Israeli newspaper publishes Obama's private prayer

[babsbunny]

http://rawstory.com//news/2008/Israeli_newspaper_publishes_Obamas_private_prayer_0726.html

Associated Press
Published: Saturday July 26, 2008


JERUSALEM - An Israeli newspaper's decision to publish a handwritten prayer left by Barack Obama in the cracks of Jerusalem's Western Wall drew criticism Friday as an invasion of his privacy and his relationship with God.

In the note, placed at Judaism's holiest site Thursday, Obama asks God to guide him and guard his family.

"Lord — Protect my family and me. Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will," reads the note published in Maariv.

Maariv ran a photograph of the note on its front page Friday. It said the note was removed from the wall by a Jewish seminary student immediately after Obama left.

Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs would neither confirm nor deny the note was Obama's, but the handwriting was similar to another message written by the presidential candidate during his time in Israel this week.

The paper's decision to make the note public brought quick criticism from religious authorities. The rabbi in charge of the Western Wall, Shmuel Rabinovitz, called it an intrusion on Obama's intimate relationship with God.

"The notes placed between the stones of the Western Wall are between a person and his maker. It is forbidden to read them or make any use of them," Rabinovitz told Army Radio.

[anonymous171]

1. They were probably hoping it said something like "Dear Allah, please help me destory Israel"

or something like that.

[BlooInBloo]

2. Is "â€" a Windows version of "Yaweh" or something?

[trashcanistanista]

3. This is very bad taste on the part of the

seminary student and the paper.

[Cha]

4. Yes it is..it's like the mainstream US

tabloid media..anything to make a buck.

[dansolo]

5. You would think that the seminary would have an ethical code of conduct

He should be expelled from the seminary--he clearly has no respect for God.

[BlooInBloo]

8. Judaism isn't different from any other religion in that regard.

[Ian David]

6. This is equivalent to bugging someone during their confession to The Pope.

See prior thread:

Israeli paper publishes Obama Western Wall prayer
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3409392

[wmbrew0206]

7. Too tacky to talk about