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A New Role for Religion in Obama's White House ("Faith has played a larger role than any other Pres)
US News & World Report ^ | July 1, 2009 | Dan Gilgoff

Posted on 07/01/2009 8:59:38 PM PDT by presidio9

The conventional wisdom was that George W. Bush was the most faith-based president in recent history, by a long shot. Citing Jesus as his favorite philosopher and Billy Graham as a mentor, Bush won evangelical voters in numbers not previously seen. In office, he launched a controversial office of faith-based initiatives and consulted religious leaders in developing science policy. Bush routinely opened cabinet meetings with prayer and acknowledged conferring with "a higher father" before going to war in Iraq.

How remarkable, then, that religion might be playing an even bigger role in Barack Obama's administration. While Bush invited megapastor Rick Warren to low-key White House functions, Obama had him deliver the invocation at his internationally televised inauguration. Bush encouraged White House prayer groups, but Obama begins public rallies with the recitation of a White House-commissioned prayer. Obama has quickly expanded Bush's faith-based initiatives to include an advisory council of religious leaders weighing in on matters as diverse as abortion and Middle East peace. "This administration has used faith more overtly than any other in its first hundred days," says Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. "That includes Bush." But rather than appeal mostly to evangelicals as Bush did, Obama is reaching out to a broad spectrum of believers and nonbelievers.

Early decisions. He is carving out a bold new role for faith in the White House, which aides say aims to dial down the decades-old culture wars. The project may wind up drawing more religious voters into the Democratic fold. But it also threatens to alienate the Democratic base, which polls show is much less religious than the GOP's. Given the important role that religion and church-based organizing have played in Obama's own biography, though,

(Excerpt) Read more at usnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bho44; culturewars; faithbased; obamaandgod; religiousleft
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To: Tzimisce

Faith, Hope and Change, these three...


61 posted on 07/02/2009 1:29:22 AM PDT by fhayek
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To: aberaussie

That’s right. What a lot of people fail to understand is God helps those who help themselves. Somehow that has gotten lost in the translation of the current “Dial a Prayer Wish” con jobs.


62 posted on 07/02/2009 2:01:31 AM PDT by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote.)
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To: john in springfield

LOL!

Yes, this article strained credulity. Well, not really, because it is actually quite clear that this is another part of the Bambi chameleon show designed to neutralize the opposition by suckering the gullible into thinking he is really on their side, deep down. Sadly, a lot of people will fall for it.


63 posted on 07/02/2009 2:25:09 AM PDT by livius
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To: presidio9

0 only has “faith” when it helps him look good in the public eye.


64 posted on 07/02/2009 3:58:24 AM PDT by al_c (Jan 20, 2013: The end of One Big A** Mistake, America)
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To: presidio9

“Bush won evangelical voters in numbers not previously seen”
and he failed to push any of the Christian OR conservative agenda.
Didn’t do too much for those that brung ya to the dance there did ya George compassionate conservative?


65 posted on 07/02/2009 3:58:37 AM PDT by Joe Boucher
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To: presidio9

W-T-F?


66 posted on 07/02/2009 5:36:29 AM PDT by Polarik (Mom: You were right! The world IS run by a secret, international cabal.)
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To: presidio9
White House-commissioned prayer

Bless Obama our new Messiah

67 posted on 07/02/2009 5:38:53 AM PDT by Protect the Bill of Rights
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To: presidio9; AZ .44 MAG; azishot; Beckwith; BIGLOOK; BonRad; Brown Deer; Candor7; Cicero; ...

“Culture wars.”

Leave it to an effing Liberal to translate a bloody JIHAD into “Culture Wars.”


68 posted on 07/02/2009 5:39:56 AM PDT by Polarik (Mom: You were right! The world IS run by a secret, international cabal.)
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To: presidio9

Barack Hussein Obama is the tin god and lies are his religion. It’s always amazing how religions grab peoples’ credulity in an unreasoning and unreasonable way. People put their reason on the shelf in order to embrace religion.


69 posted on 07/02/2009 6:13:05 AM PDT by RoadTest (I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. - John 14:6)
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To: presidio9

What a load of gibberish.

A Muslim who gets baptized a Christian in 1996 so he can run for office.

And his policies all support atheist communism.


70 posted on 07/02/2009 6:19:22 AM PDT by <1/1,000,000th%
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To: presidio9

He has faith alright...but in what? He said he prays to himself every night. I kid you not.


71 posted on 07/02/2009 6:21:14 AM PDT by Earthdweller (Harvard won the election again...so what's the problem.......?)
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To: presidio9
“Faith has played a larger role...”—with nonbelievers???

Bush is a man of Faith; and because of this, would not make a show of it.

Obama is the reverse. Obama should try putting the Golden Rule into practice......

72 posted on 07/02/2009 6:47:08 AM PDT by mtntop3
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To: presidio9

73 posted on 07/02/2009 7:07:43 AM PDT by Costumed Vigilante (Congress: When a handful of evil morons just isn't enough)
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To: wardaddy

“glad to see you’re feeling yer old self”

Yeah, Obama’s policies just bring out the sweetness in me ;-)


74 posted on 07/02/2009 7:23:44 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (Pray for, and support our troops(heroes) !! And vote out the RINO's!!)
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To: Brad's Gramma

AP)

” In a surprise move, President Obama has named Bernard Madoff Secretary of the Treasury. When asked why he would choose the biggest con of all time, the President stated:
“ We understand each other, and Allah only knows what he will cook up if left in prison”


75 posted on 07/02/2009 7:28:43 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (Pray for, and support our troops(heroes) !! And vote out the RINO's!!)
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To: Brad's Gramma; All

AP)

” In a surprise move, President Obama has named Bernard Madoff Secretary of the Treasury. When asked why he would choose the biggest con of all time, the President stated:
“ We understand each other, and Allah only knows what he will cook up if left in prison”


76 posted on 07/02/2009 7:29:48 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (Pray for, and support our troops(heroes) !! And vote out the RINO's!!)
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To: presidio9
Americans United's Lynn. "Bush's office completely disregarded the separation of church and state, and nobody sees any change from that yet." Resolving the issue is an early test of Obama's ability to bring the culture wars' two sides together.

what is this idiot woman talking about? where is the separation of church and state as rule of law? and when did bush force his religion on anyone which is what that statement was about? stupid people making up their own laws.

77 posted on 07/02/2009 8:19:22 AM PDT by OafOfOffice (Constitution is not neutral.It was designed to take the government off the backs of people-Douglas)
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To: Mr. Silverback
With all due respect, Obama attended the Chicago church of Dr. B. Wright for political purposes only. His regular attendance ingratiated him into one of the largest the black Chicago church communities to great the great benefit off his ability to win over voters through church leadership there and affiliated congregations. It's a ploy as old as the hills.

If the O’zer is mildly intellectually attached to any specific religion, it would be Islam. The church of both is Kenyan father and his Indonesian father.

But if he is the Marxist he appears to be, he is an atheist and will use religious contexts strictly for benefit derived and to fool some of the people who support him who would not do so otherwisw.

78 posted on 07/02/2009 8:48:35 AM PDT by downtownconservative (As Obama lies, liberty dies!)
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To: MichiganConservative

LOL!


79 posted on 07/02/2009 10:25:59 PM PDT by taxesareforever (Quick justice for the senseless killing of Marine Lance Cpl. Robert Crutchfield.)
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To: lentulusgracchus
In this he follows Lincoln, who is said to have been (by various people) an agnostic, a deist, or even an atheist, despite his use of commonplace religious references in his speeches -- even important ones, such as those in which he spoke of the Civil War's being the work, and the judgment, of heaven.

There is a consensus in the medical community that Lincoln suffered from Bi-Polar Disorder. The disease is suspected in other presidents throughout history, but generally accepted for Lincoln. Bi-Polar sufferers endure periods of great despondency, despair and depression interrupted by periods of great productivity and generally high spirits. Knowing this, it becomes difficult to get much of a handle on what Lincoln believed (or didn't believe) unless he consistently repeated the same message. The fact that he was constantly dealing with enormous personal, professional, and national tragedy doesn't help matters.

This is, of course, not all of the answer, but part of the answer. Another big part is the fact that almost from the minute Lincoln died "friends" began stepping in to assassinate his character. To this day, you will find thousands of people here on FR who are convinced that this nation's greatest president, a Republican, was a racist and a scoundrel.

80 posted on 07/05/2009 12:12:42 PM PDT by presidio9 ("Don't shoot. Let 'em burn.")
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