My oped confronting an anti-Obama oped, on religious arrogance and the use of hate

[usregimechange]

John Cragin (Globe March 21st 2008) attempted poorly to tie Senator Obama to Islam. I am not sure what the utility of this would be if not to use prejudice and hatred to assist in some political end. After admitting that Obama is a Christian he notes that Obama grew up “in an Islamic environment” and faults him for not changing his name to “a Christian name.”

Who gets to decide which names are Christian and which names are not? The most pompous among us I would suspect.

In the approximately 4 years that Obama lived in Indonesia he also attended a Catholic elementary school. If you’re Catholic you can view this as social progress because apparently mentioning Obama’s time in Catholic school isn’t as scary.

John, being a Christian isn’t about how your name sounds or the demographic composition of your elementary schools, it is about how Christian principles are reflected in your beliefs and behavior. I think that even people who nominally different from you can be Christians. And, if they are not, Jesus taught that sinners are much closer to truth and righteousness than the arrogant.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

1. Very well done.

Is the assclown you're responding to a columnist?

[usregimechange]

2. No but he is a local prominent citizen, which means he needs even more attention

[usregimechange]

3. Damn, help me suggest a 2-3 word title...

[babylonsister]

4. Great OP. Here is the Jakarta response:

http://watchingamerica.com/News/209/obama-fan-club-launched-by-indonesian-former-classmates-2/

Obama Fan Club Launched by Indonesian Former Classmates

JAKARTA - Former classmates of the American presidential candidate “Barry” Obama launched last Saturday in their old elementary school in Jakarta the first Indonesian Obama Fan Club.

“Good Luck Barry,” 18 former elementary school classmates shouted enthusiastically, from their seats in their old classroom in Menteng, an elite neighborhood in the center of the Indonesian capital. In the early 70s, the American presidential candidate Barack Obama lived, together with his mother, for about four years in Indonesia--from the third till the fifth grade in elementary school. At that time, Obama used the name of his Indonesian step-father and was called Barry Soetoro in school.

“In the beginning, I no idea at all that Barack was really “Barry,” said former classmate Cut Citra Dewi during the launch of the fan club at the Indonesian detik.com. She is one of the over 40 former class mates of Obama. On Saturday, 18 of them came to their old elementary school to bring up memories of their “Barry.” At first he was a little shy, knows Member of Parliament Dewi Oetojo. “But he knew how to adapt quickly as a Westerner in Asia. With that experience, he can build a bridge between West and East.”

Obama’s Indonesian school years were a hot topic of conversation during the campaign. Rumors were circulating that Obama had attended an Islamic “madrasah” school in Jakarta. Reports surfaced again as a result of his Islamic middle name “Hussein.” The elementary school in Menteng where Obama took lessons for three years is really a secular government founded school.