about a black person ... which imho opinion is truly racist...

Who said you couldn't say anything critical? My only point was that, given the history of this country, to label a Black person as 'elitist' is somewhat ironic.

C'mon - you get irony, don't you?

What a perfect Faith forum to voice partisan opinions instead of bi-partisan suggestions how to possibly find a solution for the horrible situation we are in.

Anonymous which by itself should be an automatic reject, was allowed to inject his one cent worth of "blame Bush" rhetoric, but forgot to mention the support the president received from the likes of: the Clinton's, Reid, Pelosi, Dean, Edwards, Rockefeller, Bayh and several others, now in the corner of Barack Obama.

I have a compassionate understanding of Obama's position. On one side are the people of his choice, very much criticized by the voting population and on the other hand are the crawling freebies in the form of the above mentioned people, who joined his ranks and because of their hypocrite label, not of much help either.

I almost feel his pain.

Obama's comments about... "is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge and patriotism as a bludgeon.” is what ALL politicians s/b saying because of the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of individual rights and freedoms to ALL citizens. The U.S. Constitution does NOT give any particular religion legal rightness above another, nor give ANY religion the 'RIGHT' to impose their religious beliefs on any citizen. What the zealous religionists want is to impose their religious 'Moral' precepts on the rest of the citizens, whether or not the rest of us want those beliefs without understanding that the very same 'right' keeps their religious beliefs secure from others from forcing different beliefs on their religion.

I am thankful that this part of our constitution was not trampled upon by this administration, voiding our constitutionally protected rights like the habeas Corpus, illegal search and seizure, and with warrant -less wiretapping ', rights have been trashed.

To those who say how can I trust what Obama says, I say to you, can anything be worse for our individual 'rights' or constitution or our country than what the current 'decider' or "Shooter" Cheney" have caused? To one poster, I ask this question; with all of public disclosure of Mcbush's embracing the current GOP status quo, policies and activities, continued war in Iraq, stance toward Iran, uses of Corporate lobbyists and their/his illegal campaign methods, personal attacks AND attacks upon Obama for what the pastor of his Church says, how can you possibly vote for McCain? Has your religion totally prescribed your use of cognitive thinking [supposing you posses that capability]?

While I strongly believe that the current two-party system has failed, both their members constantly failing their fiduciary and Constitutionally mandated responsibilities, ultimately it is the failure of American voters to protect our democracy, our individual and collective civil rights and freedoms that have caused this failure. I offer these quotes from our past leaders and thinkers: The government is merely a servant, merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn't. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them - Mark Twain

When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross - Sinclair Lewis
The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican government are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally stacked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people - George Washington, First Inaugural Address, 1789

To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public - Theodore Roosevelt 1918

“They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety” - Ben Franklin, 1759

someone wrote: "So, lets have hope and pray things will be more equal in America..."

===

..& vote for liberation theology to get that "equality"..sheesh!!!..

O has worshipped in a church of liberation theology for over 20 years.... which... well my previous few words says everything: LONG LIVE THE ACLU...which fights for EQUALITY... (BIG sheesh!)

someone wrote: "I suppose it is a testament to how far the country has come when a Black man with a middle class family can be branded with the ridiculous label "elitist." It is to laugh."

......

hmmm... talk about racism..or is above "revenge racism"..or whatever..

if one remembers, KERRY was labeled elitist...as was Stevenson, and many other politicians... ...supposedly, with the above writer's logic, one (if they are white) can never say anything honestly critical about a black person ... which imho opinion is truly racist...

sheesh!

I think you missed the poin on the religion & guns comment. Restated (by me):

"For the life of me, I don't understand why anyone poor would vote someone into office who's sole mission is to enrich the rich on the backs of the poor. Yet, they (the Republicans) have been effective in getting the poor to vote for them by claiming to be morally superior. After all, what control does the President have on how you practie your faith? What control will the president have in how yu are able to hunt? As a constitutional lawyer I respect the division of church & state and the spirit of the 2nd amendment. No President can change this unless he ignores the constitution. The president does have a more direct impact on the economy and the economic policies of the republicans are detrimental to the less advantaged. Why is it that people are willing to suffer economically, for the illusion of moral superiority."

Of couse, when you are talking in front of people and on a tight schedule, you can't always be so verbose.

someone wrote: "It only matters if he is willing to do the right thing towards all men."

hmmm....uhhhh...hmmm...

how does one determine that?

..just trust their words???

SHEESH...

wedge?
we are not supposed to recall that little hussein obama's mentor of 20 years is a racist dog, and he is too!
we are not supported to talk about little hussein hating whites, jews, israel, and loving islamics.
you cant hang with a racist dung heap like wright and not believe in his views.
did i forget to mention little obama's love and friendship with a man and woman that attacked America.
if it had been a republican that drove within 10 miles of a kkk meeting you would be demanding public appearances asking for forgiveness. but a black man is supposed to be able to get away with anyting including hating the very country he wants to run.
no way - we will not forget who he really is and his American hating wife too.

why does OBAMA says he wants religious history/views....and lotsa other points off the table....in considering our next POTUS?

HOW ELSE WILL HE GET ELECTED..?

sheesh!

Its does not matter the race or religion of a man. It only matters if he is willing to do the right thing towards all men. And Obama is willing to at least try to make a concrete difference in America since the Kennedys and MLK. Lets give him and a chance, because in reality it is God who places leaders in position, good and evil alike. His will will always be done and we cannot stop it. So, lets have hope and pray things will be more equal in America.

doubt that OBAMA is an ACLU politician.??

well, then..please research why he would not support the BAN on PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTIONS..

..&..i am a person that believes in choice..UP TO A POINT... and that point is where god says that the body belongs to the woman..and then the child... (1st tri-mester ONLY!)

yes..OBAMA is an ACLU politician.

Obama is a POLITICIAN.. ONLY... an ACLU politician..

he has already used one church for over 20 years to get where he is now....

and now he will use the overall religious nature of our country...

..to get where he wants to be next...

Obama is using a very interesting calculating playbook for his political purpose..

and WE..ALL are HIS little PLAYERS!!

sheesh!

Indeed, how pathetic a lie, how hypocritical.Obama getting a pass.have you been living on Mars or planet earth and in the USA???.

What has been so repeatedly played and replayed more than Reverand Wright's snipet sermon of damn America????!!!.
Contrast that to Mccain's "spiritual mentor's condemnation of catholics, muslims and Homosexuals by none other Pastors hagee and Todd Parsley and their apologists.Then see the american voters in the face claim your hypocritical claim of the press favoring Obama. Its John Mccain, a disgraced keating Five senator who because of being white has been having a free pass.the old goat,ignorant sunni-shia so-called expert and manipulator!!!.

The only religion Hussein Obama knows is the religion of hate-whitey!

This is a honest master piece of balanced commentary, which is vry rare these in mainstream media.
Yes one of the greatest anomaly of this election is the use of religion by radical right-wing media commentators like rush Limbuagh and sean hannity.
whereas, the right-wing rejectionists favor continuation of religious divide fueled by racists and supremacist views;infact,Foxnews has singular excelled in Sean & hannity to be the worst perpretators of using "religion as wedge and patritism as pludgeon".If only Obama could name names, America will better!!!.
Mccain rarely if ever attend church and he's arrogantly going around to judge Obama and the rest of us as being unpatriotic, unAmerican and unchristain!!!.He extrapolate his ignorance to his opponents without media scrutiny!!!.
Democratic candidates must stand up and convey their religious faith without denying others their rights to express their other faiths or lack of it!!!.
The attacks mounted by racists and race-hustlers like Sean Hannity and Micheal Savage and Rush Limbaugh must remind us all of the decadent reminants of these threaten speies in our sinful past!!1.

Rachelle Adams wrote, "I whole heartedly agree. It is his openness about his own faith and respect of others that sets him apart from so many other democratic politicians. May his promise come true."

"Openness about his own faith?" I think we're all still trying to figure out exactly what Obama's faith is. Is it faith in Christ, or is it faith in Black Liberation Theology. Based on the "preaching" coming from the man who "brought him to Christ," it would appear that the Bible is held to lesser importance than Cone's theories on Black Liberation.

As for his "respect for others," it sure didn't sound respectful when he talked about people who cling to their Bibles (Cone's books would be understandable to Obama, but not the Bible) and guns.

And as for his "promises," what exactly is he promising? Oh yeah, change. Hmmmm ... sounds promising all right.

To "Dick":
Re: Obama as "Elitist Jerk"

I suppose it is a testament to how far the country has come when a Black man with a middle class family can be branded with the ridiculous label "elitist." It is to laugh.

That's a real step forward, though, considering a Black man could not even be addressed as "Mr." a few short decades ago. Thank you for that.

But if that's the best you GOP boosters have, bring it on.

See you at Obama's inauguration in January.

I think Obama is getting a free ride from the press for his 20 year association with a racist, America bashing church. If he were white, he would have to answer for that. It's not like he passive sat there and didn't support it. He was member of that church for 20 years and he proudly called Rev. White his mentor. Beyond that, I have seen interview after interview in which African-Americans have said they are voting for Obama purely because of his skin color. If I were to vote for McCain simply because he is white - what would that be called? Hmmm...

Obama's promise not to demagogue religion?

He's running for his very life from the issue, and the author tries to make a virtue of it?

Get real.

Dick,
re your post.
Dick by name - Dick by nature!

Karen
Excellent post! - One of the most thoughtful, articulate and specific posts on this thread. It's comforting to see that there is some sanity out there.

Is it me, or is there a high correlation between those who describe themselves as "the faithful" and those who express themselves with hate-filled name calling?

obama trying to distance himself from racist wright will be like trying to pound a wet noodle up a wildcats hindend.

It's a pity that Obama isn't a secular humanist. That would really make me happy.

John Mc Cain, Bush, and Cheny are members of a wicked gang of neocons who have damaged the economy of this country and started unnecessary wars that cost us billions of US$ and thousands of the lives of our young and brave soldiers. They have lied to all Americans about WMD in Iraq and unfortunately got us stuck in a quaqmire with no way out in the near future.Nobody can trust or tolerate such wicked clowns for another presidential term under any circustances. The proper place for John Mc Cain is a suitable oldman house, not the White House nor even the Senate.

Mr, Niebuhr,

"...in a great nation of Baptists, Methodists, Roman Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, atheists and many more."

So Hindus are part of the 'many more" crowd? After 9/11 President Bush also omitted to mention us even though Hindus lost a disproportionate number --nearly 250 of the 2800 killed.

"Respect is vital.." no Mr. Niebuhr?

While the bitter comment was an awkward moment for some one with oratorial skills like Senator Obama I always thought he meant how religious fervor was exploited by politicians to divert from the real issues like economy.There are people who would not accept gays even as they have been sleeping around.There are those who vouch for the sanctity of marriage even as they have gone through divorces.I know of some for whom owning guns is all they think about.Fortunately these are few and the majority of people who are "religious" are tolerant and compassionate and respectful of counterviews.However the latter do not evince interest in politics and hence have not played a role in choosing our representatives.It is time these folks show some interst and play a significant role.Obama strikes me as a person who could represent such people.

Don't hijack other women's wombs.

It's not yours, what they do with things in it it's not your business.

What is all this crap about pro-life/choice?

I am pro womb-owner.

when did demagogue become a verb?

I have seen the changes in the white Americans for the better proven by their votes showing the growth of the positive and non-racial white, but I don't see the changes in Black Americans. In fact, I have witnessed more hatred since your campaign from Black America. I am worried.

The Niebur statement is gladdening to me. There may yet be goodness in our politicians; at least some. Let us welcome goodness when it is demonstrated.

The Niebur statement is gladdening to me. There may yet be goodness in our politicians; at least some. Let us welcome goodness when it is demonstrated.

It is Obama's vision of the future that made me send him a check for his campaign, last year. He does have his up, and down days, but last week showed a growing maturity. I do hope the hatred that I read here, and other places, is more than old fashion racism. A racist bigot deserves NO respect. This seventy year old will continue with those checks.

After having turned the American scene over to the most right-wing elements of the religious spectrum, selling our birthright of religious freedom for political advantage, we are tired of that kind of division and I will hold Obama to his promise not to try what Rove did and to remove all the residua of such manipulation remaining in government. It may mean purging Health and Human Services of anti-choice employees (keeping their rights in mind) as well as throwing Regent University lawyers out of Justice so that faith-neutral attorneys can actually pay more attention to the Constitution than to Christian Dominionism. Whatever it takes, I expect an Obama administration to be as far from the grasp of Pat Robertson, James Dobson and James Hagee as he can get us.

Perhaps the religious in this country have started to actually read the Consitution. Perhaps they realize that pro-life doesn't mean that life begins at conception and ends at birth. Perhaps they realize that replacing various forms of social welfare with corporate welfare is not a better thing. Perhaps they realize that God gave us this planet for the benefit of all of humanity and not just for those who are capable of exploiting its riches only to leave what is left for the rest of us to clean up.

Many people, including rather religious ones, have foung political proclaimations of faith to be mere words. Political slogans & platitudes rather than any real indication of legislative/governmental agenda.

TOM:
I hope he does support legal re-valuing of marraige. I want the same rights you currently have, to marry whomever I want without having to subtly call it something else.

I also hope he supports women's reproductive care with funding and education. I should hope that we take great care of the people that provide us with the next generation, and give them all the resources they need to be healthy, whatever they chose to do with their bodies.

Since neither you, nor I are capable of having an abortion, I don't feel we have any right to say what women can and cannot do. A simplified arguement to be sure, but I've found in many instances the simplist answers are the best.

As a Pagan, it doesn't make sense to support him as a "Christian candidate" as his religion has no more place in the Oval Office than mine. If he chooses to use his religion as a label to demonstrate a just and sound policy, then so be it. I should think that secular needs of Healthcare, Education, Justice, Food/Environmental Security equally applied to everybody transcend any particular religion, but whaever gets the job done.

Interesting. Barack Hussien Obama has already used religion as a "wedge". Since the "Reverand" Wright's tirade, I have been to three primarily "churches" where the congregation is made up primarily of Southern African Americans and they voice Obama's spiritual mentor Wright almost word or word, and yes their were Obama organizers in the audience. Bacarck Hussien has a lot of work to do.

Gustav, You are quite correct! The faithful are listening and we will not be bludgeoned!

Obama's GREATEST HITS:

1. 2 years in public office

2. Hangs out with Rev Wright.

3. Hangs out with Bill Ayers.

4. Wife hates America

5. Had Black PANTHERS on his website.

6. Mocks Christians for their values.

TRANSLATION: OBAMA= Elitist JERK.

obama has pretty much destroyed any unity in the united states, concerning religion, and race.. first what his church teaches is not even considered christian principles, he said in an interview that they're are many paths to GOD, and if thats what he believes that fine, but its not the christian faith. so my doubts of his true christian faith is questionable, and his association with what i consider a non christian church. the name of church should be trinity black liberation church!!!his churchs racist, prejudiced and oppression theory to blame everyone else(whites) for their success has left his masses full of hatred, blaming govts and corps for their failure, or obviously they think they have been failed.
i dont respect his unity with terrorist,racist, and mob govt factions. he seems to unify himself with anti americans, or those he can persuade to feel oppressed or to be victims. youre heard the phrases he uses, bitter toward america, clingy to guns,religions, lost their dignity, he knows how to play this well, he learned all of this when he was a commmunity organizer(agitator) at DCP, and they used the alinsky model to oppress people, to rally against the establishments.i see obama for for he is, a con radical,left establishment,not very religious,entitlement-affirmative action promoter, of self entitlement to those minorities, that seem to be unmotivated.he even opposed a bill in 2001 regarding punishment for severe, violent gang activities, because it effected a minority of men of color, because theyre the group that was most affiliated with it., thats racist and prejudiced and unsafe for american. basically obama is trying to present himself as something he is not!

Obama will also have to put Michelle in the closet also. She has her own strange religion which is a mix of black liberation, socialism, christianity, Oprah and consiracy theories. And Lord she loves to preach it to us any chance she gets.

Amen.

Where does God hide?

In the moments of love and sharing.

When you reach out and help and you feel it and you want to and you need to, God is there.

When you are lost and in need and there is a hand to help you, God is there.

When you are sad for those who would do you wrong, God is there.

God is love and God is infinite.

http://loveandinfinity.com/

It is possible to be a deeply committed Christian and still consider legal abortion justifiable, not as the way to encourage women to abort their babies but merely as a means to protect the life of mothers who would otherwise opt for questionable self-abortion or seek abortion done by quacks, thus endangering their health and/or lives. Every woman who wishes to abort must be provided with intense counseling and the means to carry the child to term and give it up for adoption.

On stem cell research:

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/stemcells/scissues/

I hope that with electing Obama as our next president we finally show the world that we have arrived in the 21st century. Our democratic system of governance should have no place for discrimination based on religion, gender or color. We should also acknowledge that we are trailing in this strongest and noble principle of Democracy, behind the so-called developing nations such as Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and the Philippines. May be this humility will lend authenticity to the lofty rhetoric of the US being the leader of the world. We have to lead the world by example and not rhetoric.

When you look at the two candidates for president - Obama and McCain, they both have the religious, (Christian) conservative right, rattled. McCain is about as far away from the conservatice Christains as you can get in the Repulican party. Doesn't this tell you something about the mess that George Bush and his "faith-based" politics have made for this country?
I think it is a promising sign that this country, regardless of party affiliation, has learned a valuable lesson that the fore-fathers knew: If you allow religious zealots to run your country - it will regress back to the dark-ages.
I take this upcoming election as a sign that the majority of the US population have had enough of the narrow-minded religious fear mongering that has characterized the last 8 years.

Why on earth would faith be a virtue in a decision-maker? The ability to stare an absurd impossibility in the face and claim unfettered belief in it is evidence of self-deception at best and manipulative populism at worst.

Bravo for bringing Gustav Niebuhr to your wide audience. With so much confusion and pettiness being thrown around, a few wise souls sure help. Any chance of seeing him more often at the Post or Newsweek?

Which Obama is the author watching?

The candidate whose church attendance strongly correlates with his desire to run for public office?

The candidate who states that Americans "bitterly cling to their religion"?

The man who has church mentors that "damn America"?

The man that has run a negative, almost hate-filled campaign from the start?

WaPo and the rest of the MSM are working overtime on this election.....

The Republicans sold fear and hatred over the last 8 years. It didn't work in 2006 and won't work this year. The country is moving to a higher plane of morality. One that unites us for a common purpose, one that values everyone, and one that with honesty and accountability instead of never ending spin. As Senator Obama said, "[Y]ou chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations." To all of those playing the socialism canard, your comments ring hollow because both sides hand out our tax funds. The difference is that Republicans give our funds to oil companies and Halliburton and ask for nothing in return. Democrats give the money to students and veterans and get a return in the form of opportunity and an improved country. This Christian will continue to support Obama because he stands most for peace, love, and ending suffering. That's what my faith stands for and that's what I believe.

I would really love it if there was a convenient way to email these "On Faith" pages. Good, deep, well written thought should be more easily shared. (Shouldn't be that hard, Webmaster...)

Thanks for the writings nonetheless. I'll cut and paste in the meantime

I respect Sen Obama though I disagree with him on social issues. But McCain is not better. He(McCain) once stock a knife into evangelicals calling us agents of intolerance. Now that he needs our votes he goes after Rev Hagee. Its better to state your position clearly as Obama and stick to it than to play the role of the fox with us.

I may or may not vote for Sen Obama but I certainly will not vote for McCain.McCain's position vis a vis Evangelicals is dubious. How can he , for instance be proLife at the same time supporting stem cell? Why wouldn't he apologize to evangelical leaders for the "agents of intolerance" comment?

Im very wary of supporting Sen McCain just as my christians friends are.

Obama doesn't get it. We Christians don't vote for democrats because democrats supportion abortion and marriage revaluing (gay marriage). Obama can be as "nice" to us as he wants, but if he isn't right on life and family he won't get my vote

I was going to pour out truth, love, understanding, sensitivity, even wisdom here. But then I read the nine comments posted already....what's the use? I voted for Hillary, I love Barrack, but I can see only McCaine garnering anything like a majority......and what the hell? Does it really make a difference anymore?

I have no reason to believe what he says and this is a fall out of the Rev. Wright episode. His lack of judgement and socialistic thinking is not worth the risk.

Gustav Neibuhr points out, America is going back to its foundational principle, at the dawn of the 21st century. A real leader follows and coalesces the followers. It is the followers that make up America; make/keep it strong. An enviable Land. And its Leader Obama who can, indeed must project that what's on the Great American Seal.

E Pluribus Unum. Many uniting into one. 'Bring them republicans, independents, free-spirits on.' He is doing it. I for one, am a proud American all over again.

Excellent think piece, and one which the politicians in this nation might well ponder, and likely could well ignore, not only to their own, but to the entire country's, peril.

Our authors have done us a service with this piece, which ought to be expanded to examine not just "religion" as a wedge issue, but racism, sexism, misogyny, generalized "hate", economics and I don't know what all else, although I'm sure that the current political practicioners could make a wedge issue of ANYTHING, including a piece of cheese. We're divided so many blinking ways, we can't agree on anything, which means we can't compromise on anything.

IF we continue to fail to compromise, we won't ever accomplish anything.

This Hillary supporter (I was originally an Edwards supporter, so I'm not some closet conservative) find Mr. Obama's social policies, at least those we know about, WAY too liberal.

I also doubt his judgement: any man who claims that he can "just bring the troops home" is clearly delusional. Perhaps if he had EVER been in a position with real responsibility (as opposed to spending the first two years of his first term in Congress running for president) he'd know that.

I also am a fiscal conservatives. This is a dirty little secret of American politics: many women find the way the country has been run into the dirt economically appalling, because we women are always the first to be hurt by poverty and neglect.

The Republicans have made it perfectly clear that they will use any form of divisiveness (aka: hate), whether race, economic status, skin color, national origin, gender, age, ANYTHING at all will and can be made to "do the trick."

They've gotten away with it for most of the past three decades. It's a handy trick, too, and one that can be safely turned loose on the public and the publicly "disavowed."

When I look at the two major parties today, I don't see a dime's worth of difference on the bedrock fundamentals of honesty and integrity, although clearly there are policy differences, the Republicans planning, as far as I can tell, to gut the Constitution, divide the country into blocks of swiss cheese, impose their religious lunacy on the rest of us, and encourage hate. Each is capable of lying (look at the Iraq justification, or Bill Clinton); each can start a disastrous, filthy, ultimately losing war (Iraq? A mere adventure so far, compared with that disaster also known as VietNam.) Each can arrange to tax us to death: the Republicans by cutting taxes on people with money, and extracting the difference in payroll taxes; the Democrats for social programs that don't benefit a lot of us. Each can and will attempt to get us to "swallow" social programs that we might consider repugnant (religion in schools; no religion in the public squares.)

Despite Hillary Clinton's enjoining her supporters to support Barack Obama, I don't think it's at all certain that all of us will. We're going to have to think long and hard about it, because it's not at all obvious that the Democratic party really gives too hoots about us, all they want are our votes, and it's already more than obvious that the Republicans aren't any better.

I might add, given the failure of the Democratic leadership to denounce the rampant sexism and misogyny in the last campaing, that to some extent the Republicans are actually LESS repulsive, because at least they no longer even bother to lie, or pretend.

Now there's some real food for thought.

Go Obama!

Sometimes a nation has to vote its heart. In 2004, in a climate of fear, we inched out Gore, to put in the "safe" president Bush. What a laugh! Or I should say, what cry. The safe way is always the way that expresses who we are. With constructive expression to the rest of the world, we stand the best chance: United we stand, divided we fall.

Senator Hillary Clinton has proved to be a noble woman in the way she has endorsed Senator Obama. Her phenomenal campaign that brought her within a hair's breadth of the Democratic nomination proves she is a great Democrat worthy of great admiration. Yes, she will continue to serve the country and the world in one way or another.

Faith in The Lord Jesus gives many americans and I hope for the future. Especially in this uncertanty of our economical and global potition we stand at in our nation. The believers in Christ know our future will be better. If it was not for the Lord I don't where I'd be today. He accepted me even when I dealt with lots of rejection from people I grew up with in the past. It was through Jesus who brought healing in my life. I place my dependence on Him. One day I will live with Him in Heaven. That is what I long for someday to join My Lord in Person.

It might just be useful for Senator Obama to clarify that his statement about people clinging to religion and guns in their frustration may be a view that he subtly and unconsciously formed by imbibing the reality of the black community he associated with in the context of his community work and church; many of whom probably happen to use religious platform to voice their political distress and despair with a certain sense of hopelessness about the government contribution to their situation (as Rev Wright probably did in his church) and the statistics of blacks who are typically dubbed as being the majority among minority ethnic groups involved in crime.

I trust Obama to keep Christian dogma out of our politics, our science, and our children's classrooms.

I whole heartedly agree. It is his openness about his own faith and respect of others that sets him apart from so many other democratic politicians. May his promise come true.