False Sense of Maturity

To sum things up…say goodbye to oldschool.

I’m glad Obama will soon be president, though I certainly don’t think his win was a sign from God. Some people beg to differ:

The day after Barack Obama was elected president, Larry Younginer knelt in front of the congregants at his suburban Atlanta church and offered a prayer of thanks.

“Lord, we have again come to you in prayer, and you have heard our cries from heaven, and you have sent us again from the state called Illinois, a man called Barack to heal our land,” said Younginer, a 62-year-old retired information systems worker at Coca Cola in Atlanta. “We pray that you will build a hedge around him that will protect him from those who would do him harm.”

Younginer, like many others, is convinced that Obama was destined to be president. The mere fact that he won the presidency against the odds has caused some Christians, particularly African-Americans, to see the hand of God in his victory after so many years of struggle.

. . .

Obama’s positive message during the campaign was a signal that he had been anointed by God, Younginer said. And, he added, God put events like Sen. Hillary Clinton’s defeat in the Democratic primaries, the economic crisis and Sen. John McCain’s selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his Republican running mate in place so that Obama could win the presidency.

If Younginer is somehow correct, he must think God works in mysterious ways - or maybe even random and harmful ways. If God is all powerful, I don’t know why an economic crisis and the presence of Sarah Palin were necessary conditions to have Obama win, but God is never known for is skill in logic. Hell, I have little doubt I’m more logical than our hypothetical God.

Also, it’s more than simple foolishness to believe that Obama is doing the work of God. It’s always a dangerous belief to think anyone with great power is infallible. The president should always be watched closely and criticized when they make mistakes, or else we could end up with another failed presidency.

It has all the makings of a reality show: president-elect Obama is suspected to be looking for a church near the White House, and there are many eager contestants:

Churches in Washington, D.C., have started extending invitations to President-elect Barack Obama and his family, touting their African-American roots, their ties to presidents past and to Obama himself.

The choices are abundant. Numerous, thriving congregations are an easy walk from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Just across Lafayette Square from the White House is St. John’s Church, an Episcopal parish known as the “Church of the Presidents,” where presidents as far back as James Madison have worshipped. St. John’s has a standing invitation: Pew 54 is the President’s Pew, reserved for the nation’s leader.

I’d like to see him eliminate one church a week in the style of The Bachelor or Flavor of Love. But instead of giving out the advancing churches a rose or giant clock necklace, he could hand out mini crucifixes, or maybe a page that he rips out of a Bible. Or better yet, if Obama wants to be certain to avoid another Rev. Wright type fiasco, he could stop going to church permanently.

I recently discovered RaptureReady.com - which proudly announces that it’s “your prophecy resource for the end times” - via this Newsweek article. Rapture Ready is the brainchild of Todd Strandberg, a man who is constantly on the lookout for signs that the world is ending. One of the hottest topics over on Rapture Ready is what impact Barack Obama will have in bringing the Rapture, and if he is indeed the Antichrist. Even the most circumstantial of evidence is considered:

Already Barack Obama had drawn the attention of apocalypse watchers after an anonymous e-mail circulated among conservative Christians in October implying that he was the Antichrist. Former “Saturday Night Live” ingénue Victoria Jackson fueled the fire when, according to news reports, she wrote on her Web site that Obama “bears traits that resemble the anti-Christ.” Now Strandberg was receiving up-to-the-minute news from his constituents in Illinois. One of the winning lottery numbers in the president-elect’s home state was 666— which, as everyone knows, is the sign of the Beast (also known as the Antichrist). “It is very eerie, and I take it for a sign as to who he really is,” wrote one of Strandberg’s correspondents.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A South Carolina Roman Catholic priest has told his parishioners that they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for Barack Obama because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion, and supporting him “constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil.”

The Rev. Jay Scott Newman said in a letter distributed Sunday to parishioners at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Greenville that they are putting their souls at risk if they take Holy Communion before doing penance for their vote.

Before the election, there was lots of talk about how the evangelicals might vote more Democratic, and that the Jewish vote could switch to the Republicans. But the CNN exit polling proves that there were no major changes in how different religious groups voted, and all the talk was overblown. Some examples:

–McCain won the white born-again vote 74% to 24%

–Obama won the Jewish vote 78% to 21%.

–Obama won the Catholic vote 54% to 45%.

–Among people with no religious preference, Obama won 75% to 23%.

I had planned on giving this more coverage. There has been several things to talk about…the implications, but there is still time. Just had to give a note of congratulation to Obama, and to a very gracious McCain. This is a time in life when we will all remember, ‘where we were’…quite an historic event. Not just a page, but a chapter has been turned… I’ve been sick despite my joy…so wish me luck, I have some Palin in my stomach, won’t shut up :).

“There are many ways to lose a presidential election. John McCain is losing in a way that threatens to take the entire Republican Party down with him… I could pile up the poll numbers here, but frankly… it’s too depressing. You have to go back to the Watergate era to see numbers quite so horrible for the GOP.” — Former Bush speechwriter David Frum 10.25.08

So the bottom line is, do we want the proven watchdog champion of the people’s interest, Mike Aguirre? Or do we want “Does it matter” — plain vanilla former judge Goldsmith to answer the call of a few IOUs? It matters. A lot. — Ron Carrico in the San Diego Daily Transcript 10.27.08

“Senator McCain has demonstrated clearly that he is a dedicated ideologue in the foreign/security policy area, unwilling to consider opinions or even credible evidence contrary to his preconceived notions. In addition, his temperament, marked not only by impatience but also by rude and sometimes hostile behavior, would discourage advisers from bringing to his attention views that might not be consistent with his preconceptions. A president with this combination of significant shortcomings would be a dangerous commander-in-chief, posing an unacceptable risk to the security of the nation.” — Lt. General (U.S. Army, Ret.) Robert G. Gard, Jr., PhD 10.26.08

“Lately, he’s called me a socialist for wanting to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so we can finally give tax relief to the middle class. I don’t know what’s next. By the end of the week, he’ll be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten. I shared my peanut butter and jelly sandwich,” — Sen. Barack Obama on McCain’s attacks 10.29.08

“Single Nonvoter Tipped Election To McCain-Palin Ticket”

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“Because he knows that his economic theories don’t work, he’s been spending these last few days calling me every name in the book. Lately, he’s called me a socialist for wanting to rollback the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, so we can finally give tax relief to the middle class. I don’t know what’s next. By the end of the week he’ll be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten.” – Barack Obama, Campaigning in Raleigh, North Carolina

Yes! On proposition 1, in Michigan.

This was created by Eliza Jane Schneider, longtime voice actress for a little show you might have heard of called South Park… It’s called, “Sarah Palin Sings About God’s Greatest Gift: Fire”.

Camp Quest is now operating in the UK, I discovered last night; Samantha Stein is the director. She is going to be running some really excellent programs for kids aged 9-15. This is the antidote to Jesus Camp. The first camp-quest is 27th-31st July 2009. Check out the website.

Controversial Church Sign Reads “God Loves You, Allah Hates”

Good looks help women candidates, men not so much

Romey ’still hopeful’ on McCain, says Obama trying to buy the election

I’ve been too busy, being serious these last few days and I missed this video. Good for a laugh…great editing!