WTF? Obama's "Gulf Speech"? Did we elect a President or a Minister?

[PassingFair]

Here's the last 4 paragraphs of his very short speech.

"It is a faith in the future that sustains us as a people. It is that same faith that sustains our neighbors in the Gulf right now.

Each year, at the beginning of shrimping season, the region's fishermen take part in a tradition that was brought to America long ago by fishing immigrants from Europe. It's called "The Blessing of the Fleet," and today it's a celebration where clergy from different religions gather to say a prayer for the safety and success of the men and women who will soon head out to sea - some for weeks at a time.

The ceremony goes on in good times and in bad. It took place after Katrina, and it took place a few weeks ago - at the beginning of the most difficult season these fishermen have ever faced.

And still, they came and they prayed. For as a priest and former fisherman once said of the tradition, "The blessing is not that God has promised to remove all obstacles and dangers. The blessing is that He is with us always," a blessing that's granted "...even in the midst of the storm."

The oil spill is not the last crisis America will face. This nation has known hard times before and we will surely know them again. What sees us through - what has always seen us through - is our strength, our resilience, and our unyielding faith that something better awaits us if we summon the courage to reach for it. Tonight, we pray for that courage. We pray for the people of the Gulf. And we pray that a hand may guide us through the storm towards a brighter day. Thank you, God Bless You, and may God Bless the United States of America."


This turns my stomach.

On edit: Oh, and I am already arguing with an OP who thinks it is WONDERFUL that Obama turned his "Gulf Speech" opportunity into
a tent revival show. Even Bush would have known better than this.


:puke:

Amen.

[TZ]

1. The Bible Belt is the most hurt by the spill

So, I think Bush would have been as bad or worse. I didn't like it, but if it brings comfort to a lot of stressed out soon-to-be-unemployed religious fishermen in the south, I won't bad mouth it.
That speech wasn't for you or me. It was for the people of the gulf coast.
I also have memories of Clinton giving a pretty heavily religious speech in Oklahoma City after the bombing.

[PassingFair]

3. We are ALL suffering from the type of faith-based politics that LED to this disaster.

0% chance of failure MY ASS!

I can understand Clinton giving a religious speech
at a FUNERAL for OK victims...

This was an uncalled for mixture of church and state.

[TZ]

4. Again, he was speaking to a target audience

You don't think the people on the gulf coast, especially the fisherman aren't suffering? The blessing of the ships before they go out to see is VERY traditonal in those communities. And thats what he basically did.
Do I agree with it? No. Do I understand him speaking to the culture that's most affected by this crisis in terms they can relate to? Yes.
Seriously. There are people here who would have criticized him for any mention of god. And while I certainly was uncomfortable with it, it has more to do with the way this country is than with Obama in particular. Or did you miss EVERY SINGLE presidential candidate going to a faith forum before the election?

[PassingFair]

5. Listening to prayer with a bowed head is a far cry from leading one.

He should figure out a way to "relate" to the
gulf people without religious high-jinks and appeals
to yet another invisible hand to perform a miracle
to cure a situation caused because too many people
looked the other way to make money.

And no, I didn't MISS the "faith forum" shenanigans.

Did you miss the fact that that was the FIRST ONE?
It was disgusting that it occurred at all. NOT
behavior I would wish to perpetuate.

[enlightenment]

7. If he was speaking ONLY to the people on the gulf, he should

have made that clear. This was a message to the Nation. And I strongly suspect that the fishermen would prefer tangible help rather than a promise to pray for them. He's NOT a preacher or a priest, so it's not his place to bless anything, is it?

As for people criticizing him for any mention of god - did you happen to notice where you are posting? It's not so unusual for criticism to appear here. Perhaps you're a bit tired of seeing it elsewhere on DU. Why complain here, of all places?

And as for the presidential candidates going to a 'faith forum' - yeah, we all saw that. It was pandering - acceptable if you believe that it's appropriate for politics and faith to stroll through the park together simply because that's the 'way this country is', but scarcely tolerable if you believe that politicians, like everyone else, should keep their faith out of other people's faces and respect the diversity of this nation rather than kowtowing to one faction.

For a president, he makes a pretty good preacher - but not all of us agree that he should EVER use the Oval Office as his personal pulpit.

[PassingFair]

9. I am also getting the opinion that EVERYONE in the gulf...

is religious!

He is speaking to THOSE PEOPLE!
How DARE you think it is unwise for the President to
lead THOSE PEOPLE in prayer!

I know a few atheists in Florida.

There are probably more than a handful of them in the delta.

I could easily be living there!

[skepticscott]

6. The Bible Belt is the reason

that Bush and Reagan were elected twice, the reason that Big OIl has been able to do as they please for 30 years or more, and the reason that the regulatory mechanisms that might have prevented this were gutted. These people wanted smaller government, less regulation, lower taxes, no bailouts and self-reliance. Let them pray all they want instead and find out what good it does them. No sympathy here...not a bit.

[Jokerman]

2. It's sad that an otherwise intelligent person would resort to such platitudes.

"It is a faith in the future that sustains us as a people. It is that same faith that sustains our neighbors in the Gulf right now."

WTF is "faith in the future"? Faith that the world will continue to exist in the next minute, the next hour, the next day? Shit, I have THAT kind of faith. The real question is what kind of future are we building for the planet and its inhabitants? There will be a future whether humans are a part of it or not. Carlin said it best, "The earth will shake off the human race like a bad case of fleas."

If praying could fix the oil leak then doesn't that imply that god is willing to let this disaster unfold until enough people beg him to make it stop? Doesn't sound like a benevolent deity to me.

In my mind these comments take on the following meaning:

Without a miracle, we are fucked.
+ Miracles don't exist.
= We are fucked.

Also, whenever anyone says "God bless the USA" I hear the line from the Chris Rock movie, "God bless the USA, AND NO WHERE ELSE."

[laconicsax]

8. You militant atheists are just so shrill!

How dare you mock his beliefs in magic and fairy tales? You can't prove that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtI-lSvS028">the volcano isn't listening to our prayers and is answering them right fucking now.

Spare me your strident diatribes, Stalin. Atheism is just as much a religion as cafeteria Christianity you hypocrite.

:hide:




Wow, that was kinda fun and easy too. Maybe I should make anti-atheist videos for money on YouTube.

[PassingFair]

10. You forget to tell me to get my ass out of America if I didn't like it.

Try and hit me with it all at once, OK?

[laconicsax]

12. I thought you're supposed to replace that line with death threats.

It's hard to keep track of the nuances of bullying sometimes.

[PassingFair]

13. LOL n/t

[awoke_in_2003]

15. Nice post, Hitler

:hi:

[laconicsax]

16. Ad hom much, Stalin?

[awoke_in_2003]

17. all the time, Pol Pot

:rofl:

(you do know the original post was a joke, right? I sometimes don't come across right):hi:

[laconicsax]

19. Whatever you say, Mao.

(I got it)

[awoke_in_2003]

21. Cool, Baby Doc...

:rofl:

[awoke_in_2003]

18. do know this was meant as a joke...

I forgot how the original "Nice Post, Hitler" came about, but the only way I have seen it used since the original inception was in jest.

[laconicsax]

20. I've (not) always used it in jest.

(Sometimes, it's appropriate to go for the immediate Godwin...especially when someone's exercising their authoritarian instincts in all seriousness.)

[awoke_in_2003]

22. thinking about it...

I may be remembering the times I saw it in the moderator forum (spent 3 terms as a mod). I know there it was always used as a joke. :toast:

[trotsky]

23. "Spare me your strident diatribes, Stalin."

LMFAO

[laconicsax]

26. That kind of dismissive language is EXACTLY what one would expect to hear in Nazi Germany.

Oh shit, did I just call myself Hitler?

[Odin2005]

11. And the Theist-Appologists are calling us bigots who hate Southerners.

:banghead:

[PassingFair]

14. ANY criticism is being seen as de trop.....

And they really don't like religious criticism.

These are the same people who flip out if you
mention that taking "In God We Trust" off money,
or "under God" out of the pledge might be a
good idea.

"Don't you people have anything better to do!"

Can't even express the way I felt about the
NATIONALLY TELEVISED SPEECH that was DIRECTED
TO THE NATION.

[ZombieHorde]

24. "The blessing is not that God..."

"The blessing is not that God has promised to remove all obstacles and dangers. The blessing is that He is with us always," a blessing that's granted "...even in the midst of the storm."

If you are being raped, I won't try save you, or even call the cops, but I will give you a telepathic hug afterward.

[FiveGoodMen]

25. Boy, if that doesn't just nail it!

[Soylent Brice]

28. spot on. n/t

[Deep13]

27. I was disgusted by it.

Hearing him pine for an invisible hand of guidance made me say, "That's supposed to be your hand. This is your job, not god's."