Saint Therese Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 ANKARA, Turkey, April 8, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Speaking to a Turkish press conference Monday as part of a tour to boost U.S. relations with Muslim countries, President Obama sparked controversy by dismissing the notion that America considers itself Christian in nature - unlike 62% of Americans in a recent Newsweek survey. "Although ... we have a very large Christian population, we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation, or a Jewish nation, or a Muslim nation," said Obama. "We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values." The statement recalled previous remarks to the Christian Broadcasting Network in 2007, when Obama affirmed that "whatever we once were, we're no longer just a Christian nation." The Internet immediately buzzed with feedback and reflection on the President's statements. Just prior to the press conference, Newsweek had stirred the waters with an article entitled "The End of Christian America," revealing 2009 American Religious Identification Survey data showing a decline in religious values in the U.S. In that survey, 62 percent of respondents said they considered the U.S. a Christian nation. Conservative leaders questioned Obama's assessment of American self-identity, citing the U.S. Founding Fathers and presidents throughout the country's history who affirmed the country's Christian foundation. "I think he [Obama] was using the editorial 'we' there. I don't know who he's talking to," remarked Dr. Timothy O'Donnell, president of Christendom College and professor of history, in an interview with LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) today on the issue. While it is clear America was not instituted as an explicitly Christian nation, said O'Donnell, "it's an inconvertible fact of history that the overwhelming population of people who were involved in the drafting of the constitution ... came out of the tradition of Western Christian civilization." "I think there's a strong body of Jews, Christians, certainly Evangelicals that would find such a statement to be very offensive," he said. "With the greatest respect for the office of the presidency, many of us are both frightened and befuddled by this combo of bowing to the waist to the king of Saudi Arabia, and then declaring that this is not a Christian nation," remarked Rabbi Yehuda Levin, the Special Emissary to Israel for The Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the U.S. and Canada and The Rabbinical Alliance of America, in an interview with LSN today. "I would say that most of us understand that this is a - certainly, certainly was at the founding, and for hundreds of years, was a de facto Christian nation," said Levin. "What is the idea that binds us together?" he asked. "Respect for life and family values, respect for religious values that derive from a God who gave us Holy Writ. If Obama wants to discuss theology, then he should answer some more questions on this subject, because he is scaring a lot of people." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TotusTuusMaria Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 I think Obama is just pandering to who he is talking to. It sounds nice and it is what his audience probably liked hearing. I don't think he was thinking about the historical significance Christianity has played in the founding and establishment of our country and her documents and law. Honestly, while most may be Christian, we really are not a "Christian" nation... I mean look who "we" voted in to office. Look what we are standing for now. It is the politically correct thing to state that we are not a "Christian" nation... we are all bound by some "ideas and values." ... while I doubt that we are bound by the same "ideas and values" ... I think he may be on to something when he says that we are no longer a Christian nation... at least as a nation at this period in time we honestly do not represent Christianity to the world as Iraq or Iran represents Islam to the world. We are not a Christian nation, in a sense of the phrase, as unfortunate as that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddington Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 (edited) [quote name='Saint Therese' post='1831629' date='Apr 11 2009, 02:23 AM']"Although ... we have a very large Christian population, we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation, or a Jewish nation, or a Muslim nation," said Obama. "We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values."[/quote] 'Christian nation' is a stretch as is "a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values." EDIT: So, yea, the same as TTM said above if I woulda read her better. Edited April 11, 2009 by Paddington Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apotheoun Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 ". . . a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values." A vacuous statement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lounge Daddy Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 [quote name='Apotheoun' post='1831758' date='Apr 11 2009, 11:26 AM']". . . a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values." A vacuous statement.[/quote] Ha! Like a good politician, he didn't actually say anything at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madame Vengier Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 No great surprise here. John Edwards, while professing himself to be a devoted church-goer, said the exact same thing when he was running for President. Obama is not a Christian and would not have the faintest thing in common with the average real Christian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Vega Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 I'm sure I'll be on the outside, but we're no more a Christian nation than we are a White nation, or a Black nation, or any other sort of nation. None of the founding fathers nor presidents ever indicated that the US [i]was[/i] a Christian nation. Further, if we were a Christian nation, we certainly wouldn't allow things like gay "marriage" or abortion or any of the other things that we permit which are clearly against our Religion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winchester Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Well, are deists Christians? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princessgianna Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Well we aren't a Christian nation! A true Christian Nation would never kill Life! (A just war is omitted here) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madame Vengier Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 [quote name='USAirwaysIHS' post='1831979' date='Apr 11 2009, 03:47 PM']I'm sure I'll be on the outside, but we're no more a Christian nation than we are a White nation, or a Black nation, or any other sort of nation. None of the founding fathers nor presidents ever indicated that the US [i]was[/i] a Christian nation. Further, if we were a Christian nation, we certainly wouldn't allow things like gay "marriage" or abortion or any of the other things that we permit which are clearly against our Religion.[/quote] Our nation was strongly founded upon basic Judeo-Christian values. This much is clear, and many of our Founding Fathers were Christians or at the very least subscribed to those basic principles. Most of our greatest institutions of law, education, medicine, and charity were founded by Christians or again, upon Judeo-Christian principles. All those residing in this nation are beneficiaries of the Judeo-Christian ethics and values which the great majority of Americans are desperately trying to cling to and preserve. America IS a Christian nation, and all those who are ranting about how we ARE NOT are also enjoying the benefits of being in a Christian nation. It's like sitting down to a meal of the most delicious food, not able to get enough of it, and all the while complaining that it's making you fat. As for those Christians who are saying America isn't a Christian nation, that's fine. Just wait until we're an Islamic nation. Then you can compare and contrast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Vega Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 (edited) [quote name='Madame Vengier' post='1832027' date='Apr 11 2009, 02:55 PM']Our nation was strongly founded upon basic Judeo-Christian values. This much is clear, and many of our Founding Fathers were Christians or at the very least subscribed to those basic principles. Most of our greatest institutions of law, education, medicine, and charity were founded by Christians or again, upon Judeo-Christian principles. All those residing in this nation are beneficiaries of the Judeo-Christian ethics and values which the great majority of Americans are desperately trying to cling to and preserve. America IS a Christian nation, and all those who are ranting about how we ARE NOT are also enjoying the benefits of being in a Christian nation. It's like sitting down to a meal of the most delicious food, not able to get enough of it, and all the while complaining that it's making you fat. As for those Christians who are saying America isn't a Christian nation, that's fine. Just wait until we're an Islamic nation. Then you can compare and contrast.[/quote] Our morals, and the morals of the West-at-large are based upon Judeo-Christian morals, yes. Still, we're no more a Christian nation than we are a Jewish nation. Do we have a national Church, or a national Religion? And to point out: Islam is a religion based upon the Judeo-Christian tradition, lest we forget. Edited April 11, 2009 by USAirwaysIHS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmom Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 To deny that our country was founded on Judeo-Christian values is to deny history. When Obama says, "We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values," he means Judeo-Christian values. That is about the only thing that binds us together as a nation. We don't have a common or state religion, we don't have a common nationality (other than American), we don't have a common race. All we have is our Judeo-Christian principles... and apparently Obama is too cowardly to name it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Vega Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 [quote name='Winchester' post='1832008' date='Apr 11 2009, 03:32 PM']Well, are deists Christians?[/quote] I wouldn't consider them so. [quote name='homeschoolmom' post='1832035' date='Apr 11 2009, 04:03 PM']All we have is our Judeo-Christian principles... and apparently Obama is too cowardly to name it.[/quote] But, as I just said, Islam [i]is[/i] a Judeo-Christian religion. Why would he be trying to hide that from them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle_eye222001 Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 [quote]"We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values."[/quote] What ideals and what values? Obviously not Christian ideals or values. ---------------- Now playing: [url="http://www.foxytunes.com/artist/creed/track/what+if"]Creed - What If[/url] via [url="http://www.foxytunes.com/signatunes/"]FoxyTunes[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madame Vengier Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 [quote name='USAirwaysIHS' post='1832033' date='Apr 11 2009, 05:00 PM']And to point out: Islam is a religion based upon the Judeo-Christian tradition, lest we forget.[/quote] WHAT???????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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