Finding His Faith

How can you cover Obama's faith and the Trinity Church without discussing Wright/ Trinity's political connections and its influence in South Chicago politics? There is a reason Trinity attracted the likes of Jones and Oprah.

How can anyone who call themselves Christian vote for public officals that are Pro-choice (abortion is murder), Pro-Gay Marriage (homosexulaity is an abomination in the sight of God) - to name a couple..? In Obama's case, how can he, in any good conscience, even think about the Presidency when he allied himself with a pastor that preached such hateful sermons? His core beliefs are what are under scrutiny here. What is his character? Martin Luther King Jr., in his "I Have a Dream" speech says that someday a man "...will be judged by the strength of his character, and not by the color of his skin". What is it that has created BHO's character; his atheist mother/father, his Muslim step-father, his white grandmother, his association with Rev. Wright..? These are the far reaching questions that people of Christian faith want to have answered. Yet, in this article, we read, "...He found Christ???but that hasn't stopped him from asking questions. 'I'm on my own faith journey and I'm searching,' he says. 'I leave open the possibility that I'm entirely wrong.'" Wrong about what; everything that he has found in his search for spirituality, or "faith journey" as he calls it? Obviously, he was wrong about the Rev. Wright, what else is he "wrong" about? Is this really the kind of person you want as the leader of the free-world..? Now, I do have my problems with McCain, but they are few compared to Obama. This election has way too much riding on it look for a stump speaker without substance, like Obama. He is nothing more than a reed in the political wind.

BTW - what kind of person would allow to have a picture taken of him in prayer and then be used on the cover of a national news magazine? Obviously, someone who wants to exploit his "beliefs" for votes. It's as phony as baby-kissing. We need to start referring to him as DASA Obama; do anything, say anything Obama.

MCCAIN 2008 & 2012..!

This article completely nauseates me, and I mean that not in a self-righteous manner either - my stomcah is all in knots over what I have found out about this person. It did nothing to alleviate any of my fears about this person as a viable candidate; if anything it deepend them. The statement Obama uses, "I leave open the possibility that I'm entirely wrong", should be his campaign slogan, for it is what he believes about the state of his core beliefs. He was firm is his "community" until it was expedient that he dismiss Rev. Wright because it was not in his political best interest to remain in that relationship. Too late, the damage is already done. Over and over and over I find out more details about this man that instills fear, not hope. This article winds up near the end by saying that, essentially, Obama is without a foundation of faith that he will not set right until after the election. Is this the type of baseless, foundationless person you want as your next President? I sincerely hope not. Read this article again without your liberal or conservative blinders on and see this person for who he truly is, nothing more that a reed in the policitcal winds.

Since most of the off subject right-wing posts on this forum seem to be from toe tapping hacks, I'll try and shift the conversation to philosophy.

I???m not atheist, just comfortably undecided.

It???s funny to me how people would rather accept an easy answer for questions about our existence. I think it's kind of lazy and self-righteous, but more and more these days I see people wanting the easy answers for everything.

I believe in God but I do not try and assume I know what it is.

Even our holidays like Christmas; our children connect the giving of presents to the birth of Jesus. At a time when their minds are most susceptible to influence, we tell them, the reason they get what they want is because of some God. My mom celebrated Christmas every year with tree and lights, but never connected the events to something chimerical. For her, GOD is LOVE and the best she could do was give LOVE to us so when we went out into the world we could understand it and pass it on.

Religions are the political systems of the past.

Just like TIME, GODS are man made.

Deep down in every one of us IS a philosopher.
We can predict our own deaths and we hope to predict what happens afterward.

Our society has grown ignorant to the fact that the Christian God is MYTH, just like the Greek Gods and Egyptian Gods.

The concept of GOD today is mostly a politically exploitable inveterate of society which distracts us from using our MOST POWERFUL philosophical minds.

Get back to being a philosopher.
Philosophical independence is true liberty.

Bush is religious because he used to be a drooling drunk. Laura almost left him. Told him one day to sober up or she was gone. The only way that he could quit was one of the usual ways that one sheds addiction. He simply substituted fundamental religion for the addiction that he shed and got drooling drunk on Christ, his new addiction. He is the same way about this addiction that he was with the booze. Used to say, "have another drink". Now he says, "say another prayer with me while I cry over your son who just got killed in Iraq because I sent him over there on a fool's errand". Same as a drunk. Tries to drag everybody else in with him, whether they want to or not. It made just about the most piss poor excuse of a president that we have ever seen. America, don't ever do this again. Pay attention closely before you vote next time.

I should charge tuition for all of this enlightening religion information.

Think about it. If you get 92 virgins when you get to heaven and you use one a day for 92 days under the "earthly virgin rules", then you are out of virgins in just three short months. So, heaven is supposed to last for eternity. Hence, you cannot spoil a virgin by, you know, doing it, or heaven would disappear on the 92nd orgasm. So there just has to be a rule that lets them keep it after the act. Otherwise, heaven is only a three month deal. Not anywhere worth blowing up in a crowd of innocent shoppers. We really were smart to go to Iraq and enjoy all of this, weren't we. Turned out to be RMSD's. Religions of Mass Self Destruction. Brilliant president. Brilliant!! And we didn't even get one war bride out of the deal. They won't even talk to our soldiers.

It's called the "Sins In The Bank" savings system. Save 'em all, put them in the bank and spend them in heaven. The suicidal Muslim Sect, the ones who blow themselves up in the midst of innocent crowds, a very devout religious group, adds a twist to the deal. They get a herd of virgins thrown in when they get there. It is presumed that intercourse with these virgins does not rob them of their virginity. This is the kind of stuff that you can expect when you get there. Sort of follows the rule that if it doesn't make sense here, don't expect it to make any sense when you get there. The garbage in, garbage out, scheme.

And there you have it. All of the world's religions, rolled up into a simple capsule. Fits 'em all.

And then, hell has just got to be a place where you have to live without sin for an eternity because you used up all of the fun before your died. It's just too perfect not to be so.

I got it. It just came to me. Heaven is a place where you can enjoy all of those sins that you gave up to get there. It's supposed to be a paradise, ain't it?

Some people want to see religioin in every aspects of other people's lives. Politics, education, courts, etc. Cannot you guys just keep your religions to yourselves?

I see the inward focus to know God within and Heaven within consistant with all words Jesus spoke. He gave all credit to God for miracles, and he instructed clearly to place God first above all else. As I opened up and relaxed with focus directed inwardly, eventually the hidden demons were dismissed, and the world of the unknown and invisible become known as Reality, or God as one master, over all matter, and now it has expanded to a oneness and we are all the same underneath, and whether we realize that or wish to hide this fact, is of no concern to God, who remains undisturbed and I know know as Intelligence and our human form can be receptive to It, and nourish in flows and not mere trickles, as the false self disappears. I pay the highest respect for Jesus by listening and applying His spoken words long ago, and a human who turned within and was receptive to God, and for showing me that I could do likewise here and now, and salvation is a re-birth when the false self dies and divine or higher self, takes over control. I was fine as a baby until I was told I was a name and thankful now to know who I am, and who we are, and allow God to fit it now and give me growth, same as the passive seed that turns into a magnificent tree. I respect all of nature and not destroying nature arrogantly or ignorantly for more material comforts for myself. A vast difference exists with those who feel empowered by their beliefs and judge or hurt others and feel Jesus will cure them at death.
Myself, I want to die with a clean mind and open heart and not delegate the cleaning to a divine maid.
Again, my personal and private experience based on placing God first no matter the costs. Like Jesus said, we are all Gods and some with powers greater than he, and a lot of prophets exist today and a lot of Gods exist today and many books of people who turned inward and found Heaven Within. Problem now is that people try to keep comforts enjoyed by that false self and that false self is not real to begin with.