Senator Obama "Chastises" His Party to Compete for Support of Evangelicals
David Espo/TN : Jul 1, 2006
AP/The Washington Post
REPORTER'S NOTE: Regardless of one's political affiliation, our job is to report news that is -- if not extraordinary -- then at least newsworthy in the context of the "Good News." Such, I feel, is the case of Senator Barack Obama who recently was said to have "chastised fellow Democrats" this last week for "failing to acknowledge the power of faith in the lives of the American people," adding that his party must compete for the support of evangelicals and other churchgoing Americans. Now, what that means in terms of actually materializing throughout an entire political party -- given secularism's preoccupation with personal rights vis-à-vis gay marriage, abortion, etc. -- is anyone's guess, but credit must be given where credit is due, and in my estimation, despite at least one contradictory statement, Senator Obama is at least saying what secularists have abhorred to admit. Political speech being what it is, we would like to err on the side of believing the senator is sincere. -- Teresa Neumann
Speaking at a conference of Call to Renewal recently, Senator Barack Obama is quoted as saying: "It is doubtful that children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance feel oppressed or brainwashed as a consequence of muttering the phrase `under God. Having voluntary student prayer groups using school property to meet should not be a threat, any more than its use by the High School Republicans should threaten Democrats."
According to reporter David Espo, Obama also shared a bit of his personal testimony: "Kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side of Chicago, I felt I heard God's spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to his will and dedicated myself to discovering his truth."(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
The AP report noted that Obama cautioned the crowd that Democrats "cannot abandon the field of religious discourse. ... In other words, if we don't reach out to evangelical Christians and other religious Americans and tell them what we stand for, Jerry Falwells and Pat Robertsons will continue to hold sway," adding that, "secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering the public square."
However, that said, Obama seemed to contradict himself, by reportedly concluding that leaders of the "religious right" must recognize the importance of the separation of church and state.