Why I Believe: Barack Obama For President

[Shana A]

http://transadvocate.com/beckygrrl/?p=80

"Why I Believe: Barack Obama For President

Becky's Blog
Rebecca Juro - Writer, Activist, Radio Talk Show Host

Let's start with some basic, honest facts: I didn't start out here. I had to reach this place, and I had to be shown the way.

At the start of this Presidential campaign season, I was an ardent supporter of Dennis Kucinich. The truth is that I still believe in Dennis' vision, his platform, and his staunch support for real equality in America. None of that has changed. What has changed for me is that I now believe that our best chance for America to get there is with Barack Obama as our President.

It was not a short or easy trip to get here. I'm not someone who trusts politicians easily, no matter what platform they run on or which party they happen to represent. We've all heard politicians speak of change before, just as we're hearing it now, and we've been sorely disappointed when those supportive words and promises were not later backed up with positive action.

I'm a transsexual woman, and over the last few months..."

[MaryEllen]

I believe the contest will boil down to Barack Obama and John McCain. Personally I believe that Obama will be the winner.

MaryEllen

[RebeccaFog]

Poor John.  He a-shooted hisself in the feets when he french kissed that bush guy   

[daisybelle]

Obama mentioned his church during his appearance with Oprah.  It's the Trinity United Church of Christ.  I found this interesting.

http://www.tucc.org/about.htm

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/church.asp

Seeing as Huckabee is being judged as a Southern Baptist, and Romney as a Mormon, you should get the Obama perspective.

We are a congregation which is Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian... Our roots in the Black religious experience and tradition are deep, lasting and permanent. We are an African people, and remain "true to our native land," the mother continent, the cradle of civilization. God has superintended our pilgrimage through the days of slavery, the days of segregation, and the long night of racism. It is God who gives us the strength and courage to continuously address injustice as a people, and as a congregation. We constantly affirm our trust in God through cultural expression of a Black worship service and ministries which address the Black Community.

How does remaining true to their native land make him true to the land he is a native of, and running for president?  While conservative, I actually liked this guy.   The snopes link puts a better spin on this saying replace Black with another ethnic group..... like Mexican, Serbian, Polish.  The flaw here is that ethnicism does not have to do with the color of your skin.  It does not say African, it says Black.   And I imagine a white south African would be very out of place here.   And taking this closer to home, my daughter is dating someone whose father is Black, and mother is white. In this day and age, I am accepting, but I wonder how the members of this church would feel if the boyfriends mother showed up there.

Daisy

[RebeccaFog]

I'm sure Obama keeps his religious stuff separate from his governing stuff.  Most people keep some connection with the land of their ancestors.  Reagan and Kennedy boasted of their Irishness, but I don't see us all wearing Celtic clothing here.

The difference between liberal/progressive and many (not all) conservatives is that lib/progs don't believe in entwining religion and government.

The guy could believe in supernatural spider monkeys, and I wouldn't be concerned about him trying to screw the rest of us over with his personal belief system.

Just saying


Rebis

[tekla]

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Huge difference between DK and BO, one has a real plan for what he wants to do the other says 'trust me.'  DK also has proven experience at governing, BO, none.  One voted against the war, the other says he might have. 

I just wonder with all the religion in the process anymore if we are electing a president or a church elder.

[daisybelle]

I am not saying the church would override his decision making process.

However it is the MORAL foundation which they build the person they are.

For example, if America were to elect a suspected cheating on his wife, who carried the same MO into the OVAL Office and defaced the Presidency.. wait a minute we already did.  Remember Barbara Walter interviewed Clinton before the Primaries, and he denied ever have an affair.  And we know how true he stayed to his wife while he was president.

I am not saying the President should try to "Save" America as a Christian leader.  But if he says he is a Christian, he should live up to the moral foundations of his church.   A member of a church that outright endorses separatism and it own segregation is not exactly what I am expecting as the next leader for our country.   If he just goes to this church to go, or garner votes, then exactly what is his foundation.   If he disagrees with the churches mission, then he should say so..... otherwise I see this as an endorsement.

Daisy

[NicholeW.]

Daisy,

I read through the church's website and didn't see anything that said they believe that separation or segregation are positive things. I did read that they said that 'Black Liberation Theology' guides their system of belief. And they are Africa-centric rather than Euro-centric. And they did expressly state that they do not perceive that Africans and African origins are superior to anyone elses continent or origins.

Christianity has a long history in Africa. The kingdoms of Meroe, Ethiopia and Nubia as well as the Patriarchate of Alexandria were the originators of much of the oldest Christian teachings available and that fact is often ignored by European & European-centered Christians.

I have had a long-history of attending, when i do attend at all, inner-city, predominantly black congregations. I have not yet received a demand to leave or felt any less than welcomed. OTH, there are many predominantly white American churches that actively insist that I am on my way to Hell and have no place in society at all.

I also decline to accept that someone's sexual proclivities or their church affiliations really tell me much of anything about how they will serve as President.

Ronald reagan was a conservative darling and is still used as a measuring post by such people although he seldom ever attended church at all nor did he espouse a particular religious faith. I always found Jimmy Carter an admirable man and he continues to enhance that reputation although he is a Southern Baptist. George W. Bush says a lot about God, but seldom shows a lot of compassion, imo.

And the 'moral foundations' of his church or hers? might well be 500 separate things dependent on which church that person attends, or none. I am sure over the next few months if he is nominated by the Democrtas that Obama's church will be thoroughly vetted, maligned and praised by whomever has taken on the mantles of Karl Rove and Lee Atwater on the conservative side of things.

Just as I am sure that should Huckabee be nominated by the Republicans I will also read and hear about his faith as well and what that will hold for me if he is elected to the office.

I think that a person's religious or spiritual walk should inform their life. How it does that can be best seen, imo, by a general view they have toward others, not so much possibly from a strict adherence to the absolute tenets of any particular breed of Christianity, Buddhism, Vedanta or Wicca.

But, that is simply the way I see it.   

Nichole

[BeverlyAnn]

I won't debate the values of one candidates religious preference over another but when it comes to Huckabee, Romney or anyone expressing devout belief in their own particular faith, I remember this quote:

It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
Robert A. Heinlein

People will say that the Constitution would prohibit such laws but remember, the Constitution means what the Supreme Court says it means.  With a couple more religious fundamentalists on the Court, it will be stacked so far to the Right, this country might never recover.

Beverly

[cindianna_jones]

I agree with you Bev.

I've thought for years that there are only a few things that the President really can do:

1) Select Supreme Court Justices
2) Lead and inspire
3) Take us to war

And after the past decade I've had to add one more to the list:

- Divide the country over personal religious beliefs

It is so hard for me to imagine how in this day and age we can become so like those foreign entities we so despise.

Cindi

[tekla]

They can also be like Robin Hood in reverse, which has also been going on for the past 30 years, regardless of the president having a R or a D after their name, which is to take money from those who can least afford it, and give it to those who need it the least.  The ever increasing gap between rich and poor, and the gradual elimination of the middle class in the USA, that's a pretty special talent also.  The rest is smoke and mirrors to distract us from that.

[BeverlyAnn]

... which is to take money from those who can least afford it, and give it to those who need it the least. 

There used to be an old political science axiom that you couldn't keep the Republicans out of your bedroom and you couldn't keep the Democrats out of your wallet.  You still can't keep the Republicans out of your bedroom but now it should read "Republican's cronies and Democrats out of your wallet." 

Beverly

[daisybelle]

I also decline to accept that someone's sexual proclivities or their church affiliations really tell me much of anything about how they will serve as President.

Ronald reagan was a conservative darling and is still used as a measuring post by such people although he seldom ever attended church at all nor did he espouse a particular religious faith. I always found Jimmy Carter an admirable man and he continues to enhance that reputation although he is a Southern Baptist. George W. Bush says a lot about God, but seldom shows a lot of compassion, imo.

A president's sexual proclivities definitely impact how he serves.  Especially when he goes on National TV and says" I DID NOT HAVE SEX WITH THAT WOMAN!!!"  I did not vote for the man, nor will I vote for his wife.  Everything with those two comes down to a spin... At a minimum I believe he lessened the Office's credibility with our international allies.

And while Reagan may not have spoken religious thoughts ( see more info at :
http://www.heritage.org/Research/PoliticalPhilosophy/hl832.cfm  and http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_2004_May_11/ai_n6143344 ):

President Reagan's faith, Kengor shows, permeated every part of his life and therefore played a major role in shaping his views on every subject from abortion and school prayer to foreign affairs and the American vision in history.  This may surprise many. After all, Reagan rarely attended church and made no dramatic professions of his Christianity or at least none that made TV and entered the memory of the nation. But, as Kengor notes, "Rather than bringing himself to church, President Reagan brought the church to his presidency."

You may hate or love Ronald Reagan, but no one can deny that he was a strong charismatic man that stood by his principles, and those principles had the foundation of his Christian upbringing.  It is my sincere belief that his strongminded build up of the military is what depleted the Soviet Union, and brought down the Iron Curtain during Bush Sr's term in office.

Lastly the church website mentioned by Obama, clearly states a non-negotiable COMMITMENT TO AFRICA.  What kind of commitment? They also state they are committed to LIBERATION.  Who are they going to free?  And they are  committed to RESTORATION.   What are they going to restore?  And Finally they are working towards ECONOMIC PARITY.  Sounds like Communism when mentioned in the same breath as Liberation and Restoration.

So this is all for one race of people and none of the others? So the Gospel is replaced by political activism in the name of Christianity? And this is what Barack Obama subscribes to as his belief due to his membership in the Trinity United Church of Christ?

I'd say yes.

Then we read in the church's mission statement (above) that they are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ but go on to say that they do not apologize for their African roots!
The True Church does not care about anyone's roots, African or otherwise. We are all one in Christ and color blind.
http://ricgator.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html

Anyway I am just stating be watchful....  if I had to vote the D-ticket --- it would not be Clinton or Obama.

Daisy