Obama bloggers and campaigners are propagating the analogy that "Obama" equals "Community Organizer" which equals "Jesus". What non-sense! Senator Barak Obama in no way compares to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is much more than a Community Organizer. Jesus actually opposes evil. Jesus drives out demons. Jesus heals the sick and the lame. Jesus raises the dead, walks on water, and defeats death itself. Jesus is much more than a man or Community Organizer. Jesus Christ is God Incarnate. Jesus Christ is the Spotless Lamb of God, and He is more of a man than Barak Obama or I will ever be. This comparison is absolute non-sense, and reflects the failure of many to comprehend the Bible and the nature of Christ Jesus our Lord.
Now, let's set side the magnanimity of Christ aside for one second. Let's follow-out the Dems' notion that Jesus was a Community Organizer. Did Jesus run for the office of Roman Emperor (analogous to the White House)? Did Jesus seek to implement his reforms through law. No! Jesus came to conquer the hearts of men, not to assert a government program of social welfare. Jesus came to inspire the hearts of men to help their neighbor of their own volition, not through government mandate.
If Senator Barack Obama wants to implement community reforms in the model of Jesus Christ, he needs to be working in the church house, not the White House.
God Save the U.S.A.
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Uncle Brent,
I believe you are missing the point most are trying to make with this, and perhaps seizing on only the fanatical. Again, I am becoming more and more disappointed with these efforts. They are lacking the balance and critical thought I have come to expect.
Obama supporters ARE NOT comparing Obama to Jesus, nor are they saying Jesus is only a community organizer or debating He is any of the things you say He is.
The purpose of the statement "Jesus Is A Community Organizer" is to point out republican attempts to mock Obama's work as a community organizer as ludicrous.
It is especially ludicrous when many within the Republican ranks are community organizers themselves who have been the backbone of the Republican success for years. This is THE definition of irony folks.
Knowing the evangelical right is a big part of the GOP, and knowing that Jesus spread the gospel message through communities, both advantaged and disadvantaged, the hypocrisy of this mockery should be clear to any reasoned individual.
Let us be clear and reasoned. Let us discuss truth. Let us focus on what is right. Let us not be misled and foolish.
What happened at the GOP Convention was not just republicans attempting to send the message Obama's experience as a community organizer did not qualify him for the presidency....It was sending a message of mockery and it was shameful!
A comment on what you have done here:
You have taken this statement that supporters, bloggers, and volunteers have created to point out this hypocrisy, and somehow tried to affiliate it with the official campaign. Did Obama himself utter these words or did the campaign release a statement with these words?
Furthermore, the last paragraph in your post seems to be somewhat hypocritical as well considering what can be found on the "About Us" page on the American Bless God (the organization you run which is affiliated with Political Hope) website.
Many of your brethren on the right wanted to have someone in the White House who would encourage community reforms in the model of Jesus Christ, and their wish was granted with two Bush terms. My point being that you should offer equal opportunity advice.
One final note, the work Obama did on Chicago's south side? Yeah, churches were an integral part of that work.
With Love and Reason,
Jeremie
The point is that much of Obama agenda belongs in the church house and/or the local level; not the state house. This is a policy issue. Do you want the federal government defining who is rich/poor, who needs help/doesn't need help. Who much give to social causes and how much they should give?
And yes, I am a fanatical for Christ Jesus. Making the distinction between a governor and community organizer is fair game in my book. Saying Jesus was a community organizer is a massive understatement, and reflects a lack of understanding and/or appreciation for who Jesus is. Do you disagree?
Conceptually, I do not want the federal government involved in that detail.
With that said, the difference between the R's and the D's is that the R's shift the burden to the middle class, and the D's shift the burden to the wealthiest of Americans. So the redistribution happens with either group in control in Washington, with effects for different classes of citizens. Real conservative values do not live in the Republican or Democratic party.
I wasn't calling you fanatical, I said you were seizing on the fanatical versions of the statement. I also explained that the majority were not saying that Jesus is ONLY a community organizer, most of humanity understands and recognizes He is more than this regardless if they have a personal faith in Him.
I would take your last statement and turn it on you. To not recognize that Jesus works in and with communities of people lacks a recognition for who He is and what He calls us to do.
Read my comment, I never said that calling out the difference between a community organizer and a governor was not fair game. (side note: Nevermind he is the first African-American President of the Harvard Law Review, a professor of Constitutional Law, a state senator, and a sitting U.S. senator just like McCain) It absolutely is, but it was the tone and the mocking manner of being a community organizer which you especially should not condone. Brent, that moment during the Republican convention was shameful, and I have a hard time believing you cannot agree with me on this point.
Those speeches by Rudy and Palin were a McCarthy moment. I wanted to be in the middle of that auditorium and yell "Have you no shame?! Have you no decency?!"
I agree that both parties are re-distributing wealth. Obama supports progressive taxation and social welfare for the poor. McCain believes in tax incentives to guide behavior, and it does impact the middle class but I accept that when the money is spent on fundamental elements of government (military & legal justice). The Rs support business/corporate welfare. So are we going to continue to compromise and vote for people that believe in the re-distribution of wealth?
I accept responsibility for the fanatical label; no problem. My exception is the public comparison of any man to Jesus. He is standard by which we measure obedience to God. If a man professes faith in Christ, let him exalt the name of Christ; and if he compares himself to Christ, let it be to see how he measures up to Christ.
“Jesus came to inspire the hearts of men to help their neighbor of their own volition, not through government mandate.”
I understand where you’re coming from on mocking the “Community Organizer”. I didn’t take it that way. I took it as saying a Governor is an Executive, a Community Organizer is not. The Ds were attacking Palin’s “lack of executive experience”, and the Rs were refuting that notion. I can see how people take offense at; I did not.
This is where the people are fed up with attack mode politics. Yes, I’ve fallen into it as well. If we stick to representing our policies and making direct comparison to the opposing policies, I think we’ll do better at getting more people involved in the process.
Thanks for helping to keep me in line!
Good, I'm glad that we can agree that R's and D's are for redistribution, just to different classes of citizens. What type of redistribution we accept is a difference, and worth debating. I would maintain that I would rather my tax dollars go to someone in need than to bail out AIG or support the military industrial complex.
I have not read or heard people making the jump and comparing Obama to Jesus using the phrase "Jesus is a community organizer". Again, most used it to point of they hypocrisy of the R's words and actions during their convention. If there are people out there making this comparison, they are fanatical, and are not within Obama's mainstream supporters. This is an important point. I think the R's and their surrogates have spent way more time trying to paint Obama as a messianic figure than bloggers and campaigners (fyi: if you cite "bloggers and campaigners", you should link to these sources) in your original post.
On the experience issue, if we are going to use Palin's 1 1/2 years as governor as a trump card, is she more qualified to be President than her running mate?
Democrats weren't in an uproar about Palin's experience, they were in an uproar that the R's had been hitting Obama so hard about his experience (which is fair), and then McCain's VP pick was certainly questionable in that area (and this is also fair).
Obama/Biden, and their surrogates, consistently make positive statements regarding McCain's service to our country, it is just too bad McCain/Palin and their surrogates can't return the favor.
Maybe they didn't view Obama's service as a community organizer as important because it wasn't in a military uniform? If so, that is shortsighted and unfortunate. How does a political party proclaim their candidacy is about calling the country to serve and to put the country first, and then mock someone who does? It is just preposterous.
I know I seem to be ragging on this point, but it was this same type of activity by McCain and his campaign during the Republican primary which provoked such strong emotions. John McCain continually disrespected his Republican colleagues Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, and Ron Paul directly and indirectly.
To sum up my thoughts, Americans are ready and able to have the debate around qualifications through education, background, and experience, but let's do it in a respectful manner.
Also, this quote was interesting:
“Jesus came to inspire the hearts of men to help their neighbor of their own volition, not through government mandate.”
One, who said it? Two, in light of using this quote, did you support the implementation of "faith-based initiatives" and partnerships during this administration?
Jeremie
1) We’re back to who defines “someone in need”. That is not a decision I trust with the federal government. That is your decision and mine. I also don’t want my money going to bail out foolish companies. BTW, Fannie Mae is part of the FDRs Raw Deal, which is the Ds claim to fame. I also agree that the MIC is out of control. This is Bush’s drunken spending spree and no one seems to want to stop it, though we do need to complete our missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
2) Are you implying Rep Cohen and Susan Sarandon are fanatics? They made public the comparison between Obama and Jesus on 9/10 and 9/11 respectively. They also compared Palin to Pilate. When we make statements, the audience will interpret those statements according to their own understanding. The majority of American voters, and certainly the U.S. House members, understand that Pilate ordered the execution of the Messiah. I don’t know what else you need to see this comparison… May Jesus Christ be exalted by those who claim to follow him.
3-7) I did not say that Palin’s governorship was a trump card. I was simply pointing out what prompted the "Jesus was a Community Organizer" remarks by Obama supporters. McCain and Biden have the most political experience, and Palin is the only one on either ticket with executive experience…
8) Okay let’s debate the issues, not the rhetoric.
9) The quote is mine, and I DO NOT support faith-based initiatives. That’s another re-distribution of wealth, and it straps ministries with government regulations.
What issue do you wish to debate?
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