The (C)Ombination of Church And State

While most of the media is still waxing rhapsodic about Barackallah’s (He Who Thinks He’s God) Kumbay’all speech in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, the meaning, the purpose, the effect, the sheer scope and breadth of the magnificence of his grandiloquence is being touted, beheld, and celebrated with awe and wonder.   Yet, no one seems to be asking the question uppermost in my mind: why’d he do it?

Yes, I know he claims to want to open the door to peace, yada yada, waaah, waaah.  And, I know he knows that one measly little speech will not solve the problems emanating from the Middle East that are now facing the world.  By all estimations, it’s gonna take at least six, maybe more, depending on approval ratings.  But, he didn’t address the Middle East, or terrorists, or a particular nation’s particular problems.  In fact, he pretty clearly stated that that wasn’t his job.  His job, as he sees it, is to address and protect Islam.  From his speech, A New Beginning:

So I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed. That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn’t. And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear. (emphasis mine)

Why would an American Pretendident reach out to the “Muslim world” in the first place?  Did he do so on behalf of a Christian country?  When did that happen?  For a supposedly secular nation, whose separation of church and state is woven into the fabric of its existence, to suddenly reach out to a religion, seeking partnership, seems shocking, at least to me.  We are supposed to be inclusive, tolerant of all religions, and none, guided by principles laid out in the Constitution, not the ones in the Bible.  So, why the official, presidential, embrace of the “Muslim world?”  Where in his Oath of Office does it say “buck up Islam”?

Can we expect an “Obama on Buddhism” speech?  Judaism?  Voodoo?  Reach Out And Touch A Druid?  You might say, well, those religions pose no threat.  Perhaps.  But, if Islam does, why aren’t we at war with them?  And, how come we’ll never be?

Barack Obama claims to be a committed Christian.  I’ve always been skeptical of that, no matter how many times he tried to claim such skepticism was unfair ‘”smearing.”  He became a Christian opportunistically, at the urging of Jewish and Catholic community organizers he worked for, after he encountered resistance from the black pastors he tried to coalesce into a formidable force for their (the community organizers’) idea of “change.”  Recognizing their powers of persuasion, Obama tried to harness it.  His goal was to exploit them, ostensibly, in his own mind, for their own good, and the good of the community, as he saw it.  However, the clergymen he courted were not stupid, and recognized a con job from an outsider before he opened his mouth; it’s not like they’d never seen such behavior before.  True, most, but by no means all, of the con men purporting to show them how to fix all the problems they were all too familiar with, since they addressed them every day of their lives, were white men and women; i.e., the aforementioned Catholics and Jews, well-intentioned college students, up-and-coming, earnest, young politicians, etc., having heard the rap a zillion times before, mere commonality of skin tone was no guarantee of entree into their inner circle.

A little understood point in black religious politics, is that denomination is by no means exclusive.  By that, I mean, a black Methodist Episcopal (AME) service is a lot like a black Missionary Baptist service, which is a lot like a black Pentecostal service, and even a black Catholic service.  Crossover is not unheard of, with some  worshipers attending multiple churches, even family members will sometimes have different affiliations.  Many black children grow up going to one church with one Granny, another with the other, and another one with Momma, sometimes on successive weekends, sometimes even on the same day, and, an entirely different one of their own choice once they reach their teens and/or early adulthood.   Black ministers of different denominations often pool their resources for some common community goal.  So, it didn’t matter so much if Obama joined a Sanctified church, or a Spiritual, or more loosely defined church, he just had to join a black one.

Thus, Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s Trinity United Church of Christ was a natural fit with its close ties with Father Michael Pfleger’s St. Sabina and Minister Louis Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam.  As far as black churches go, Trinity was pretty mainstream.  And, it was huge.  Joining such a mini-mega church gave Obama cred he otherwise would not have had, without compromising his own religious convictions overmuch, whatever they may have been.

As far as becoming a “committed Christian,” however, as I’ve said, I’m not so sure.  Hearing him question which Biblical passages would be appropriately persuasive politically in his 2006 Speech on Religion, I was struck by how much his arguments sounded like those espoused in the Skeptic’s Annotated Bible, which is pretty much the official handbook of atheists.  He has spoken repeatedly, as he did then, of both his mother and father as not being particularly religious, going so far as to say on separate occasions that neither one actually practiced much of anything religious-wise.

Yet the ease with which he spoke of the Qur’an, the correctness of his pronunciation of the word, and its passages, suggest a comfort and familiarity with, and reverence for, the holy book not previously copped to.  His exposure to Islam as a child does not cover it, either.  I grew up attending Catholic churches among the Baptist, Pentecostal, and others, fairly regularly, at a time when the Mass was conducted in Latin, and I’m sure I could not do justice to a single Latin word.  Obama’s continued “faith-based” policies with their inbred prejudices threatening to dilute and consume social freedoms under the guise of inclusion, have to be coming from somewhere.  What is the point of a “progressive,” “liberal” president embracing, condoning and sanctioning conservative values when he has an overwhelming Congressional majority?  Why try to see both sides of the abortion issue, when there is no middle ground to be sought, much less attain?  And, how does speechifying on how most Muslims aren’t scary people resolve the question of Israel’s right to exist, or Iran’s nuclear capabilities?

Now, of course, the Obots will yell and scream, “but, he’s not a Muslim!” as will the bought-and-paid-for, and otherwise properly conditioned through subtle intimidation and groupthink, mainstream media sheeple movers.  So will the Center for American Progress’ Think Progress/Media Matters types who are paid to ensure nobody thinks for themselves about the guy.  However, “because he says so” is not good enough for me.  Especially in the face of his actions.  Something made a man who would rather have been caught dead, than associating with a Muslim during the primaries and presidential campaign, break his neck to “reach out to Muslims” almost as soon as he learned his way around the Oval Office.  Something makes him think it’s his job to make them look good.  Something besides the fact that he’s an all-around swell guy and “sort of a god.”

Yeah, somebody actually said that.  Newsbusters says Newsweek’s Evan Thomas made the obsequious observation on fellow GE family member, Chris of the Tingly Leg Matthews’ MSNBO Oddball show, and, has a clip and transcript to prove it.  Baracus Hubris Maximus’ (Hail, Caesar!) god-like ObaMessiah status is no longer just a figment of his own imagination, (though that’s where the concept was born) during his Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Muslim Love speech, it was proven that his divinity was etched in pyramid stone.  So says Dr. Zahi Hawass, the guy when it comes to Egyptology, since he’s the Secretary General of the Council of Antiquities.  While not everyone’s a fan, no one can doubt the man’s passion for his work.  He also seems to be a pretty good politician; after the Celebritician noted a resemblace between himself and a common worker named Kar depicted on a pyramid wall, during a tour led by Hawass, the good doctor graciously informed the Teflon TelePrompTer Reader that, in his opinion, Obama most closely resembled King Tut.  Which, though flattering, I guess, is somewhat strange, because the controversial Tutankhamun died before reaching age 21. So, what was Hawass really trying to say?  And, though media motor mouths credited He Who Must Ne’er Be Mocked with exhibiting a healthy dose of self deprecating humor in noting the resemblance between himself and the big-eared Kar, the American Thinker guys had long ago suggested that Obama poke fun at himself by channeling Steve Martin doing Tut.  Their logic?  Since the well paid comics of our time would rather whine about not being able to make fun of Omandingo, than actually look at him and his actions objectively, from which point the jokes would automatically flow, and thus, justify their salaries, AT said Obie should do it himself.  Not a bad idea, but perhaps a bit premature.  Jon Stewart, with deadlines to meet and airtime to fill, finally seems to be warming to the idea of drawing from the deep, deep, Obamalamadingdong comedy well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2Kh-xzerjE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr4VZ8xCzOg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsP052z5hLk