Obama Leaves God out of Thanksgiving Speech, Riles Critics

[LAGC]

Critics of President Obama felt little holiday cheer after the president did not thank God in his Thanksgiving-themed weekly Internet address. They immediately took to Twitter and the Internet to voice anger and disbelief.

"Holy cow! Is that one screwed up or what?" columnist Sherman Frederick of the Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote in a Thanksgiving-morning blog post.

"Somebody ought to remind Obama (and his speechwriter) that when Americans sit down around a meal today and give thanks, they give thanks to God."

Over on the website of Fox News Radio, radio host Todd Starnes also took issue.

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-leaves-god-thanksgiving-speech-riles-critics-173023786.html

This is what we're up against, people. The God-botherers who not only need their religion respected, but paraded around constantly in the public sphere.

Our family, for one, paid thanks to the farmers in the field, the workers in the market, and the cooks in the family who made our excellent meal possible.

No homage to any sky-daddy required.

Good on the President for respecting non-believers in his speech by not invoking Higher Powers to usurp a great day of celebration for everyone, not just those who happen to believe in God.

[NMMNG]

1. So apparently if you don't give thanks to God you're not American?

:shrug:

[Major Nikon]

9. That's exactly how the small-minded shitbags think

If you don't believe in talking snakes, talking donkeys, and talking bushes, you MUST not be a real American. Oh, and you're going straight to hell also.

[MichiganVote]

2. Fine. I volunteer to put God in the presidential speech. God Bless you assholes. Happy?

[rug]

3. He invoked God often enough when he announced bin Laden's death.

"Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

"Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America."

[LAGC]

5. Yeah, but apparently that's not enough for the religious right.

If God isn't thanked on every joyous occasion, holiday, or day of celebration, it just proves that Obama is a stealth atheist.

Or stealth Muslim.

Or something equally sinister.

[struggle4progress]

4. Meh. Nobody reads the Las Vegas Review-Journal anymore, and the Fox audience probably doesn't even

know who Obama is

:shrug:

[Rowdyboy]

6. Way to go Mr President! Cool response....

[Sal316]

7. Some people have nothing better to do with their time.

First Obama's a secret Muslim and now they're pissed he didn't mention God (this year). Seriously, logical consistency definitely ain't their strong suit.

[Journeyman]

8. But Obama DID GIVE THANKS TO GOD in the Annual Thanksgiving Proclamation. . .

Presidential Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day, 2011

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

One of our Nation's oldest and most cherished traditions, Thanksgiving Day brings us closer to our loved ones and invites us to reflect on the blessings that enrich our lives. The observance recalls the celebration of an autumn harvest centuries ago, when the Wampanoag tribe joined the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony to share in the fruits of a bountiful season. The feast honored the Wampanoag for generously extending their knowledge of local game and agriculture to the Pilgrims, and today we renew our gratitude to all American Indians and Alaska Natives. We take this time to remember the ways that the First Americans have enriched our Nation's heritage, from their generosity centuries ago to the everyday contributions they make to all facets of American life. As we come together with friends, family, and neighbors to celebrate, let us set aside our daily concerns and give thanks for the providence bestowed upon us.

Though our traditions have evolved, the spirit of grace and humility at the heart of Thanksgiving has persisted through every chapter of our story. When President George Washington proclaimed our country's first Thanksgiving, he praised a generous and knowing God for shepherding our young Republic through its uncertain beginnings. Decades later, President Abraham Lincoln looked to the divine to protect those who had known the worst of civil war, and to restore the Nation "to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union."

In times of adversity and times of plenty, we have lifted our hearts by giving humble thanks for the blessings we have received and for those who bring meaning to our lives. Today, let us offer gratitude to our men and women in uniform for their many sacrifices, and keep in our thoughts the families who save an empty seat at the table for a loved one stationed in harm's way. And as members of our American family make do with less, let us rededicate ourselves to our friends and fellow citizens in need of a helping hand.

As we gather in our communities and in our homes, around the table or near the hearth, we give thanks to each other and to God for the many kindnesses and comforts that grace our lives. Let us pause to recount the simple gifts that sustain us, and resolve to pay them forward in the year to come.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 24, 2011, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage the people of the United States to come together whether in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or any place of fellowship for friends and neighbors to give thanks for all we have received in the past year, to express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own, and to share our bounty with others.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA


(So what does it matter if he ignores both God and the Holiday in his weekly Internet Address, when his comments about the issue are so plain for all who wish to see if they but read his Proclamation. And remember, without the Proclamation, there is no Holiday.

[Jay Raskin]

10. President Is Not Pontifex Maximus

In Ancient Rome, the emperor was also Pontifex Maximus, in charge of religious ceremonies. We do not have a pontifex masimus in the modern United States. It is not the job of the president to lead the country in prayer or the thanking of any gods.
The United States was established by the Deists and atheists of the Enlightenment period. It was the first country in modern times designed to be a secular country based on human rights and human authority without pretense of a God giving anybody authority over anybody else.
Any politician who uses God in a political speech to promote his religion spits in the face of the founding fathers.

We may also note that Jesus said that people should do their praying in closets and not be like the hypocrites who do their praying in public where everybody sees them.

Thus the politicians who are attacking Obama over his correctly not mentioning God in a thanksgiving speech are offending both secularists and Christians.