Does Obama Deserve To Be Re-Elected?

[WinePusher]

Do You Think Obama Deserve Re Election?

If Yes: Please cite significant things he has done that have benefited this country and it's citizens.

If No: Please cite significant things he has or hasn't done that would lead you to vote for another candidate.

[East of Eden]

Do You Think Obama Deserve Re Election?

If Yes: Please cite significant things he has done that have benefited this country and it's citizens.

If No: Please cite significant things he has or hasn't done that would lead you to vote for another candidate.

No and I will tell you why. First, I cant vote for someone who is pro abortion. Second, Obama has helped overturn don't ask, dont tell thereby allowing sodomited to serve openly in the military. I cannot support that. Third, Obama does not stand firm on the word of God. He reallyt doesnt stand for much of anything. I pray he will be defeated in 2012 and we can have a God fearing Christian in the white house once again.

Obama is a RINO = Religious In Name Only

What are the qualifications for being religious? Believing what you do and acting how you act?

Going to church would be a good start.





Obama administration 'anti-religious,' Gingrich says
By: CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

Gingrich says the Obama administration is 'anti religious'.

(CNN) - Newt Gingrich said Tuesday the Obama administration is "intensely secular" and "anti-religious," the former House Speaker's second hard-hitting criticism of the new administration this week.

In an interview with FOX News, Gingrich said he strongly disagreed with Obama's choice of Harry Knox - an outspoken activist for gay rights - to the White House advisory council on faith-based initiatives.

"I think their goal is to have a very secular America in which government dominates everything," he said. "Why wouldn't you put an anti-religious, left-wing zealot on a faith-based group? It's a perfect pattern for this administration."

Since 2005, Knox has served as the director of the Human Rights Campaign, a national organization that advocates on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. He is also a former Methodist pastor.

Obama formally named Knox to the 25-member advisory council on Monday, a move that has not sat well with some Christian conservatives. The conservative Catholic League called him "unfit to serve," especially taking issue with Knox's recent comment characterizing Pope Benedict XVI as a "discredited leader" because of his opposition to gay marriage.

In a statement released earlier this week, Knox said, "The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community is eager to help the administration achieve its goals around economic recovery and fighting poverty; fatherhood and healthy families; inter-religious dialogue; care for the environment; and global poverty, health and development."


But Gingrich said the Knox appointment, along with some other moves, proves the administration is trying to "go down in history as a consistently anti-religious, secular group of people who are consciously trying to drive things out."

Two days ago, Gingrich told Politico former Vice President Dick Cheney was "clearly right" when he asserted the Obama administration's national security policies have left the country more vulnerable to a terrorist attack.

Who has obeyed Jesus' teaching on marriage and divorce, Gingrich or Obama?

And why is anything Gingrich writes considered evidence of anything?

Some of what Gingrich writes here is blatantly untrue, or at the very least, without a shred of evidence. For example:

go down in history as a consistently anti-religious, secular group of people who are consciously trying to drive things out.

This deserves to be called what it is. A lie and an attempt to slander the President with completely unfounded allegations regarding his motivations.

Baloney. It is no stretch call anti-religious the appointment of a man who attacks the Catholic Church and calls them 'foot soldiers in an army of oppression.' He seems to be silent, though, on Islam.

[nygreenguy]

CNorman, stop the namecalling. Those for traditional marriage are not bigots.

Traditional? The original christian marriages were not done politically or publicly. It wasnt until the church got involved that it became an institutional issue.

[East of Eden]

It should be noted that there are plenty of religious people who advocate for gay rights, including gay marriage, and that includes me.

And me. And I'm not alone. This is from the Forward (long the premier Jewish newspaper in the US):

An overwhelming majority of religious and lay leaders in the Conservative synagogue movement support gay rabbinical ordination and same-sex marriage, according to the results of a newly released survey.

Also, from the LA Times:

While many religious organizations supported Proposition 8, there was one major exception in Los Angeles, according to exit polling by the Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University. The center's data found that 78% of Jewish voters in L.A. opposed the ban on gay marriage and just 8% supported Prop. 8.

No other ethnic or religious group voted as strongly against Prop 8 than the Jews.

As I keep saying; wherever there is a struggle against discrimination, bigotry or injustice, you will find Jews in the front lines. (And, yes, that includes the struggle of Palestinians. There are more than 80 peace organizations in Israel.)

Oh, yeah: and just for the record, from that same LA Times story --

Los Angeles Jewish voters gave Obama 78% to 20% for Republican John McCain. Among all voters in L.A., 72% voted for Obama and 24% for McCain.

CNorman, stop the namecalling. Those for traditional marriage are not bigots.

Where did I say they were? I said "discrimination, bigotry OR injustice," you'll notice.

All I did was display a public shoe; if you want to jump up and announce that it fits, that's not MY problem.

Do you think those against gay marriage, or gays in the military, are bigots?

[East of Eden]

CNorman, stop the namecalling. Those for traditional marriage are not bigots.

Traditional? The original christian marriages were not done politically or publicly. It wasnt until the church got involved that it became an institutional issue.

For 5,000 years of human history marriage has been considered to be between a man and a woman. That's traditional.

[East of Eden]

Do You Think Obama Deserve Re Election?

If Yes: Please cite significant things he has done that have benefited this country and it's citizens.

If No: Please cite significant things he has or hasn't done that would lead you to vote for another candidate.

No and I will tell you why. First, I cant vote for someone who is pro abortion. Second, Obama has helped overturn don't ask, dont tell thereby allowing sodomited to serve openly in the military. I cannot support that. Third, Obama does not stand firm on the word of God. He reallyt doesnt stand for much of anything. I pray he will be defeated in 2012 and we can have a God fearing Christian in the white house once again.

Obama is a RINO = Religious In Name Only

What are the qualifications for being religious? Believing what you do and acting how you act?

Going to church would be a good start.

Ok, why and how do you know he doesnt?

As of September, Obama had gone to church 6 times as POTUS.

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/09/19 ... end-churc/

I guess that may be progress, not going may be better than attending the radical one he went to in Chicago, whose pastor was chummy with the racist Louis Farakkhan.

Did Bush go to church, did you consider him religious?

I would, he is open about his testimony and doesn't knock people for clinging to God, and gives about three times more to charity than Obama does.



Subject: George Bush's Statement of Faith
If any of you are interested in what George Bush believes spiritually, here it is. It's from an interview when he was asked about his faith. "Actually, the seeds of my decision had been planted the year before, by the Reverend Billy Graham. He visited my family for a summer weekend in Maine. I saw him preach at the small summer church, St. Ann's by the Sea. We all had lunch on the patio overlooking the ocean. One evening my dad asked Billy to answer questions from a big group of family gathered for the weekend. He sat by the fire and talked. And what he said sparked a change in my heart. I don't remember the exact words. It was more the power of his example. The Lord was so clearly reflected in his gentle and loving demeanor.

The next day we walked and talked at Walker's Point, and I knew I was in the presence of a great man. He was like a magnet; I felt drawn to seek something different. He didn't lecture admonish; he shared warmth and concern. Billy Graham didn't make you feel guilty; he made you feel loved.

Over the course of that weekend, Reverend Graham planted a mustard seed in my soul, a seed that grew over the next year. He led me to the path, and I began walking. It was the beginning of a change in my life.I had always been a "religious" person, had regularly attended church, even taught Sunday School and served as an altar boy. But that weekend my faith took on a new meaning. It was the beginning of a new walk where I would commit my heart to Jesus Christ.

I was humbled to learn that God sent His Son to die for a sinner like me. I was comforted to know that through the Son, I could find God's amazing grace, a grace that crosses every border, every barrier and is open to everyone. Through the love of Christ's life, I could understand the life changing powers of faith.

When I returned to Midland, I began reading the Bible regularly. Don Evans talked me into joining him and another friend, Don Jones, at a men's community Bible study. The group had first assembled the year before, in Spring of 1984, at the beginning of the downturn in the energy industry.

Midland was hurting. A lot of people were looking for comfort and strength and direction. A couple of men started the Bible study as a support group, and it grew. By the time I began attending, in the fall of 1985, almost 120 men would gather. We met in small discussion groups of ten or twelve, then joined the larger group for full meetings. Don Jones picked me up every week for the meetings. I remember looking forward to them. My interest in reading the Bible grew stronger and stronger, and the words became clearer and more meaningful. We studied Acts, the story of the Apostles building the Christian Church, and next year, the Gospel of Luke. The preparation for each meeting took several hours, reading the Scripture passages and thinking

Through responses to discussion questions. I took it seriously, with my usual touch of humor....

Laura and I were active members of the First Methodist Church of Midland, and we participated in many family programs, including James Dobson's Focus on the Family series on raising children. As I studied and learned, Scripture took on greater meaning, and gained confidence and understanding in my faith. I read the Bible regularly. Don Evans gave me the "one-year" Bible, a Bible divided into 365 daily readings, each one including a section from the New Testament, the Old Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. I read through that Bible every other year. During the years in between, I pick different chapters to study at different times.

I have also learned the power of prayer. I pray for guidance. I do not pray for earthly things, but for heavenly things, for wisdom and patience and understanding. My faith gives me focus and perspective. It teaches humility. But I also recognize that faith can be misinterpreted in the political process. Faith is an important part of my life. I believe it is important to live my faith, not flaunt it.

America is a great country because of our religious freedoms. It is important for any leader to respect the faith of others. That point was driven home when Laura and I visited Israel in 1998. We had traveled to Rome to spend Thanksgiving with our daughter, who was attending a school program there, and spent three days in Israel on the way home. It was an incredible experience. I remember waking up at the Jerusalem Hilton and opening the curtains and seeing the Old City before us, the Jerusalem stone glowing gold. We visited the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. And we went to the Sea of Galilee and stood atop the hill where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. It was an overwhelming feeling to stand in the spot where the most famous speech in the history of the world was delivered, the spot where Jesus outlined the character and conduct of a believer and gave his disciples and the world the beatitudes, the golden rule, and the Lord's Prayer.

Our delegation included four gentile governors-one Methodist, two Catholics, and a Mormon, and several Jewish-American friends. Someone suggested we read Scripture. I chose to read "Amazing Grace," my favorite hymn. Later that night we all gathered at a restaurant in Tel Aviv for dinner before we boarded our middle-of-night flight back to America. We talked about the wonderful experiences and thanked the guides and government officials who had introduced us to their country. And toward the end of the meal, one of our friends rose to share a story, to tell us how he, a gentile, and his friend, a Jew, had (unbeknownst to the rest of us) walked down to the Sea of Galilee, joined hands underwater, and prayed together, on bended knee. Then out of his mouth came a hymn he had known as a child, a hymn he hadn't thought about in years. He got every word right: Now is the time approaching, by prophets long foretold, when all shall dwell together, One Shepherd and one fold. Now Jew and gentile, meeting, from many a distant shore, around an altar kneeling, one common Lord adore. Faith changes lives. I know, because faith has changed mine."

"I could not be governor if I did not believe in a divine plan that supersedes all human plans. Politics is a fickle business. Polls change. Today's friend is tomorrow's adversary. People lavish praise and attention. Many times it is genuine; sometimes it is not. Yet I build my life on a foundation that will not shift. My faith frees me. Frees me to put the problem of the moment in proper perspective. Frees me to make decisions that others might not like. Frees me to try to do the right thing, even though it may not poll well... The death penalty is a difficult issue for supporters as well as its opponents. I have a reverence for life; my faith teaches that life is a gift from our Creator. In a perfect world, life is given by God and only taken by God. I hope someday our society will respect life, the full spectrum of life, from the unborn to the elderly. I hope someday unborn children will be protected by law and welcomed in life. I support the death penalty because I believe, if administered swiftly and justly, capital punishment is a deterrent against future violence and will save other innocent lives. Some advocates of life will challenge why I oppose abortion yet support the death penalty. To me, it's the difference between innocence and guilt. Today, two weeks after Jeb's inauguration, in my church in downtown

Austin, Pastor Mark Craig, was telling me that my re-election was the first Governor to win back-to-back, four-year terms in the history of the State of Texas. It was a beginning, not an end.... People are starved for faithfulness. He talked of the need for honesty in government. He warned that leaders who cheat on their wives will cheat their country, will cheat their colleagues, will cheat themselves. Pastor Craig said that America is starved for honest leaders. He told the story of Moses, asked by God to lead his people to a land of milk and honey. Moses had a lot of reasons to shirk the task. As the Pastor told it, Moses' basic reaction was, "Sorry, God, I'm busy. I've got a family. I've got sheep to tend. I've got a life. "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt? The people won't believe me, he protested. I'm not a very good speaker. Oh, my Lord, send, I pray, some other person," Moses pleaded. But God did not, and Moses ultimately did His bidding, leading his people through forty years of wilderness and wandering, relying on God for strength and direction and inspiration. "People are starved for

leadership," Pastor Craig said, "starved for leaders who have ethical and moral courage." "It is not enough to have an ethical compass to know right from wrong," he argued. "America needs leaders who have the moral courage to do what is right for the right reason. It's not always easy or convenient for leaders to step forward," he acknowledged. "Remember, even Moses had doubts."

"He was talking to you," my mother later said. The pastor was, of course, talking to all of us, challenging each one of us to make the most of our lives, to assume the mantle of leadership and responsibility wherever we find it. He was calling on us to use whatever power we have, in business, in politics, in our communities, and in our families, to do good for the right reason. And his sermon spoke directly to my heart and my life.... There was no magic moment of decision. After talking with my family during the Christmas holidays, then hearing this rousing sermon, to make most of every moment, during my inaugural church service, I gradually felt more comfortable with the prospect of a presidential campaign. My family would love me, my faith would sustain me, no matter what.

"During the more than half century of my life, we have seen an unprecedented decay in our American culture, a decay that has eroded the foundations of our collective values and moral standards of conduct. Our sense of personal responsibility has declined dramatically, just as the role and responsibility of the federal government have increased. The changing culture blurred the sharp contrast between right and wrong and created a new standard of conduct: 'If it feels good, do it.' And 'If you've got a problem, blame somebody else'." "Individuals are not responsible for their actions," the new culture has said. "We are all victims of forces beyond our control." We have gone from a culture of sacrifice and saving to a culture obsessed with grabbing all the gusto. We went from accepting responsibility to assigning blame. As government did more and more, individuals were required to do less and less. The new culture said: if people were poor, the government should feed them. If someone had no house, the government should provide one. If criminals are not responsible for their acts, then the answers are not prisons, but social programs.... "For our culture to change, it must change one heart, one soul, and one conscience at a time. Government can spend money, but it cannot put hope in our hearts or a sense of purpose in our lives."... "But government should welcome the active involvement of people who are following a religious imperative to love their neighbors through after school programs, child care, drug treatment, maternity group homes, and a range of other services. Supporting these men and women - the soldiers in the armies of compassion - is the next bold step of welfare reform, because I know that changing hearts will change our entire society."

"During the opening months of my presidential campaign, I have traveled our country and my heart has been warmed. My experiences have reinvigorated my faith in the greatness of Americans. They have reminded me that societies are renewed from the bottom up, not the top down. Everywhere I go, I see people of love and faith, taking time to help a neighbor in need... These people and thousands like them are the heart and soul and greatness of America. And I want to do my part. I am running for President because I believe America must seize this moment, America must lead. We must give our prosperity a greater purpose, a purpose of peace and freedom and hope. We are a great nation of good and loving people. And together, we have a charge to keep."

[nygreenguy]

For 5,000 years of human history marriage has been considered to be between a man and a woman. That's traditional.

Slavery was also considered a right, and women were property. Now we openly call the people who thought/think that was ok, bigots. Why the appeal to tradition? Since when should we do something just because "thats the way its been done"?

Also, if it was a private matter, how do you know it was only between a man and a woman?

[East of Eden]

Slavery was also considered a right, and women were property. Now we openly call the people who thought/think that was ok, bigots. Why the appeal to tradition? Since when should we do something just because "thats the way its been done"?

I'm not saying it is right because it is traditional, I'm refuting your allegation that heterosexual marriage isn't traditional, and that the idea started with Christianity. Is everything man has traditionally done wrong?

Also, if it was a private matter, how do you know it was only between a man and a woman?

You tell me if it wasn't.

[nygreenguy]

I would, he is open about his testimony and doesn't knock people for clinging to God.



Subject: George Bush's Statement of Faith

This is a statement of faith. You said going to church is a requirement for being religious. Did he go to church or not?

Let look back at what was said:

What are the qualifications for being religious? Believing what you do and acting how you act?

Going to church would be a good start.

According to this article on beliefnet, Bush and Reagan didnt go to church at all, but Clinton did and so did Carter. These 2 hyper liberals made time for church, but the conservatives did not?

Throughout the 2004 presidential campaign, Democratic candidate John Kerry has been more responsible than anyone for getting notoriously secular political reporters through the doors of churches on Sunday mornings. Ever since a few conservative bishops raised questions about Kerry's Catholicism, given his pro-choice positions, journalists have trailed the Senator to church, breathlessly wondering if this will be the week he's denied communion. Some have even snarkily commented that his Boston congregation--the Paulist Center--is insufficiently traditional, calling it "New-Agey." What they haven't done is take up the task of following President George W. Bush to his home church. That's because of one small problem: He doesn't have one.

Frankly, I don't give a hoot if Bush goes to church. Anyone who has spent much time with an assortment of religious people knows that frequent church attendance doesn't necessarily make you a good person and that plenty of highly moral people never attend church. But if reporters are going to spill plenty of ink each and every Sunday on the church activities of one candidate, then they had better do the same for his opponent. Particularly if that opponent has staked much of his domestic agenda on the argument that civil society--and particularly religious congregations--holds the key to solving social problems. I think it's perfectly relevant and fair to ask why a man with such firm convictions about the power of religious congregations doesn't belong to a congregation himself, though he may drop in on services at places like St. John's Episcopal Church (near the White House) from time to time.

Why doesn't he? Among the reasons I've been given is that the security precautions would be too onerous. This, it should be noted, is the exact same excuse Ronald Reagan proffered for not attending church
at all

during his time in Washington. And I'd almost buy it, if not for the fact that for several years in the late 1990s, I attended Foundry Methodist Church when the Clintons were members there and found that it took all of an extra five seconds to pass through the metal detectors and enter the church. Parishioners were not outnumbered by tourists (and, in any case, we were happy that they were in church, no matter what the reason) and the Clintons played an active role in the life of the church, with Chelsea particularly involved in the choir and youth group while she was still in town.

Okay, Bush's defenders say, but even if he did go to church, it's tough for a president to be really involved with a congregation. He is, after all, running the free world. But, then again, he has spent almost 500 days on vacation over the past four years. You'd think some of that time could have been devoted to planning the next church social or sitting in on mission board meetings. Jimmy Carter found time to teach Sunday School at a local Baptist church while he was president.

Read more: http://www.beliefnet.com/News/Politics/ ... z19jOGNQkm

[East of Eden]

I would, he is open about his testimony and doesn't knock people for clinging to God.



Subject: George Bush's Statement of Faith

This is a statement of faith. You said going to church is a requirement for being religious. Did he go to church or not?

Let look back at what was said:

What are the qualifications for being religious? Believing what you do and acting how you act?

Going to church would be a good start.

According to this article on beliefnet, Bush and Reagan didnt go to church at all, but Clinton did and so did Carter. These 2 hyper liberals made time for church, but the conservatives did not?

Throughout the 2004 presidential campaign, Democratic candidate John Kerry has been more responsible than anyone for getting notoriously secular political reporters through the doors of churches on Sunday mornings. Ever since a few conservative bishops raised questions about Kerry's Catholicism, given his pro-choice positions, journalists have trailed the Senator to church, breathlessly wondering if this will be the week he's denied communion. Some have even snarkily commented that his Boston congregation--the Paulist Center--is insufficiently traditional, calling it "New-Agey." What they haven't done is take up the task of following President George W. Bush to his home church. That's because of one small problem: He doesn't have one.

Frankly, I don't give a hoot if Bush goes to church. Anyone who has spent much time with an assortment of religious people knows that frequent church attendance doesn't necessarily make you a good person and that plenty of highly moral people never attend church. But if reporters are going to spill plenty of ink each and every Sunday on the church activities of one candidate, then they had better do the same for his opponent. Particularly if that opponent has staked much of his domestic agenda on the argument that civil society--and particularly religious congregations--holds the key to solving social problems. I think it's perfectly relevant and fair to ask why a man with such firm convictions about the power of religious congregations doesn't belong to a congregation himself, though he may drop in on services at places like St. John's Episcopal Church (near the White House) from time to time.

Why doesn't he? Among the reasons I've been given is that the security precautions would be too onerous. This, it should be noted, is the exact same excuse Ronald Reagan proffered for not attending church
at all

during his time in Washington. And I'd almost buy it, if not for the fact that for several years in the late 1990s, I attended Foundry Methodist Church when the Clintons were members there and found that it took all of an extra five seconds to pass through the metal detectors and enter the church. Parishioners were not outnumbered by tourists (and, in any case, we were happy that they were in church, no matter what the reason) and the Clintons played an active role in the life of the church, with Chelsea particularly involved in the choir and youth group while she was still in town.

Okay, Bush's defenders say, but even if he did go to church, it's tough for a president to be really involved with a congregation. He is, after all, running the free world. But, then again, he has spent almost 500 days on vacation over the past four years. You'd think some of that time could have been devoted to planning the next church social or sitting in on mission board meetings. Jimmy Carter found time to teach Sunday School at a local Baptist church while he was president.

Read more: http://www.beliefnet.com/News/Politics/ ... z19jOGNQkm

At least Bush did on Christmas, unlike Obama.

http://www.time.com/time/politics/artic ... 79,00.html


"The church at Camp David is Evergreen Chapel, a nondenominational body currently led by Chaplain Lieut. Carey Cash. Each week, regardless of whether the President is on-site, Evergreen Chapel holds Christian services open to the nearly 400 military personnel and staff at Camp David, as well as their families. The Bush family spent eight straight Christmases at Camp David, in large part because of the retreat's privacy, and were regular attenders of the chapel's candlelight service on Christmas Eve."

[cnorman18]

It should be noted that there are plenty of religious people who advocate for gay rights, including gay marriage, and that includes me.

And me. And I'm not alone. This is from the Forward (long the premier Jewish newspaper in the US):

An overwhelming majority of religious and lay leaders in the Conservative synagogue movement support gay rabbinical ordination and same-sex marriage, according to the results of a newly released survey.

Also, from the LA Times:

While many religious organizations supported Proposition 8, there was one major exception in Los Angeles, according to exit polling by the Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University. The center's data found that 78% of Jewish voters in L.A. opposed the ban on gay marriage and just 8% supported Prop. 8.

No other ethnic or religious group voted as strongly against Prop 8 than the Jews.

As I keep saying; wherever there is a struggle against discrimination, bigotry or injustice, you will find Jews in the front lines. (And, yes, that includes the struggle of Palestinians. There are more than 80 peace organizations in Israel.)

Oh, yeah: and just for the record, from that same LA Times story --

Los Angeles Jewish voters gave Obama 78% to 20% for Republican John McCain. Among all voters in L.A., 72% voted for Obama and 24% for McCain.

CNorman, stop the namecalling. Those for traditional marriage are not bigots.

Where did I say they were? I said "discrimination, bigotry OR injustice," you'll notice.

All I did was display a public shoe; if you want to jump up and announce that it fits, that's not MY problem.

Do you think those against gay marriage, or gays in the military, are bigots?

Not necessarily; some certainly are, but most probably aren't.

But aren't you supposed to be SURE of the answer to that before you accuse me of "namecalling"? Doesn't that mean you're doing a bit of "namecalling" yourself?

I said, "Wherever there is a struggle against discrimination, bigotry or injustice, you will find Jews in the front lines." I was clearly referring to ALL such struggles, which include the struggles against segregation, slavery, and even anti-Muslim violence and discrimination. Why did you assume I was only talking about gay marriage? The statement was clearly more general that that. "Wherever there is a struggle," and I have made reference to many such struggles in the past.