any other non-religious types and atheists who are loving that Obama can talk religion?

[BklynChick]

I've always hated organized religion, and I do believe in strongly in the separation of church and state, but it's so nice and refreshing to have a candidate in Obama who has actual and genuine faith and talk rings around these rightwing nutjob holier-than-thou religious fanatics. I feel like the Democrats can finally take the moral high ground when it comes to religion and what it should really be about--spirituality, compassion, acceptance, and love.

[scheming daemons]

1. I'm glad he can talk the talk.... but as an atheist, I'm hoping his mom's agnosticism will come

through more often.


I know he has to say what he has to say..... and I'm sure he even feels it..... but I hope that... deep down... he still has a healthy amount of skepticism.


George Carlin and I shared a worldview..... and many more Americans share it than will admit it publicly.... I'm hoping Obama is one of them.

[BklynChick]

2. I have a world view similar to George Carlin's as well. Obama is a smart guy and a critical thinker

True religious faith requires a healthy amount of skepticism and questionning and there's no doubt in my mind Obama's got it.

[iamahaingttta]

3. Yes!

I am so with you on this!
This latest Dobson bit ia a gas!
One of these days, however, these issues will be irrelevant to politics.
One can dream, can't one?


Signed,
A BklynDude

[mrreowwr_kittty]

4. Yes!

He is one of a handful politicians (Jimmy Carter is another) who can talk about their personal faith without making me want to hurl. It must have to do with a high level of intelligence and thoughtfulness. I've never gotten the sense from Obama that if we were friends he'd ever question my agnosticism or try to talk me out of it.

[polichick]

5. I love that he can take on the right-wing nutjobs...

...but sometimes he sounds too born-again for me.

I agree that it should be about "spirituality, compassion, acceptance, and love."

[demokatgurrl]

6. I'm odd person out, I'm sure- I hate it

I wish no candidate talked about religion. As a staunch nonbeliever, I think religion should have no place in our government. But clearly I am in a very small minority.

[DavidDvorkin]

8. I'm with you

I long for a candidate with the courage to point out that such talk has no place in an election.

[JuniperLea]

13. I'm with you...

I was raised in a fundy church, and thanks to that experience and all the hypocrisy I found there, I'm an Agnostic Recovering Fundy... I really cringe when Obama gets all preacher... seriously, I wince and cringe.

[Kali]

15. I'm with you

It's nobody's effing business and it needs to be kept the hell out of government. :puke:

[Forkboy]

16. I know what you're saying and agree with the sentiment, but...

..the truth is that a politician HAS to address it in some manner in this country. Part of the trouble though comes from people who address just ONE religion, at the expense of the other, and also those who ignore non-believers. All can be addressed fairly and honestly, and people should be able to do so without fear of repercussion from either camp.

[JerseygirlCT]

7. Well, I'm a believer myself, but yes, I totally agree with you

It's marvelous that he's able to speak on the topic in such a "Democratic" way - open, inclusive, absolutely respectful of the Constitution and of differing beliefs.

And the honest truth is that most of the religious people in the country are far more comfortable with a more inclusive view of their faith in the public square. The exclusive and angry position of the right-wing, Republican Christians isn't broadly accepted. It's been somewhat tolerated though, in the vacuum created when Democrats refuse to talk to people of faith about faith.

[cbc5g]

9. As a skeptic, If it helps him win then I'm glad he can speak to Christians

We've got to bring them away from the far right so that RW'ers can't take them for granted anymore.

[anonymous171]

10. Anyone else find it odd that during the primaries Obama got tons of support

from people who were non-religious even though he's the candidate who is most open about his faith?

[cbc5g]

12. we understand that to get progress a candidate has to speak about it

The majority of Americans aren't like us.

[JuniperLea]

11. No... if there is one thing I really hate about him, it's this...

Not only do I find anyone who is overly involved in church offensive and suspicious, he handles it poorly, imho, and has since the stupidity over Rev. Wright.

I think he's better off sticking to politics.

[Bill McBlueState]

14. It's a little more complicated than that for me, but overall it's a good thing

As an atheist, my predominant feeling is that we'd be a lot better off if our candidates didn't feel the need to publicly proclaim their religion.

But, since they do, it helps us to have a candidate who can speak convincingly about his religious beliefs. It made me cringe in 2004 when Dean thought the story of Job was in the New Testament.

[CanonRay]

17. Yes, but I wish it wasn't necessary

One's religion, or lack thereof, is NOBODY's business, even those running for President. I wish it would cease to be a factor at all in politics, but I know I'm dreaming.

[CanonRay]

18. Yes, but I wish it wasn't necessary

One's religion, or lack thereof, is NOBODY's business, even those running for President. I wish it would cease to be a factor at all in politics, but I know I'm dreaming.

[Mz Pip]

19. It's been a weakness

of Democratic candidates since Carter. They don't seem to be comfortable talking about matters of faith.

I'm not much of a believer but I understand that the majority of the country is and considers faith to be important. I saw Obama's q & a at that faith conference a couple of months back. I thought he handled it well. He seemed to be well received by the religious community but didn't creep me out in the process.

It's a fine line but he seems to be doing okay with it so far.

[papapi]

20. I'll reserve judgment for now. Obama's....

religion has so far proven more negative that positive in the race. As a gay man, I can see where his religion is clouding his judgment on the issue of marriage. Rev. Mr. Wright was not a positive thing. Leaving his church was not a positive thing. Overall his religion has been a burden so far as I can see.

Of course, I do believe Obama's faith is real, unlike dubya's so call 'faith' which I believe was just a talking point he took on in order to pacify the fanatical fundies of the repugnantcan party.

I describe myself as a pagan Xian who leans toward atheism. You may ask what that is so here goes - I think we know little about the truth, should listen to knowledgeable, peaceful teachers and should be skeptical of the god hypothesis until we can prove it. Belief on faith alone is unrealistic.

However, I do believe the Shroud of Turin is real and was the burial cloth of Jesus Christ. But I have never been a member of the Catholic Church.

Don't get me started.

[FourPieRun]

21. no; it gives me the creeps. nt

[crankychatter]

22. The types and allegories in the Bible have been used by the Literati for Centuries

with zero religious intent (not that I know much about all that).

it's just full of moral references (some good some bad) and useful in discussions of ethics... the role of the government... ethics for the individual...

Even my favorite unbeliever, Jefferson, had his own version of the Bible... only the supposed "words of Jesus," the "Jefferson Bible."

It doesn't make Obama a nut... it makes him an able communicator

unlike the Chimpster or McSame

[Blondiegrrl]

23. Yes. I'm an agnostic, but I respect and appreciate Obama's honesty on the matter.

He doesn't back down from his own Christian beliefs, but he doesn't try to impose them on others.

If only more politicians were like that.

[jazzjunkysue]

24. I think it's sweet, even though I really believe in the FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER!!

Here it comes, NOW!

(Ducking under bed) :scared:

[PurityOfEssence]

25. No. I can't stand it a bit and it irritates me for many reasons.

The more religion is brought into the public forum for elective politics, the more it will be tacitly accepted as "necessary".

Among other things, I consider public religious faith to be either an extreme form of arrogance or deeply dishonest; either way, it's a facile shortcut. Sadly, it fits with my personal view of the man as being a serial maneuverer, and worse than anything else, it's dangerous. It has unintended consequences.

Deep in the hearts of many who rub their hands with glee at how he plays the religion card is the impish flame of the American spirit: getting away with something. He's glad-handed and grandstanded and carefully avoided controversy while promising a rosiness that's as vague as it is unsubstantiated by his record, and people eat it up. I hope they keep eating it up enough to sneak this one by in November, but human nature is fickle with its heroes, and he's going to sustain some serious hits for consistency, loyalty and sense in the months to come, and I hope he can continue to skate when scrutinized.

People are snickering with the thought that he's going to sneak in and scam the scammers with their own schtick, and not only do I not like the hucksterism, I don't necessarily think it'll work.

In the end, religion is simply not necessary. There's no policy that's worth having instituted that can't be proposed and justified secularly.

[adnelson60087]

26. When will Obama have a sit-down with prominent Atheists or

Humanist groups to court our votes? I for one am sick of having our Democratic leaders sucking up to the Fundies for their support. I am so personally tired of religion screwing up our nation and its people. Is there any good reason why so many intelligent men and women will never get elected to office because of their lack of belief in superstitious myths? I'd love to see ANY politician remind the American public that it goes against the constitution to insist that candidates talk about their religious views to gain office. It is my hope to see that one day.

[LeftyMom]

27. No, I think it's stupid and offensive.

He's running for President, not Pope. Or whatever the Protestant equivalent would be.

[saltpoint]

28. From early profiles of Barack Obama, there were frequent references to

his having mastered numerous fields of study but being possessed of a reticence to reveal his command. He was followed by one reporter on a tour of downstate Illinois farmers, meeting with them, and listening to their concerns, and only very rarely commenting on the level of knowledge they would respect, but when he did, there was this ripple effect of respect for him among the locals. "Hey, this guy from the city nows his soy beans." -- That sort of thing.

Yes -- I love that Obama has such fluent and deep-well currency in Judeo-Christian ideas, because he represents an evolution of the tenets of that faith (can I even use the word 'evolution' around the fundie nutbags?!?) compared to the limited and judgmental crap they hear from Robertson and Dobson and that bunch, and at the same time, is politically positioned to rock the fundies back on their heels.

I see every reason in the world why the fundie Rightwing nutbags deserve to be challenged by an adept in this area of concern --an accomplished adult in matters of their own faith.

Hurray for Barack Obama.