Religious values underpin his policies, Obama says

By Lesley Clark
McClatchy Newspapers
Feb. 3, 2012
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/03/4235782/religious-values-underpin-his.html

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama, who rarely speaks of his faith, defended some of his administration’s policies Thursday by saying they reflect his religious convictions.

Speaking at the annual National Prayer Breakfast . . . Obama, who has proposed a tax on the richest Americans to pay for a payroll tax break for the middle class, suggested religious underpinnings to his call for “shared responsibility,” saying that asking those who have been “extraordinarily blessed” to give up some tax breaks makes economic sense.

But, he added, “For me as a Christian, it also coincides with Jesus’ teaching that ‘For unto whom much is given, much shall be required.’ It mirrors the Islamic belief that those who’ve been blessed have an obligation to use those blessings to help others, or the Jewish doctrine of moderation and consideration for others.” . . .

Obama offered a glimpse of his spiritual life Thursday, telling the crowd that he says a brief prayer upon waking each morning and spends time “in Scripture and devotion.” He said he prayed “from time to time” in the Oval Office or by phone with several pastors who were present.
He alluded to his own religious upbringing, noting that he grew up in a household “that wasn’t particularly religious” and found Christ “when I wasn’t even looking for him.”

He recounted visiting the Rev. Billy Graham while on a family vacation in Asheville, N.C., calling it “one of the great honors of my life.
“I have fallen on my knees with great regularity since that moment, asking God for guidance not just in my personal life and my Christian walk, but in the life of this nation and in the values that hold us together and keep us strong.”

It’s an election year, so it’s be to expected.

George - 03 February 2012 05:23 AM

It’s an election year, so it’s be to expected.

Specially at the National Prayer Breakfast -
keyrist if he hadn’t thrown them a sop, they’d probably be grumbling crucifixion, or lynching -
or worse accusing him of being a Muslim.

What a load of bollocks.  Time to stroke the rubes.

Jerry Coyne has a post on this on his blog, and I thought one of the comments from his readers was interesting (and probably true):

“Obama is just trying to polish his Christian credentials to offer a contrast against Romney the Mormon since Mormonism apparently makes many queasy. After the elections you’ll hear no more of this talk.”

Politics, pure and simple. A necessary evil at this time. Hopefully the day will come when this kind of pandering to the religious in America will be seen as a quaint practice of a bygone era.

FYI Ron Lindsay has a blog post on this issue HERE.

“Obama is just trying to polish his Christian credentials to offer a contrast against Romney the Mormon since Mormonism apparently makes many queasy. After the elections you’ll hear no more of this talk.”

Truer words were never spoken here. Look at the recent attacks by Rick Perry et. al attacking Obama’s supposed position on religion. The nay sayers out there still think that he’s a Muslim, and so to counter the bad religious publicity he has to play up his beliefs at the prayer breakfast. Can you imagine the political football the rep. candidates would have to play with if he cancelled the breakfast? And he may actually be religious and pray everyday. It could be his TM for the morning. I personally don’t like it, even his pandering to the king of the televangelists, the sacred Billy, but it is an election year and Obama has to use every weapon in his war chest to win so why not pull jesus out of a hat and show him off? Have you ever heard of a non-hypocritical politician? That animal doesn’t exist in the real world of sound bytes!

Cap’t JAck

dougsmith - 06 February 2012 03:24 PM

FYI Ron Lindsay has a blog post on this issue HERE.

After reading Lindsay’s analysis, I looked at the speech in a different light. The subtle introduction of secular morality values in addition to religious values convinces me that Obama truly tries to live by the “seperation clause” in the Constitution. To include religious values when they are pertinent to the listener where they coincide with the values of a secular Democracy shows me a Statesman who is able to speak the language of the listener. We can also surmise that Obama knows the “other” books and would be able to communicate those common values abroad.

Of course this was a political speech, but today everything is political and should be judged at that level. As an inclusive political speech it was excellent. IMO it was not pandering or surrendering to any religion, but a reminder that all religious people have certain moral obligations in accordance with their own beliefs.

George - 03 February 2012 10:34 AM

Jerry Coyne has a post on this on his blog, and I thought one of the comments from his readers was interesting (and probably true):

“Obama is just trying to polish his Christian credentials to offer a contrast against Romney the Mormon since Mormonism apparently makes many queasy. After the elections you’ll hear no more of this talk.”

I really hope that is true, especially the second part.

I don’t find Obama secular enough, but then there are those who, well, here, copy & pasted from an article that appeared in the Chicago Tribune and a bunch of other publications:

“Rick Santorum accused Obama of trying to “impose his secular values on the people of this country.”

Here is the full article, though I would not be surprised if most people reading this have already heard this on the radio:
Tribune Birth control fight

Yeah, that pisses me off when people say that Obama is forcing secular values. No he is NOT. He is simply saying that non-Catholics within the Catholic payroll should be FREE to choose birth control. Obama is pushing freedom.

traveler - 09 February 2012 06:43 AM

Yeah, that pisses me off when people say that Obama is forcing secular values. No he is NOT. He is simply saying that non-Catholics within the Catholic payroll should be FREE to choose birth control. Obama is pushing freedom.

I guess they figure that giving freedom to anyone to act out of compliance with their narrow values is somehow taking away their freedom. 

If an overwhelming majority were laughing at Santorum, then it would not bother me.  What pisses me off is that there are enough people stupid enough to agree with Santorum to make his nonsense dangerous.

Tradition Of Progress - 09 February 2012 06:38 PM

traveler - 09 February 2012 06:43 AM

Yeah, that pisses me off when people say that Obama is forcing secular values. No he is NOT. He is simply saying that non-Catholics within the Catholic payroll should be FREE to choose birth control. Obama is pushing freedom.

I guess they figure that giving freedom to anyone to act out of compliance with their narrow values is somehow taking away their freedom. 

If an overwhelming majority were laughing at Santorum, then it would not bother me.  What pisses me off is that there are enough people stupid enough to agree with Santorum to make his nonsense dangerous.

yes, gay marriage is an attack on christianity.

Write4U - 09 February 2012 07:15 PM

Tradition Of Progress - 09 February 2012 06:38 PM

traveler - 09 February 2012 06:43 AM

Yeah, that pisses me off when people say that Obama is forcing secular values. No he is NOT. He is simply saying that non-Catholics within the Catholic payroll should be FREE to choose birth control. Obama is pushing freedom.

I guess they figure that giving freedom to anyone to act out of compliance with their narrow values is somehow taking away their freedom. 

If an overwhelming majority were laughing at Santorum, then it would not bother me.  What pisses me off is that there are enough people stupid enough to agree with Santorum to make his nonsense dangerous.

yes, gay marriage is an attack on christianity.

And they don’t want their priests to marry. 

Priests are exempt don’t ya know. That’s why they get transferred to another diocese after commiting pedophilia, instead of slamming them in jail. Very Christian (Catholic)

One thing is true; God does indeed work in mysterious ways.

This sort of thing is only going to get worse, you know.  Candidates will be healing the sick and lame, soon, in Christ’s name.