Obama Thanksgiving Address: Conservatives Upset By Lack Of God Mention

Some conservatives are annoyed that President Obama did not mention God during a short Thanksgiving address he made on Thursday. (Watch above.)

ABC News reports that multiple conservative columnists wrote about what they perceived as an oversight on the president's part. Sherman Frederick at The Las Vegas Review-Journal chided, "Somebody ought to remind Obama (and his speechwriter) that when Americans sit down around a meal today and give thanks, they give thanks to God."

Fox News columnist Todd Starnes complained that the president's "remarks were void of any religious references although Thanksgiving is a holiday traditionally steeped in giving thanks and praise to God."

And the Los Angeles Times reports that right-wing corners of Twitter were abuzz over Obama's failure to get religious, with many retweeting Starnes' headline: "Obama Leaves God Out of Thanksgiving Address."

Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro didn't hold back, tweeting:

"Unreal that Obama doesn't mention God in Thanksgiving message. Militant atheist. To whom does he think we are giving thanks?"

In his speech, which clocked in at just over three minutes, Obama delivered a simple holiday message. He said that he and his family, like many Americans, would spend the day "eating great food, watching a little football, and reflecting on how truly lucky we are." He went on to thank military service members who were "eating Thanksgiving dinners far from your families" and Americans who "are taking time out of their holiday to serve in soup kitchens and shelters...this sense of mutual responsibility, the idea that I'm my brother's keeper, that I'm my sister's keeper, has always been part of what makes our country special." He also acknowledged America's tough economic climate and its persistent political gridlock, offering hope that things could improve.

As Gawker notes, the president did mention God in his 2009 and 2010 addresses.

Comments

[LP86]

10:52 PM on 11/26/2012

Seriously....some of these Christians just can not comprehend the idea that not everyone else believes what they believe. When I sat with my family around our Thanksgiving meal, we expressed our gratitude for the good in our lives and there was no mention of any religious entity at all - and we are just 'ordinary' Americans - well I guess not according to the Fox News definition.

[rt2012]

10:24 PM on 11/25/2012

Republicans won't be happy unless Obama mentions God at least as often as Tim Tebow does. In other words, every 2 seconds.

[rt2012]

10:21 PM on 11/25/2012

According to the tally count I've kept, Obama has mentioned God 160 times total in his presidency. The acceptable amount to me is 5,000 or more. And he has never used the word "Jesus" in any of his speeches. I have found a total of 5 pictures of Obama praying. Again, no fewer than 2,000 is acceptable to me. On the rare occasion that I see pictures of Obama praying, his head is bowed maybe 60, 65 degrees, never 90 degrees or more. I have never seen him protest an abortion clinic or a gay person's funeral, like a true Christian would. I have never seen Obama with a cross necklace, a Christian fish tattoo, or any evidence that he wears W.W.J.D underwear. I have never seen Obama speak in tongues. I have never seen Obama participate in the Race for the Cure of Homosexuality. I NEVER see Obama in a Tebow pose before, during, or after a speech or a campaign rally. Just more evidence that he is not a Christian.

[Vernie Taylor]

02:29 PM on 11/30/2011

Thanksgiving is a secular holiday not a religious one. Obama ends almost all of his speeches with "God bless" America and/or the American people so the one time he doesn't use his conventional ending, the spin doctors are ready to pounce. I guess Fox news can be sure now that he is not a devout Muslim.

[TAXSERF]

11:09 AM on 12/03/2011

Thanksgiving day, a day set aside for Thanks to God, by definition and intent has always been a thank you to God.

Check your facts. http://patriotpost.us/reference/thanksgiving-quiz/

[sierraseven]

03:53 PM on 11/23/2012

Hardly an unbiased source.

You don't have to be religious to celebrate Thanksgiving.

[Roxxannne]

09:31 AM on 11/23/2012

He is not a Christian. READ....LEARN ,,,,THINK

[eliteandproud]

09:24 AM on 11/30/2011

I thank goddess he didn't mention God, who also isn't mentioned in our national anthem!

[TAXSERF]

02:41 PM on 12/03/2011

au contraire, eliteandproud. Fourth verse of the National Anthem -- you've probably never heard it from your government-controlled education:

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

[eliteandproud]

03:32 PM on 12/03/2011

Actually, I did know God is mentioned in the fourth verse - but how many people know there is more than one verse?

[Oilvike]

05:48 PM on 11/29/2011

I see that Fox News noted that W mentioned God in 7 out of 8 Thanksgiving Proclamations and Clinton did so 4 out of 8 times. They didn't go back any further than that though. I think we need Blogger Paul Slansky to inform us how many times out of 8 that Reagan mentioned God in his Thanksgiving Address. I figure Slansky would know.

[norby413]

02:58 PM on 11/29/2011

Just more proof that Fox "news" caters to the lowest common denominator of right wing i.diot....

[bereasonable0]

02:36 PM on 11/29/2011

Happy GD Thanksgivin MFs

[Joel Mendez]

02:04 PM on 11/29/2011

GET OVER IT FUNDIE NUTJOBS.

[Ted Bouklos]

12:30 PM on 11/29/2011

Actually, thanks giving is the day the Pilgrims had a feast to thank the heathen Native Americans for teaching them how to farm in their new climate... fundie FAIL

[soapboxguy]

01:16 PM on 11/29/2011

Daily Show much?

[Ted Bouklos]

01:45 PM on 11/29/2011

Um no.. History class...I haven't watched last nights episode did they say something similar? I mean it's pretty obvious, we learned that in elementary school

[Joel Mendez]

02:05 PM on 11/29/2011

apparently, not enough for some.

[TAXSERF]

10:55 AM on 12/03/2011

Your statement is factless. It was not a thank you to the Indians. The Pilgrim's Day of 'Thanksgiving and prayer to God' was not the first, nor the official "Thanksgiving Day".

"Due to the fact that most of the history books following the War Between the States were written by northern historians, it is the Pilgrim's Thanksgiving celebration of 1621 is most directly associated with our current traditions for our national Day of Thanksgiving."

Facts: http://patriotpost.us/reference/thanksgiving-quiz/

[Ted Bouklos]

02:16 AM on 12/04/2011

you're giving me a post from a website whose motto is " The Patriot Post interprets current issues in the conservative context of history" in other words: conservative revisionist propaganda...sorry. fail...

[PardonOurDust]

12:11 PM on 11/29/2011

Seriously? My comment is the only one pending? For over 12 hours? That's hilarious.

[PardonOurDust]

02:21 PM on 11/29/2011

As usual, the braintrust that is HuffPo moderation shows their worth. Oh, no, don't finally publish the comment stuck in limbo for a day, publish the comment complaining about the comment stuck in limbo for a day. Genius!

[devnull73]

10:55 PM on 11/29/2011

Mine was pending for a while, and then disappeared altogether. Go figure.

[Ann Barton]

12:21 AM on 11/24/2012

Pending and gone means y'all didn't make the cut..you must have offended someone!! Happens to me all the time..especially if you had truth in the post..they hate the truth..

[tonytonmsn]

10:59 PM on 11/28/2011

When I see a situation that is not really a big deal and should have no bearing on the Thanksgiving Address being blown out of proprtion and causing all excitement because of the lack of a word, I blame the media. Sure, some conservatives make comments, but the media strikes on it.
Here me out. Do you think a republican would waste the time to watch Obama on TV? They wouldn't know what was said until the media showed them, the day after they wrote the story. There are Republicans that are not Christians too. That would mean some republicans don't care either......
I really think the press works overtime making up news. Don't beleive all of it.

[tonytonmsn]

10:25 PM on 11/28/2011

He didn't want to brag. He thinks he is God

[WhatWhat1]

11:35 PM on 11/28/2011

I bet your mom thinks you are soooo clever. She stands alone.

[tonytonmsn]

11:51 PM on 11/28/2011

Probably not, she's dead. I forget it was democrat hour.
Tell me about your Mom

[fauxnews lol]

10:24 AM on 11/29/2011

that would be the house speaker and the good old boys

[tonytonmsn]

12:21 PM on 11/29/2011

I stay out of the politics. I can only joke about it. Which ever way I vote, the state is red.
Yea, they got the conservatives in the house now, so I guess we can blame them for everything and then blame the dems for everything and go back and forth all the way back to slavery. That can only go back to origination of the Republican Party. Abraham Lincoln started the republican party. Wonder what he would think of that now? Would he still be republican? Sorry, I got off course. But, yep, by golly, them good ole boys..

[peacespy]

07:11 PM on 11/28/2011

Who does everyone think he quoted when he said "We are our brother's keeper." He then paraphrased "We are our sister's keeper." You would think conservatives might know their Bible a little better before they start criticizing. How better to honor God then to remind people of what his "SON" asked us to do!

[martyfrancom]

09:18 PM on 11/28/2011

I may not be conservative but I know that it does not say "we are our brother's keeper" in the Bible (nor does it say "I am my brother's keeper"). When Cain killed Abel and was confronted about it he sarcastically asked "Am I my brother's keeper?" as if to say "how do I know? and why should I care?" ... so be careful lecturing about something that you yourself aren't straight on.

[TAXSERF]

04:06 PM on 12/03/2011

Obama's "We are our brother's keeper" scoldings ring hollow when he has (two or more?) relatives in this country -- illegally, no less -- who are living off the taxpayer's dime and he hasn't lifted a finger to do anything about it. He's OK with you (well not you, per se, peacespy, I meant 'you' generically, as in you the actual taxpayers) paying for them, but not him. It seems irrelevant to me to quote or even refer to the Bible or any other source, and a bit hypocritical I might add, if you're openly doing the opposite.

[nomoresoundbytes]

03:37 PM on 11/28/2011

NOW they want to bring GOD into politics?!? What about their policies?!

[norby413]

03:01 PM on 11/29/2011

Blather about God while screw.ing the poor.....today's republican party!