At last! In just a few days, we will know who will be our next President. We will know if Proposition 8 passed or not. Even better, no more political ads flooding the airwaves. I just pray that I don't wake up on Wednesday morning to turn on the news to see that provisional ballots are being counted and that it's still too early to call. Just the thought of the mess of the 2000 elections makes me ill. I have to admit, I feel good about Obama's chances. The polls are in his favor and he even seems to be doing alright in McCain's home state of Arizona. I do have to say something that's been bothering me for awhile. Why does it seem that if you're a Democrat and you're LDS, that you have to keep it on the "down-low"? Why do I hear members of the Church express fear that Obama is someone to be afraid of, that he will allow Islamic extremists to overrun the country if he is elected. Why do I see "Joe the Plumber" endorse the idea that Obama is in favor of terminating the state of Israel? Where do these ideas come come from? Fox News? Rush Limbaugh? Sean Hannity? Sarah Palin? Does anything in Obama's behavior or actual political views resemble anything near these extreme right-wing water carriers are squaking about on their daily radio shows? In fact, I just received a mailer today for a "Yes On 8" that was distributed by a coalition of inner-city ministers who believe in standing up for traditional marriage. Guess who also believes in the same? Barack Obama. If you have the mailer at home you'll recognize the quote. Speaking to a group of Southern California ministers back in August, Obama said the following: "I'm not in favor of gay marriage . . .". On the same flier, there's an additional quote saying: "Now, for me as a Christian, it's also a sacred union. God's in the mix." Does that sound like someone who would be tolerant to Islamic fundamentalism? If someone out there can explain to me or document to me anything with real journalistic integrity that Obama is a secretly raging Islamic fundamentalist, please do. Please, nothing from Limbaugh or Hannity or William Kristol, I want something from a real unbiased source. Perhaps these pathetic notions of the country needing to be afraid of Obama come from a place within ourselves we don't want to have to face, racism. Are we afraid that if a black man is elected into the Oval Office, that he'll go Simon Legree on us white folk? Maybe I'm completely off base, but somehow I don't think I am. I just wanted to get that off my chest. It's the elephant in the room nobody want to talk about. Please flood me with your comments, rants, and pontifications as I know I surely have.
Klawchat 4/18/24.
1 day ago
5 comments:
Well said Lance...well said!!
Lance, the problem is not that you are looked down upon for supporting one party or the other. It's that we're associating a political party to religious beliefs. Too many people feel the need to make comments in church and classes regarding political issues, when I know we just had another wonderful general conference and I didn't hear any mention to Mcain, Obama, or anything of the topic of politics. My thought is that we could follow the Example put forth by our leaders and keep it out of our gospel discussions. Because when comments are made that are not pertaining to the gospel discussion at hand, whether it be political or not, the spirit will then depart (just ask about our Sunday last week). I know that is a very extremist attitude to take, but I'll keep it in my little corner of the world so as to not get tangled up with everyone else. But this is coming from someone who doesn't pay attention to the media or the political parties, so what do I know. Aside from that, we are looking forward to coming out for Thanksgiving. Do you know if you are going to be able to make it down?
Jake
Jake
I agree with Jake, but the problem spreads beyond what happens at church. In groups of friends, it is made very clear that a faithful church member who may be considering a vote for Obama is looked upon as one having a fatal disease or having been duped by Satan. So many people have told me that they are voting for McCain because Obama frightens them. I have read McCain's biography. IN fact I read it years and years ago and remember telling your mom at the time that I hoped that I would never be in a position to have to vote for him. Ihave read Obama's writings. I watched all three debates and the VP debate. I watched Obama's 30 minute presentation. I have tried to watch the campaign every day and have yet to find anything frightening about Obama, unless of course it is having an idea of how to right this wonderful country after 8 years of being ransacked by George Bush and his cronies. To those who are critical of Jeremian Wright, I invite them to visit those parts of our nation where we don't dare go after dark. I invite them to visit the schools that don't have the supplies the suburban schools have. Having lived through at least part of the civil rights movement, I can understand how older black religious leaders would still use the pulpit to cry out for equal rights.
To those who are angry about the way the opponents of Prop 8 have lied and misrepresented the truth, with you I am angry, but I don't believe them. But if you are angry, you will understand why those of us who see Barak Obama as a bright hope for the future of this country are offended by the lies and misrepresentations that paint Obama as a terrorist. This country is in trouble and there is only one of the two candidates who has a plan. If Barak Obama is a terrorist, I will take my chances with him, I already know where McCain will take us. I was deceived 8 years ago when I voted for bush. I will not let that happen again.
You got your wish Lance. Let's give Obama a chance to govern and see what he does. I don't fear that he is a terrorist, I fear that he may be another Jimmy Carter. I hope not. My 401K has lost so much money this last year I might never be able to retire. As for the traditional marriage quote, Biden was on the Ellen Degeneres show on October 21.
Both he and Obama have said that they would not support a same-sex marriage ban, even though they believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. (Kind of like, "I don't believe in abortion, but I support a woman's right to kill her baby). Biden reiterated this position on the Ellen Show.
“First of all, congratulations,” Biden said, in reference to DeGeneres’s own marriage. “Number two, if I lived in California, I’d clearly vote against Proposition 8.”
Biden told the audience that both he and Obama had pposed Bush’s proposed Federal Marriage Amendment on a national level, which would have defined marriage as being between a man and a woman. “I think it’s regressive, I think it’s unfair, and so I’d vote no.”
hey lance
we went through ohs toghther you probably got a message from me and your sis by no.\w contact me please as for the political views give obama a chance im sure i 4 years enough people will be cussing his name just as they did bush no one seems to say anything about these lso called leaders until they have lead us into th crap we didnt want to be in in the first place change is change doenst always mean its good but it will always be what people want. i know that if i were to try to write a couple trillion $ checks my account couldnt cover at preseent time my bank would take the check book away not applaude and say go ahead wrie another no one ever fixed a debt by going farther into debt democrat republican or other affiliation i will probably be long gone when the wrath of these actions are fully felt on this country but unfortunatley our children wont be they need to quit tryint to fix the now by screwing up the future and leaving that mess to the next generations we're the ones that are dealing with that attitude the govenring bodyies in th e 20-50's had and so far i ain't having a good time trying to pick up thir mess and im sure our children will appecitae it even less. rermember his platform only promised change i dont recall hearing the platform ever promise fixing the problem and changing for the better
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