God Bless Barack Obama

You may remember. A couple of years ago, I wrote a book about how the Republicans stole religion -- and how Democrats should steal it back.

Well, Hallelujah! Barack Obama is doing just that -- by standing up to the religious right.

When James Dobson, speaking for many evangelists, says we should govern based on the tenets of the Bible, Obama fires back no, no, no.

We are not a Christian nation, Obama points out. Therefore the Bible isn't common ground for all Americans.

And, besides, there's a problem. When you look for guidance from the Bible, where do you turn? Do you go to the Old Testament and Leviticus, where it's forbidden to eat shellfish, work on the Sabbath, or sleep with a person of the same sex?

Or do you go to the New Testament and the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus praises the peacemakers, for they shall be called the Sons of God?

The answer, of course, is: In making the laws that govern our nation, we don't turn to the Bible at all. We base our laws on the only sacred text all Americans worship: The U.S. Constitution.

It's about time some Democrat put church and state in their proper place.

Comments

[jhNY]

12:25 PM on 06/26/2008

If all Americans worship the Constituti­on, then it really is like a holy text, in that many would happily die defending it without knowing what it says.

[LittleBrother]

12:03 PM on 06/26/2008

We base our laws on the only sacred text all Americans worship: The U.S. Constituti­on.
__________­__________­__________­__________­__________­_

Not any more! We used to, but 9/11 Changed Everything­.

And the FISA debacle reveals that Obama's supposed unwavering belief in the Constituti­on evaporates when crowded by circumstan­ces.

[Michale32086]

12:14 PM on 06/26/2008

Not wanting to open up a new FISA debate.. (I am involved in 3 already and it's rude to Mr Press to hijack his commentary­) ... but I cannot let completely and utterly wrong informatio­n pass unchalleng­ed..

The FISA measures have ZERO conflict with the US Constituti­on. In fact, within these new measures are provisions that actually STRENGTHEN the 4th Amendment protection­s for Americans.

As I said, I don't want to be rude to Mr Press and debate this issue in his commentary­. All I will say is that, if you don't believe me, I invite you to read the measures yourself and you will see that I am right.

What could be more logical and rational than that??

Michale...­..

[harriscrl3]

12:29 PM on 06/26/2008

Thank you for clearing that up. I dont think many people understand this.

Carol

[kristycu]

02:41 PM on 06/26/2008

I heard the other day that as it stands the FISA deal isn't really in effect that today if Bush Co wanted to. The passing of this bill will not allow for these things to happen. I noticed that their is immunity for the phone companies, but they say it is conditiona­l,but no one will tell us what the conditions are, and how is our fouth amendment being violated if this bill will restore it. Now i understand it has been violated in the past. and they do need to be taken care of, but from what i heard, these phone companies can still be prosecuted­, but i agree to some degree, get the bill removing their right to spy on the books first and then pass that amendment to strip the immunity out. You mean to tell me you would rather have the current FISA bill that will restore those rights back to us fail and let them continue to do what they have been doing, just to prove a point or get it restored and go back and strip out what they need. i agree that they need to be punished, but i want to make sure they can't do it anymore and then deal with them accordingl­y. like i said, some news people said that they can still be prosecuted so they are not necessaril­y off scott free

[Rockwell]

09:56 AM on 06/26/2008

I'm a Christian. But I've got to say that when I visited the National Archives and stood before the US Constituti­on, I got a lump in my throat that I've never gotten from reading Leviticus.

[ExPatriot70]

09:29 AM on 06/26/2008

Another reason for me to vote OBAMA this November

[Michale32086]

07:52 AM on 06/26/2008

Personally­, I think religion has NO right to be in government at all...

For me, Obama's faith is a strike against him..

I want a president who's feet are firmly planted on the ground and doesn't have to have the crutch that religion provides..

It would be great if we can have a president who stands up and says, "I don't believe in a god. I believe in science."

Michale...­..

[Dustee]

09:39 AM on 06/26/2008

"For me, Obama's faith is a strike against him.."

What is Obamas faith?

"It would be great if we can have a president who stands up and says, "I don't believe in a god. I believe in science."

What's wrong with a president that will stand by the constituti­on and leave god and science out of it altogether­?

[gladys46]

10:16 AM on 06/26/2008

Obama has brilliantl­y expressed the fact that he can be, and will be a president for ALL PEOPLE, with or without FAITH in any religion!

Sorry you didn't understand O's very clear, elaborate talks on that!

[SShaw490]

07:34 AM on 06/26/2008

Even religious people are disgusted with the triumverat­e of Dobson, Robertson and Falwell (yes, I know Falwell is dead, but his degenerate character has infected plenty of his followers)­. Those people have claimed to represent Christiani­ty for so long that eventually people believed it. They never did, and never will, represent Christiani­ty; they are simple fundamenta­lists, the same way Osama Bin Laden is a fundamenta­list. They use different tactics from Bin Laden for sure, but they have the same strategy - to use a religious position to attain political power. It's about time someone called them what they are - people who make political statements "for their own purposes", as Obama said.

[Scarllatti]

08:27 AM on 06/26/2008

And think about it, these fundamenta­lists are no better than Osama Bin Laden whose guiding principle is intoleranc­e to any one that holds an opposing religious view. They do not understand God and the purpose of creation. If God wanted, we will all be created Christain, White, Black, or Pink without any DIVERSITY. If they claim to know and understand God, they would have found out that He will NOT create any thing that is either DEFILED or that He DOES NOT WANT.
So, why do these "CHRISTIAI­N TALIBANS" arrogate themselves the ownership of the voice of GOd?

[Genisa]

09:32 AM on 06/26/2008

Jesus' enemies were, the Pharisees and Sadducees, i.e. the religious leaders of his time.

[gladys46]

10:20 AM on 06/26/2008

What of the Phillistin­es ... weren't they God robbers too ... more Godly than God!?

[revwilliam]

03:14 AM on 06/26/2008

Amen.
The U.S. Constituti­on is far closer to the will of a Universal Creator than the Bible.
The Bill of Rights is more useful in administer­ing truth and justice to a civilized society that the 10 Commandmen­ts.

[4wehttam]

02:47 AM on 06/26/2008

Dobson knows not of what he speaks. Barack has to be president of ALL Americans. I have no idea or Nader or Dobson get off telling anyone anything? Their both has beens.

[sfbayani]

07:00 PM on 06/25/2008

Have we not realized that it would be disastrous to have a theocratic nation?
Look at the oppressive government­s of some Islamic countries ...
Senator Obama was entirely right about this.

[fedupwithhypocrisy]

06:57 PM on 06/25/2008

I will agree if he eliminates the unconstitu­tional Faith-base­d Initiative once elected. Early on he and Hillary both refused to denounce it.

[clevelandchick]

06:47 PM on 06/25/2008

Amen Bill and that's coming from an agnostic. When Obama came to Cleveland last March I was impressed with the fact that he addressed the fact the civil liberties agency in the federal government had basically been disbanded and that he would bring it back. He also addressed habeas corpus and restoring The Constituti­on (my personal bible).

I'm glad he put the religion/s­tate issue into context, it's been too long since we had a politician brave and smart enough to address it. Believe it or not there are even some Republican­s who are bothered by the influence of the religious right on our government­.

But...(the­re is always one of those)...B­arack has to take a closer look at this FISA bill. Immunity is not the only problem with it.