So I have a certain friend who is fond of sending me random news articles from a denominational news site. These articles are always intriguing to me, because they make me realize how differently I am thinking about things in comparison with many in my tradition. I came across this article when I was browsing the news site, and I thought I'd put it out here. the link is http://www.faithnews.cc/articles.cfm?sid=6945 The article adresses a speech in which Sen. Barack Obama from Illinois is appealing for cooperation between religious and secular America. I was a little taken aback by the article, because it seemed to characterize the senator differently than I had previously viewed him. I linked over to the transcript of the actual address, and found that I was aligning much more with the senator than with the news story I had initially read. Here's a link to the Senator's site and his speech: http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060628-call_to_renewal_keynote_address/index.html
Anyone interested in dialogue on some of the themes in these two pieces, I'd love to hear from you. I think Sen. Obama makes some great points about people of all faiths translating their values into terms in which they are able to communicate them to all of society. I would argu with the FaithNews Network, that this is not a call to water down beliefs, it is a call to employ our beliefs in making us better members of our communities, and thus more effectiveely connected to the peopl with whom we hope to share our very real faith.
If he did get the presidential nomination for 2008, I don't know of anyone else yet in the runnings that I'd rather vote for.
1 comment:
I have never read a more open, honest, and clearly Christian political address. I, too, had viewed Sen. Obama in a drastically different way, but in light of this new information have to agree that I am not aware of someone currently in the running for nomination for the next presidential election who is more mentally or spiritually fit for the position.
The way FaithNews Network takes his quotes and distorts them appalls me. This man seems steadfast to God. He encourages others to not only find their faith authentically, but to raise up their children in it. All while recognizing that in a multi-racial, multi-cultural, and multi-religous nation moral and ethics take precident over one religion's dogma. Approaching politics from his angle is refreshing. I also would like to applaud his humble vulnerability in the final paragraphs which mark him an exceptional leader.
Let me just say that I can't wait to hear what my some of my conservative affiliates have to say after they read this...
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