Apr
16
Posted (Van Santos) in Just Stuff on April-16-2009

A few new sites to visit

There are two new sites I’ve added to my blogroll that I find quite enjoyable Oz Soapbox and Samuri Marine.  Both sites focus on personal thoughts and news.  If you have some free time, or if you are looking for something else to read, please take a moment to stop by their sites.

Jesus missing from President Obama’s Georgetown speech

So, what do you think of this story?

The White House asked Georgetown University to cover a monogram “IHS.”  Why?  IH symbolizes the name Jesus Christ.  Of course, Georgetown accommodated the request.  

I could start to go into the pros and cons of each side, I could attempt to rationalize the decision making process… but I am not going to.  I’m tired of it. I feel the nation is getting to the point where we are afraid to offend people.  Religion, God and spirituality is apart of life, regardless of what country you live in.  Guess what else is part of life – tolerance and understanding.  Fear of offending someone is avoidance, not tolerance.

I don’t care if an atheist is pissed off because the President is standing in front of a symbol that represents Christ.  You don’t hear Jews complaining because a public official giving a speech in front of a mosque.  You don’t hear Christians complaining when a public official goes to speak at a Jewish organization.  So, why is it atheists are the only ones that complain and why is it they are the ones the government is sensitive to all of a sudden? 

I don’t believe in organized religions, but I respect them.  I’m not an atheist, but I respect their views. If atheists want respect in their views and lifestyle, why not respect others?

The United States is not a Christian nation but it is a nation of multiple view, multiple religions.  No matter how hard one tries, you cannot erase that fact.  

Politicians need to stop worrying about offending someone, a potential voter, and preach the tolerance and respect EVERYONE deserves.

Related posts:

  1. A few random thoughts for 03/15/09
  2. The inauguration, the stock market and other random and unrelated things.
  3. Random thoughts for 3/19/09
  4. Random thoughts for 3/23/09
  5. Pre-inauguration Obama thoughts

Comments:
Jordan Madison on April 17th, 2009 at 9:43 pm #

Obama: There can only be one, ‘One’.

Some people have argued that Obama does not want to use religion to further a political ideology. However, Obama did evoke the Sermon on the Mount, at this Georgetown appearance, to further his economic agenda. Although Obama failed to mention Jesus Christ by name for the Sermon on the Mount.

“There is a parable at the end of the Sermon on the Mount that tells a story of two men…‘the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house…it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock,’” Obama said.

“We cannot rebuild this economy on the same pile of sand,” he added. “We must build our house upon a rock.”

The last statement is particularly ironic since building your house upon a ‘ROCK‘ means to build your house with Christ as the foundation. Obama decided to blot out the real foundation from the timeless parable.

See the hi-res pictures:
http://tinyurl.com/djtzgm

Van Santos on April 17th, 2009 at 10:09 pm #

@Jordan

Thanks for stopping in! I appreciate your input. When you put the parable in the context you did, the irony is quite clear. Politicians, and President Obama is no different, will use bits and pieces to maker their point and hope that people are unaware/don’t understand the context of where information has come from.

Do you feel this nation is becoming afraid to include religion, no matter what religion, in a public setting?

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