I recently saw the following blog referrence in another forum and thought it definitely was worthy of comment here.
The quote is part of a 40 minute speech back on June 28th of 2006.
Given the increasing diversity of America’s population, the dangers of sectarianism have never been greater. Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers.
And even if we did have only Christians within our borders, who’s Christianity would we teach in the schools? James Dobson’s, or Al Sharpton’s? Which passages of Scripture should guide our public policy? Should we go with Levitacus, which suggests slavery is ok and that eating shellfish is abomination? How about Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount – a passage so radical that it’s doubtful that our Defense Department would survive its application?
This brings me to my second point. Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God’s will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all.
This may be difficult for those who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, as many evangelicals do. But in a pluralistic democracy, we have no choice. Politics depends on our ability to persuade each other of common aims based on a common reality. It involves the compromise, the art of the possible. At some fundamental level, religion does not allow for compromise. It insists on the impossible. If God has spoken, then followers are expected to live up to God’s edicts, regardless of the consequences. To base one’s life on such uncompromising commitments may be sublime; to base our policy making on such commitments would be a dangerous thing.
I think this is a brilliantly articulated explanation on why its clearly a bad idea to simply allow religious ideology to dictate public policy.[/quote]
Holy shit. This guy's got a pair. It's one thing to believe this is true, but for a politician -- one who's running for president, fer fuck's sake -- to say it out loud, with journalists present, in a nation such as the US, well, he's living dangerously.
He's now my official preferred candidate.
73% of all statistics are made up, including this one.
Which passages of Scripture should guide our public policy? Should we go with Levitacus, which suggests slavery is ok and that eating shellfish is abomination? How about Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount – a passage so radical that it’s doubtful that our Defense Department would survive its application?
That is win.
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Lì paludi, minacce, cecchini coi fucili, documenti, file notturne e clandestini
Qui incontri, lotte, passi sincronizzati, colori, capannelli non autorizzati,
Uccelli migratori, reti, informazioni, piazze di Tutti i like pazze di passioni...
...La tranquillità è importante ma la libertà è tutto!
I approve, and I must second or third those remarks. I'd vote for him in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, speaking as the son of a lifetime member of the NRA, I won't vote for a candidate who'll support irrational gun control, however wonderful he is.
This message approved by the sages Anon and Ibid.
Any views expressed herein are my own unless otherwise noted, and very likely wrong.
I shave with Occam's Razor.
darthbob88 wrote:I approve, and I must second or third those remarks. I'd vote for him in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, speaking as the son of a lifetime member of the NRA, I won't vote for a candidate who'll support irrational gun control, however wonderful he is.
He wants to ban semi-automatic weapons, how does that stop you from defending you're home exactly? People in other countries do just fine without having an m4a1 carbine hidden under their sink. And they don't even get bolt-action rifles like you still would be able to.
Seems like some Americans just don't want a non-fundie redneck asshole president.It's quite easy to see this guy is one of the best candidates in a long time.
“Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” - Oscar Wilde.
darthbob88 wrote:I approve, and I must second or third those remarks. I'd vote for him in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, speaking as the son of a lifetime member of the NRA, I won't vote for a candidate who'll support irrational gun control, however wonderful he is.
Being able to play with your toys overrules every other consideration, economic, security, whatever? In a choice between a 'wonderful' candidate who allows minor (compared to Europe) restrictions on who can own guns and a fundamentalist fascist you'd pick the later?
Congratulations on defining a whole new level of 'sucks to be you'.
It's times like this that cause me to lament the fact that all of my state's electoral college votes are going towards the Republican candidate.
I'm really hoping he gets the nod from the Dems, based upon what I've seen so far I'd be more than happy to give him my vote.
The Gentleman from Texas abstains. Discourteously.
PRFYNAFBTFC-Vice Admiral: MFS Masturbating Walrus :: Omine subtilite Odobenus rosmarus masturbari Soy un perdedor.
"WHO POOPED IN A NORMAL ROOM?!"-Commander William T. Riker
I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons...
He's so lying. He knows what he's saying may alienate him from the religious vote, so he's trying to amend his postion to make it seem like he's still with them. Still, it was a kickass thing that needed to be said. This combined with his early anti-war stance makes me want to vote for him despite the fact that he hasn't detailed a lot of his other positions.[/quote]
"If one needed proof that a guitar was more than wood and string, that a song was more than notes and words, and that a man could be more than a name and a few faded pictures, then Robert Johnson’s recordings were all one could ask for."
I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons...
He's so lying. He knows what he's saying may alienate him from the religious vote, so he's trying to amend his postion to make it seem like he's still with them. Still, it was a kickass thing that needed to be said. This combined with his early anti-war stance makes me want to vote for him despite the fact that he hasn't detailed a lot of his other positions.
Actually in fairness I think it was fairly clear that he was giving that as a hypothetical example rather than actually asserting that was actually his view on the issue of abortion. Having said that I'm sure the example was carefully chosen to balance out what he had said to try to avoid alienating religiously motivated voters.
darthbob88 wrote:I approve, and I must second or third those remarks. I'd vote for him in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, speaking as the son of a lifetime member of the NRA, I won't vote for a candidate who'll support irrational gun control, however wonderful he is.
Ahhh yes. Doesn't matter if you keep taking it up the ass from the corporations, you've no healthcare, your society ends up being run by ignorant fucks who believe in Armageddon and your son might be shipped off to die in some needless war someday just so long as you can have your toy.
When ballots have fairly and constitutionally decided, there can be no successful appeal back to bullets.
—Abraham Lincoln
People pray so that God won't crush them like bugs.
—Dr. Gregory House
Oil an emergency?! It's about time, Brigadier, that the leaders of this planet of yours realised that to remain dependent upon a mineral slime simply doesn't make sense.
—The Doctor "Terror Of The Zygons" (1975)
I was already leaning heavily towards him, but this seals the deal. He's got my vote.
どうして？お前が夜に自身お触れるから。 Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, the shape-shifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil,
but a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. Before the final blow
was struck, I tore open a portal in time and flung him into the future, where my evil is law! Now, the fool
seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku...
-Aku, Master of Masters, Deliverer of Darkness, Shogun of Sorrow
I think I'm going to go against my instincts and register with the Democratic party (may the FSM have mercy on my soul). This guy deserves to win the primaries, and everybody's favorite Zionist stands way too much chance of beating him at that level.
darthbob88 wrote:I approve, and I must second or third those remarks. I'd vote for him in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, speaking as the son of a lifetime member of the NRA, I won't vote for a candidate who'll support irrational gun control, however wonderful he is.
That's retarded. Obama's gun control views will never get through Congress; with that out of the way, what makes him somehow worse than all the fuckheads in this election?
Any city gets what it admires, will pay for, and, ultimately, deserves…We want and deserve tin-can architecture in a tinhorn culture. And we will probably be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed.--Ada Louise Huxtable, "Farewell to Penn Station", New York Times editorial, 30 October 1963 X-Ray Blues
I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons...
He's so lying. He knows what he's saying may alienate him from the religious vote, so he's trying to amend his postion to make it seem like he's still with them. Still, it was a kickass thing that needed to be said. This combined with his early anti-war stance makes me want to vote for him despite the fact that he hasn't detailed a lot of his other positions.
I don't think so. Obama doesn't really need the "religious" vote because the majority of the evangelicals and people who define themselves by their religion are still stuck believiing he is an evil Islamic conspiracy member from his days attending jihad youth school. Honestly I think he is echoing the opinion of a lot of folks, myself included. I personally don't like the idea of abortion and would beg others to reconsider but I fully support the policy which allows for it. He is really speaking to the folks who are in the 60% supporting abortion but who still are uneasy with some of the implications.
As to the rest this is the kind of thing I've always assued only a movie or TV character candidate would do because telling everyone that faith is okay but it shouldn't play a part in politics is so freakin dangerous a move. Anyway he has my vote as of now.
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Armourer of the WARWOLVES
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Former C.S. Strowbridge Gold Ego Award Winner MEMBER of the Anti-PETA Anti-Facist LEAGUE
"I put no stock in religion. By the word religion I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will of god. I have seen too much religion in the eyes of too many murderers. Holiness is in right action, and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves, and goodness. "
-Kingdom of Heaven
Even so, by embracing (or pretending to embrace) a pro-life position personally while espousing a pro-choice position legally, he stops himself from seeming like a secularist liberal scumbag, even to the moderate populace that doesn't feel strongly on the abortion issue. Just because he doesn't need the hardcore pro-life squad doesn't mean he can afford to be completely progressive on these matters.
"If one needed proof that a guitar was more than wood and string, that a song was more than notes and words, and that a man could be more than a name and a few faded pictures, then Robert Johnson’s recordings were all one could ask for."
darthbob88 wrote:I approve, and I must second or third those remarks. I'd vote for him in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, speaking as the son of a lifetime member of the NRA, I won't vote for a candidate who'll support irrational gun control, however wonderful he is.
Ahhh yes. Doesn't matter if you keep taking it up the ass from the corporations, you've no healthcare, your society ends up being run by ignorant fucks who believe in Armageddon and your son might be shipped off to die in some needless war someday just so long as you can have your toy.
The Roman's bread and circuses are the American's guns and ammo. We'll tolerate any amount of tyranny if we delude ourselves into thinking we still have the power to overthrow it.
Of course. Didn't you hear? America is a Christian nation.
"If one needed proof that a guitar was more than wood and string, that a song was more than notes and words, and that a man could be more than a name and a few faded pictures, then Robert Johnson’s recordings were all one could ask for."
My respect for Obama just went up. I have a lot of respect for Christians who will publicly defend my right to NOT believe, because there are damned few of them in power.
Compared to everyone else...yeah, he's got my vote.
And did anyone else get visions today of Obama giving this speech and Falwell suddenly being struck dead?
"I spit on metaphysics, sir."
"I pity the woman you marry." -Liberty
This is the guy they want to use to win over "young people?" Are they completely daft? I'd rather vote for a pile of shit than a Jesus freak social regressive.
Here's hoping that his political career goes down in flames and, hopefully, a hilarious gay sex scandal. -Tanasinn
You can't expect sodomy to ruin every conservative politician in this country. -Battlehymn Republic
Anguirus wrote:My respect for Obama just went up. I have a lot of respect for Christians who will publicly defend my right to NOT believe, because there are damned few of them in power.
Compared to everyone else...yeah, he's got my vote.
And did anyone else get visions today of Obama giving this speech and Falwell suddenly being struck dead?
Yeah, except he gave the speech almost a year ago. Would've been poetic, but alas, the darn facts got in the way.
73% of all statistics are made up, including this one.
Obama just won my vote. Too bad I'm registered independent so I can't vote for him in the primaries.
"I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark." - Muhammad Ali
"Dating is not supposed to be easy. It's supposed to be a heart-pounding, stomach-wrenching, gut-churning exercise in pitting your fear of rejection and public humiliation against your desire to find a mate. Enjoy." - Darth Wong
Fuck that. I'm NRA and I am more than willing to look beyond my own nose and see what else is out there. I'll vote for Obama in a heartbeat, and if I feel it's necessary, I'll send a check to the NRA each year he's in office while continuing to cheer him on with regards to everything else.
But we have so, so very many things that need attention.... and desperately so.
Something about Libertarianism always bothered me. Then one day, I realized what it was:
Libertarian philosophy can be boiled down to the phrase, "Work Will Make You Free."
In Libertarianism, there is no Government, so the Bosses are free to exploit the Workers.
In Communism, there is no Government, so the Workers are free to exploit the Bosses.
So in Libertarianism, man exploits man, but in Communism, its the other way around! If all you want to do is have some harmless, mindless fun, go H3RE INST3ADZ0RZ!! Grrr! Fight my Brute, you pansy!
