Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Political Triumph?

Something that has shrouded my free writings from the very beginning is the political turmoil of a world that we live in. I am so into this presidential election, and the conflicts that the U.S. is currently involved in. It is history that we are witnessing this year, with a woman and a black man running for the presidency. First of all….I really see a great turn of events for the world when a man running for the seat of the presidency does not feel obligated to say, or put his hand over his heart when the pledge of allegiance is being said. I don’t know what you feel like on this issue, but it kind of scared me. I would enjoy feedback or any kind of comment that you have about this if you have heard or seen this for yourself. In church we recently had a man come into our class and prove to us that Obama is a Muslim. Obama is a member of a church in the north and this man called that church to see if the possibility of becoming a member of a Christian oriented church without renouncing there Muslim background could be achieved. He called and told them his full name and requested info on becoming a member of that church. The lady over the phone replied that the only thing necessary to join was to come and attend one Sunday, and that they would send him membership info in the mail. And when he had made his final decision, he would walk down the aisle and they would accept him as a new member. Then this man asked the lady, if it was necessary to renounce his Muslim religion to join the church. She replied and said that he absolutely did not have to renounce his ways of a Muslim; they would never ask anyone to do that. Then he said, “So is this how Senator Barrack Obama became a member of your church?” The lady was silent, and then she answered. “Ummm Sir I am not allowed to answer these questions”. Yea kind of scary, at least for me it was.
Yea well you might say, well that doesn’t bother me I am not religious. Okay well I do not have enough room to discuss that topic with you. I am sure you have a standpoint on the war we are fighting. Do you believe in the war we are fighting is for a just cause? Or do you just join the crowed at school, and believe what the majority believes. I am sure you are more mature than that. So what do you believe that this war’s main purpose was? I do believe in the statement of the Constitution that states we are the guardians of freedom, not just for us, but for all suppressed peoples of the world. So I want this last blog to be a real feedback for me. I want to hear what you American people feel about his war and why. The only reason I mentioned the Presidential Election was to give you a glance at how these situations could change with a president who is basically Muslim, or our first woman President who will probably have(no offence ladies) a motherly look at things. Or we could elect another conservative southerner, Mike Huckabee? John McCain? Alright you have to have an opinion, so let me hear it.

7 comments:

Sky totha L izz AR said...

Thanks for that. I am glad you brought up my “wordly view” I just wanted to take the time and explain myself since it came up... I love to play the devils advocate. My purpose is to keep readers guessing. One day i could play the common white, southern republican while the other I might support Obama. I loved your comment, and i just wanted to say the opinions i state here are not always mine.

Jordan said...

Wow, thank you for expressing that, Phil. Like we talked about last week, this presidential election terrifies me. I agree with you about the “shadiness” I guess of Obama’s campaign. I guess this is probably because I was there when we learned about the convincing evidence that he is at least a nominal Muslim. I guess the scariest thing to me is just the fact that I feel like there’s not a whole lot we can do but vote…but then again I’m not all that excited about voting “against” candidates rather than “for” one.

always standing small said...

You can’t prove Obama is a Muslim, but you have evidence that he might be one. I do think that if a person is running for presidency they should lead in the pledge. If they want to help run the country they should at least show some devotion. Their main requirement for the job is devotion. Our government in made of checks and balances, so if Obama is elected he cannot change our government completely. But it is still alarming because he can organize terrorist attacks. I really don’t think a woman could handle the seat of presidency. I’m not trying to kill women’s lib, but there are some things that women are just not good at (or at least better than men.) I think running a country requires toughness and a general concern for people. However, I think women would be too concerned about “caring” then protecting our country.

Steven said...

Interesting.

See, I don't get the point of the story (actually, that's not true, but I'll pretend I don't for rhetorical reasons): Someone called a church and asked if it was okay to get information, possibly join, and the woman said "the only thing necessary to join was to come and attend one Sunday"? You mean someone in this country can step foot in a church, attend, and not make any promises to accept the teachings of said church?! And they can do this without being chastized or persecuted?! You mean everyone is welcome in that church?! How preposterous! That sounds almost charitable! That sounds almost Christian!

Okay, enough with the rhetoric. These kinds of "stories" are so dangerous because they are founded on logical fallacies. Nothing in this story should be cause for concern-- however, the language and the delivery imply danger. Anyone can go to any church, and if a total stranger asks a leading question, then the person who is questioned has the right not to respond, or to give an incriminating answer (because the question is designed to entrap).

I'll add this link in response to whether or not a woman (or a black man, for that matter) can "handle" being president: When 'Identity Politics' Is Rational

The Invisible Observer said...

I do not see what the problem is. He may or may not be a Muslim. Big freaking deal! What does that have to do with a presidential campaign? Politics is a “shady” business no matter the level, local or national. Yeah, you should say the Pledge of Allegiance, especially if you are running for President of the United States. Whether or not you say the “under God” part is really up to you and no one else. As for a woman being president, why not? If you intend to “protect” someone, are you not supposed to “care” about them on some level? However, that does not mean that I want her as our President.

Steven said...

FYI.

There's a running news story now about a speech Obama gave at a UCC event in Rhode Island (The IRS is investigating the sponsoring church because of possible connections to presidential campaigning. You can read/listen here for this story: Church Speech by Obama Gets IRS Scrutiny.)

But! I went looking for his actual speech-- and found a link to it. If you have questions about his "faith," might this not help answer those questions?
A Politics of Conscience.

Unknown said...

I find it interesting that your greatest fear is that Obama is "secretly" a Muslim. Would it completely change any of his policies or ideas? Probably not. Furthermore, what is so wrong with being an alleged Muslim? If anything, it would be sad that he found it necessary to hide his true religion in a nation that prides itself on freedoms. Perhaps I misunderstood the qualifications for becoming president. I can understand the point that this nation was founded upon the principles of Christian values but there is also an opportunity to practice whatever religion one pleases. In regards to Clinton's motherly perspective, that was offensive. In a world where bombs are being dropped and people are being killed, I seriously don't think a "motherly look" could hurt us more than Bush's "fatherly perspective" already has.
Furthermore, I do not feel inclined to put my hand over my heart or say the pledge of allegiance. I do not feel that there is "liberty" nor "justice for all." We still live in a nation of racism, obviously sexism, and inequality for different orientations. While I respect you as a person, I do not agree with your unfounded opinions.