Freethinker Sunday Sermonette: some work to do

Bulls Eye!

"I would probably have to say yes, that the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation..." - John McCain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9izhjnaLa3M

Bold words, especially as they were delivered in a church.

The necessity of compromise as expressed here by the candidate is reflective of an even more strenuous ordeal of compromise that took place in a stifling hot room in Philadelphia when the Constitutional Congress addressed similar concerns (among many other crucial matters).

Such concerns are as important today as in that hot summer so long ago. This is the most sensible, incisive and heartening speech that any candidate for the highest office has yet offered in this endless campaign.

It is long past time that a credible candidate spoke firmly and clearly to the religious interests that have languished too long in their assumption of political influence. I look forward to their responses which, I assume from experience, will cover the full range of scale from disinterest to outrage.

The race for the White House has suddenly become a bit more interesting. Thanks, Revere!

E Pluribus Unum

I really enjoy the Freethinker sermonettes. Please include reference information about the videos. For this one, I'd like to know when and where the video was taken. I've had questions about earlier ones also.

Sue: It's a good question. For this and other YouTube videos you can click the up arrow at the bottom of the frame and then the little thing that pops up. That will give you the original URL for the video. All the information that's available will be there. In this case it doesn't tell when this was done. It is clearly some time ago and in a church. I'm not sure Obama would be so straightforward today, given the campaign, but it's comforting to know this is probably what he really thinks. That's all I can tell you, I'm afraid. The same question occurred to me but I couldn't locate the date of the video or where.

That is sooooooooo refreshing to know that someone running for the highest office realizes the vast variety of religions/nonreligions in our country. I would hope that everyone could view this, but for some, what Obama says would make no sense at all....they are just close-minded and will never change.

The American public has a long traditions of blaming it's politicians for the country's problems.

No one remembers that it is the American public who elects the politicians that rule the country.

George W is now a good candidate for the post of the worst US President ever.

Few bother to mention that it was the good old American folks who elected him not once, but twice.

The second time, Bush was elected with a good majority, during a time of war, (even though Bush "had opted out" of active service) against a real life decorated war veteran!

Warnings about his total lack of experience were ignored, because he was the man with whom "one would like to have a drink".

So the fate of the entire world was decided, due to the belief of the American public, that Bush was a jolly nice fellow.

Of course, Bush is a lot better President now, than he was eight years ago.

It took two Presidential terms for Bush to really become qualified to be the President of the greatest country in the world.

That is called on the job training.

During this on the job training, millions of lives were lost or ruined all around the world.

Bush was not to be blamed for that however.

He did not know what he was doing.

I am sure that when Bush W looks back in time, he secretly admits to his then naive and ignorant ways about the world.

I am sure that Bush W is really really sorry for a lot of things that happened during that time.

Who is to be blamed for the disastrous eight years that have just gone by?

why it is the American voters who will carry that guilt.

All of the Americans who voted for him, knowing that he had no experience in world affairs and did not even know the names of major world leaders.

It is the American voters who are to be blamed for all of that pain caused in our country as well as in other countries during the last eight years.

This time, once again the American public will most likely reject McCain, with his impeccable record (the only Senator with 0 pork projects!) universally known for his independent views and integrity.

Not to mention his decades long experience of world affairs and national defence.

Instead, we will end up with a President who not only does not have any experience but also said so himself in 2004.

This was before the lust for power grabbed him to such an extent, that he could not even have the decency to complete his first term in the Senate, before trying to go for the top job.

As far as world affairs are concerned, Obama is still apparently waiting for the President of Canada to speak with him!

No. I am not making petty points.

Running America is a serious business.

This is NOT an on the job training opportunity.

Mind you, Obama speaks very very well and so what else could you want?

Well, he is also black.

The Color du Jour!

As we all know, good color hides all kinds of defects.

All of us in America should remember the ludicrously illogical behavior displayed in the past when electing the President of America.

It would be too much to hope that any of us will use logic when casting the vote however.

James: I didn't elect these guys, but that's besides the point. John McCain has never run a thing. He has no planning, policy or executive experience. More importantly, he doesn't seem to have good judgment and is a hothead and can't manage his own finances, so why should I give him the US credit card. That's not the kind of person I want running things. But that's just me. I'm only a voter.

W Bush (shrub) was never elected President the first time but was only placed in power by his daddies' appointments to the court.

As far as McCain goes, it will just be another 4 years of W Bush or worse. Vote for him..........no way!

So John McCain "doesn't seem to have good judgment" while Obama who took 20 years to cut him self off from his Mentor/Preacher/source of inspiration(apparently they did not "really know" each other during all those years)has great judgement.

The fact that Obama did not even have the respect for the office of the US President to at least complete one term in the job that he was elected for, is good judgement?

I did say that logic has no part in our thinking:)

"I didn't elect these guys, but that's besides the point"

I am afraid it is NOT besides the point.

When and if (God forbid) millions more die because of the mistakes of the President elected due to the votes of you and I, then it is not besides the point.

That was the entire point of my post.

It is time that the electors of the US President took responsibilty for their actions (or inaction) and shared in the pain caused by that President during his administration.

The fact that even you, one of the very brightest of our land, can say "I didn't elect these guys, but that's besides the point" proves my point and depresses me even more than I thought it would :(

Ann, do you really think that McCain is really like Bush W?

Really deep in your heart do you believe that?

Do you think that the hard core Bush W voters, who would extend his term if they could, are happy that McCain is the candidate for their party?

Come on Ann, be honest and tell me if you believe that political slogan to be true:)

"W Bush (shrub) was never elected President the first time but was only placed in power by his daddies' appointments to the court."

It was not his Daddy but all of us who voted for (or gave up their vote) and elected Bush W.

What is more, comletely untried and ignorant of word affairs Bush W, was elected against a decorated hero, who knew what real war was because he had fought in a war and knew it's horrors.

sound familiar Ann?

W Bush was NEVER elected the first time. Get that straight, he was appointed. And correct...I did not vote for Bush and didn't vote for his father either.

When McCain first ran against Bush, I seriously thought about voting for him. BUT listen to how he kowtows to all the special interest now in search of support. It makes me sick. If you think that he can't be bought out, just watch him babble what he thinks each group wants to hear.

When all is said and done and until this country suffers more (which it has started to do), the Republicans might still win.

Maybe a breath of fresh air...like more insightful thought...might pull us together again.

By the way James........it seems like money buys everything. Daddy has bailed W Bush out so many times and with Karl Roves expensive help put him into office. Even Daddy was upset with Sonny when he first brought up a war with Iraq.

Explain to me how any other family than that wonderful BinLaden family could have gotten out of our country when all airspace was shut down. It's all in the money and who you know.

Ann, I see that you have ignored all the comments about Obama.

I guess that is because they do not matter!

Bush was a disaster for the country, because people like you and I forgot about substance and went for the rhetoric.

The political tricks and slogans reduced the rep of his decorated war hero opponent who had actually fought in a war and knew it to be the hell that it is.

The political trickery and slogans tricked us all in to electing a complete novice with not a clue as to what was going on in the world.

Sounds familiar Ann?

It was not his Daddy who elected Bush W Ann and it was certainly not McCain!!!

It was you and I.

If Bush W has created problems for the country, it was because of the American voters, who put Bush W in the white house.

It was us, the American voters.

I know, that does not sound good to you.

To admit that, would be to share the guilt for all the millions killed in the foreign lands and the thousands of the brave men who died fighting for our country during the last eight years.

Not easy to do that.

So let us blame er... the Daddy Bush or well.... some one.... or some thing else.

I do not expect you to address any logical points that one makes about Obama, who did not even have the decency to complete his one term in the office for which he was elected, before the lust for power grabbed him.

You talk about the "money power but choose to ignore the fact that McCain is the only Senator to take no pork!

Unlike Obama and most others in American politics.

what has the Bush money got to do with McCain, a truly honest politician in our country.

Are you a tiny bit ashamed about trying to connect Bush and his money with McCain?

McCain took the leadership of his party not because of money and backing from Bush or from the hard right of his party.

He did it with persistence, integrity and sheer courage.

These traits can be seen through out his DECADES of service to our country.

It appears however, that once again it is going to be rhetoric against substance.

No doubt, once again the American voters would go for the rhetoric, the oratory, the grand political gestures and slogans.

Any thing but real substance.

If we do that, we should remember who is to blame this time, for any disasters that follow.

James: Speak for yourself. I wasn't fooled by the SOB. Too bad you were. It was pretty obvious. But I guess you can fool some of the people some of the time.

Revere, you may not have been fooled by the above, but enough Americans obviously were.

If it was that obvious then how was he able to win against a real war hero in the time of war, with no experience of his own of any kind, to show to the American public?

The point is that substance lost out to rhetoric at that time due to political trickery.

Substance is losing out to rhetoric along with political trickery once again, fooling Americans by the slight-of-word.

Just see what Ann said in her post above.

"Explain to me how any other family than that wonderful BinLaden family could have gotten out of our country when all airspace was shut down." she said.

Ann said this as a response to a post about McCain!

Now I am sure that Ann was not consciously trying to connect McCain with the Bush family and their alleged connections.

The problem is that she is being fed a daily diet of political slogans and innuendos, making her believe that the above comment was a very reasonable point to make, when talking about McCain!

Does that remind you of 9/11 and the part Iraq had played in that crime, according to repeated speeches by the Bush and Cheney team?

Exactly right. A lie, repeated enough times, will become the truth in the public mind.

I am sad to note that your comments about McCain were also not what I would have expected from one of the best bloggers on the web, one of the great Revere team.

With respect, for you to ignore the corruption free and independent record of McCain over decades, (the only "pork-free" senator as opposed to Obama and most of other politicians) is also not right.

McCain has vast experience of the Defence and Foreign Affairs matters.

More importantly, McCain is an honest person who has dedicated all of his life to his country.

McCain's loyalty to America can not be questioned and his ability to cross over the divide to get difficult legislation passed over the decades is there for all to see.

If we repeat what happened with Bush and his war hero opponent once again, then we may come to regret it over the years to come.

revere dear: while I tend to agree with you , simply because you've earned my respect, please go back and read some of James M Tom words in an unemotional way. Gads, you are so passionate that it's adorable anymore.
I'm not saying he's right and I'm not saying he's wrong. I'm just saying we all need to realize that we're being screwed over Big Time by the wealthy elitists. It's all a game you see.

BTW, how's the back doing revere? Mine is still giving me problems, darn it.

These are the very things our "fore-fathers" warned us about, how easy it is to forget.

We absolutely need a third and yes, a fourth party actively acknowledged and included in the "race to the white house". And we need to do away with the super delegate illusion and go by popular vote.
Delegates were needed when we were moving about by horse and buggy, we now have transportation that will move us a great deal faster.

We are literally being buffooned by buffoons with only two choices. Come on, we can do better than this, we can demand better than this, we can be revolutionary for the good of all citizens and the other countries that are depending on us.

James: If you believe that crap about McCain being a maverick you are even more gullible this time around than last time. He is surrounded by corrupt lobbyists and he has no record as an executive. He's never planned anything, never made policy, never run an organization other than his congressional office. He has anger control problems. And he doesn't know jack shit about foreign policy or even the most elementary facts about Iraq.

There is abundant documentary evidence of McCain's lack of abilities and his lack of candor. And he will deep six Roe v. Wade if given a chance. I remember the days of illegal abortions. I used to have to run to the emergency room to take care of those poor women bleeding to death from backstreet abortionists. Not to mention calling his wife a cunt. If you want more you can watch him debate himself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnb2IrsU1Cg

You like Bush? You can have some more. Unless you believe the "other" McCain. Which is the straight talker?

Obama? Who knows for sure about anyone. He's better than Bush/McCain. He wants out of Iraq. He wants to heal the divisions caused by Bush. He's inspired a lot of young people. I'm not crazy about some of his policies (too conservative for me; he's not that liberal; there are at least 8 senators more liberal than he is), but you take what you can get and you run like hell from Bush/McCain.

Lea: Yes, we are being screwed over by the wealthy elites. And McCain is in bed with them big time. Look at who surrounds him and from whom he raises money. The Republicans are the part of the wealthy elite and a vote for them is vote to screw yourself over even more. Lots of Democrats are almost as bad, although the worst Dem is still better than the best Republican. But not by much and there's probably no meaningful difference. James is a nihilist and I assume he won't vote because he doesn't trust anyone. But why should we trust him? Or McCain?

James M Tom,

You said;

"This is NOT an on the job training opportunity.

Mind you, Obama speaks very very well and so what else could you want?

Well, he is also black.

The Color du Jour!

As we all know, good color hides all kinds of defects."

Well, we can all see what colours your thoughts.

He's a great orator and deserves a place as the nation's minister-in-chief. It will be a shame when he is elected president. Too bad he can't be elected to a radio talk-show program.

timotheus: And it's a shame you are too old to sign up to go to Iraq. You are too old, aren't you? They're taking them up to age 41 now.