Why the president's faith matters

PurlGurl

I am just an ordinary person. I don't work on Capitol Hill and I do not run the country. Furthermore, I have not said anything political AT ALL.

I merely observe a disconnect between what you say, and what you say you are.

You say you are an American Indian girl who does not believe in Christianity. Yet, you are ultra right wing, hate black people, love white people, hate Islam, love Christianity.

What's wrong with this picture?

You whitsle like a tea kettle.

DANIELINTHELIONSDEN asks, "What else have you got? The "N" word?"

Yes I do. My n-word for you is "nincompoop".

There you are readers, a classic and stereotypical left liberal. He represents the type of people in charge of Capitol Hill and in charge of our nation.

Danny, you are a right funny boy!

Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation

Purlgurl

I am not a mind reader; I just know a fraud when I see one. You are the one telling us all what Obama really thinks and believes, not me; I merely take his word on ordinary things.

As an American Indian, what do you see as the key differences between Islam and Christianity, and why as a practioner of neither, do you obviously favor one over the other?

Also, how do you hold black people responsible for the conquest and destrution of American Indian civilization?

And how come you choose cliche Indian metaphors that no real Indian would ever use, except in cheap Hollywood movies, and how come you sometimes express yourself in a vaugue broken English, even though almost all American Indian languages are extinct and they now speak flawless standard English?

What else have you got? The "N" word?

DANIELINTHELIONSDEN reads Obama's mind, "In saying that America was not a Christian nation, Obama's point was that America is a secular nation...."

Is that so! In the same breath Obama said America is the largest Muslim nation.

Yes, sir, Obama meant "secular", he surely did! His proclaiming America a Muslim nation is a simple slip of the tongue to be ignored, if you are a deceitful left liberal.

So how long have you been an internet mind reader?

Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation

Purlgurl

In saying that America was not a Christian nation, Obama's point was that America is a secular nation, meaning, without a state religion. You either do not have an ounce of sense, or you are being deliberately obtuse. Either way, it is not good.

The largest Islamic nation is Indonesia, I believe. For someone who is neither Christian nor Muslim, it would seem to me that the two would be just about the same, and either one as good as the other. But you have an obvious preference for Christianity over Islam. That does seem odd.

And you seem to have obvious preference for white people and disdain for black people, even calling our black President a "Boy." I do not really think that American Indians are known for referring to black men as "Boy," but white Southern rednecks are.

So, who are you, really?

PurlGurl

You are an obvious fraud. You are a white racist posing as an American Indian.

If you want to see a liar, then go look in the mirror.

DANIELINTHELIONSDEN asks, "If Obama says he is a Christian, then why wouldn't you believe him?"

An answer for your question is very obvious. This answer is Obama is a habitual liar; the boy will lie when truth would fit better. Obama is a well practiced liar and his morals are those of politicians; Obama's "goodness" factor is less than that of used car salespersons.

Hello! Is your mind and the mind of Thistlethwaite so messed up on the Lord you only see Heaven, white clouds, rainbows, unicorns and naked cherubs?

Obama proclaimed America is not a Christian nation rather America is the largest Muslim nation. He declared this over in the Mideast before millions of screaming Muslims most of whom are looking to saw our heads off or fly off to your Heaven to enjoy 72 wanton virgins.

These political expediency lies of Obama are meaningless. What Obama does is meaningful.

Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation

PurlGurl

The philosophical doctrine of tolerance does not extend to those who are themselves, intolerant.

This is word trick and a trick of logic that the intolerant often try. But it doesn't fly.

Calling out intolerant religious doctrines in the name of tolerance is not hypocritical; it is being true to a good and high philosophical doctrine.

PurlGurl

If Obama says he is a Christian, then why wouldn't you believe him? Sketpticism can be applied to the very edge of belief in anything, but when a simple statement is made about an ordinary thing, such an advanced degree of skepticism is not necessary.

You say that you are a traditional American girl, but I have no reason to believe that you are even a girl, a boy, or an old man. But I have no reason not to believe it, either.

I think that on this subject, Susan was assuming that Obama was speaking honestly, and therefore the expression of his feelings were true.

If you have reasons to believe otherwise, then why don't you say what they are?

MWPALMER comments, "I smiled when I read your comments here. You are a rare one, who seems to see clearly and speak good sense."

You are sincerely too kind. Most people cuss at me. Reason for this is I am raised to be pragmatic and truthful, raised to be an old fashion traditional American Indian.

We are known to be maddeningly pragmatic. We deal strictly with reality. We do not engage in wishful thinking nor do we fool ourselves.

All this debate about Obama and his faith is simply ludicrous. My peoples, traditional peoples, weigh his worth by his displayed behaviors. What he thinks is not of any real importance and is more of a worthless curiosity nature.

What he does or not do is critically important.

A person tells our tribe, "I will bring you a buffalo flank." This is meaningless. When he delivers this buffalo flank, this is meaningful.

Our perspective is "Prove yourself".

I sincerely appreciate your kind words. Those type of words are rare within political blogs. Thank you.

Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation

AMM poses some central questions. Here is MY point of view:

1. If a Christian has no clear commitment to improving the lot of the poor, she is not a Christian.
2. Obama clearly thinks communities, and their nature, make a big difference. Not a *miraculous* difference, but a difference.
3. It is important for We the People to understand where a politician stands on issues of economic equity, and what that politician would do about it. Tax policy for instance.
4. Susan is correct that a President's economic policies are usually influenced by his flavor of ethical/religious beliefs. Bush would NEVER have gotten excited about Niebuhr. That Obama does is telling.
5. Those who opposed "Obamacare" show NO evidence of CARING about the fate of the 31 million uninsured that Obamacare will bring into the "community" of insured persons.

PURGURL,

I smiled when I read your comments here. You are a rare one, who seems to see clearly and speak good sense.

Thank you.

I hate to pick nits, but I still want more information about liberation theology, as the only details I can find come from the opposition. Looking it up on Wikipedia, it seems that some aspects are drawn from Marx and Hegel, and that disturbs me.

Not because I have a problem with Marx per se (I honestly think everyone alive should study what he said and draw their own conclusions; mine are that he was very wrong about most things, but at least I know that from study and not from TERROR OF THE RED), but because I take seriously the separation of church and state.

If I don't want to see "values voters" decide I cannot marry because God dislikes who I am;

If I don't want to see "values voters" decide my uterus is their property because "before I formed you in the womb I knew you;

If I don't want to see "values voters" raising a hue and cry about someone of another faith than theirs setting up a community center because people therein might prostrate themselves before the wrong god;

then I must condemn movements that claim that religion and politics are inherently connected, whether they come from the left or the right.

I do believe that a proper reading of Christian texts centralizes the concerns of the poor (and of women, and of people with disabilities, and of those marginalized for various reasons.) I do believe that faith communities can and should see themselves as called to help those people.

I just need to know what bringing a Hegelian and possibly, yes, Marxist (though again, I'm not using that as a term of abuse) framework to bear on theology means. If it means "God called me to support these leaders over those," someone's confusing what's Ceasar's and what's God's.

So can someone explain in detail what centralizing the concerns of the poor specifically *means* in these theologies? Because I don't want a theocracy, even a leftist one that celebrates my love for my girlfriend.

JEFFL240 comments, "He as a Mormon...no respect for anything this country stands for- especially religious freedom and tolerance...."

You are contradicting yourself in the same breath. You display hateful intolerance for Mormons, display certain misogyny, then turn right around and preach about religious freedom and tolerance.

"Hypocrite" is a word which comes to mind.

You are a left liberal, yes?

Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation

Beck is revealing himself as a true nutcase. He as a Mormon has attacked Obama as not being a true Christian. He has lied about the turn-out and he has done all he can to foment hatred and racism in this country. His lapdog Sarah Palin is just a dumb skirt in the pay of Rupert Murdoch as a Fox News commentator. These people are shameless and have no respect for anything this country stands for- especially religious freedom and tolerance of people of foreign origin. That is what this country was built upon. If there are traitors to American ideals in our midst it is Beck and Palin and their hypocritical pals Limbaugh and Hannity.

Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite writes, "President Obama is a Christian, and a fairly typical United Church of Christ sort of Christian at that."

You do not know this. This knowledge is literally impossible for you to know. Faith resides within a mind and metaphorically within a heart. You are not a mind reader. This knowledge of Obama you claim to possess is absolutely impossible. I will stop short of suggesting you are being deceitful.

Prior to this illogical claim of yours, you write of Richard Nixon. You do not know but what Obama is pulling a Nixonian trick.

Thistlethwaite, in less than one minute and in less than twenty-five words I could convince you I am a good Christian. Reality is I am a red skinned girl, a traditional American Indian who does not believe in your Christian god. I know I could easily fool you because you display a shocking naivete.

My eyes are not blinded by faith in God.

Thistlethwaite writes, "I was there at that church event...."

There you are. What you have done and are doing is projecting upon Obama what you, personally, want him to be. You believe of him what you want to believe. You are simply fooling yourself, and you are deliberately trying to fool readers.

I know this as "deceit", just as I know you are not a woman of God.

Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation

God to Glen Beck:

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness.