Obama is a Faker! (But who isn't?)

[Puppycow]

One of the guys who wrote Freakonomics (Dubner) has a new podcast series called Freakonomics Radio. The latest episode is called "Faking It" and it discusses people who pretend to be more religious than they really are for social reasons. Turns out that Obama is one of those people. He was not in fact a regular churchgoer, according to political reporter Mark Halperin, which maybe explains why he was caught wrong-footed my the Jeremiah Wright scandal. But of course he couldn't cop to that as an excuse because not being devoutly religious is an even bigger political no-no in America.

It's an interesting listen:

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/freakonomics-radio-faking-it/

[Skeptic]

One of the guys who wrote Freakonomics (Dubner) has a new podcast series called Freakonomics Radio. The latest episode is called "Faking It" and it discusses people who pretend to be more religious than they really are for social reasons. Turns out that Obama is one of those people.

Well, I'm SHOCKED.

which maybe explains why he was caught wrong-footed my the Jeremiah Wright scandal.

Not buying it. Wright is one of those people it doesn't take five minutes to realize what they are, let alone 20 years, regular churchgoer or not.

[Redtail]

Not buying it. Wright is one of those people it doesn't take five minutes to realize what they are, let alone 20 years, regular churchgoer or not.

How so?

[Meadmaker]

I haven't listened to the podcast, and I can't imagine how it is connected to economic analysis of the sort that was in Freakonomics. However, I have always assumed that Obama was "faking it" on the religion thing. I don't think he's a Christian in any meaningful sense of the term.

That could have some bearing on the Reverend Wright thing, but not quite the way Puppycow suggested. I don't think he could have missed Wright's extremist rhetoric, but I think it helps explain why he might not have cared so much. A believer sitting in church hearing objectionable things from the pastor might be offended that someone is using his position as God's spokesman to push a radical political agenda. A nonbeliever sitting in the same pew would think that what comes from the preacher's mouth is expected to be goofy and over the top, anyway, and wouldn't worry about it.

[Darth Rotor]

I haven't listened to the podcast, and I can't imagine how it is connected to economic analysis of the sort that was in Freakonomics. However, I have always assumed that Obama was "faking it" on the religion thing. I don't think he's a Christian in any meaningful sense of the term.
What does your last sentence mean? The variabilities in how Christians behave is considerable.

DR

[pgwenthold]

I haven't listened to the podcast, and I can't imagine how it is connected to economic analysis of the sort that was in Freakonomics. However, I have always assumed that Obama was "faking it" on the religion thing. I don't think he's a Christian in any meaningful sense of the term.


I disagree. I think he is a very typical Christian - mostly talk, go to church every once in a while, and then for the rest of the time, it means nothing in their life.

[Meadmaker]

What does your last sentence mean? The variabilities in how Christians behave is considerable.

DR

I don't think he believes that Jesus was actually God incarnate.

ETA: Of course, I can't look into his heart and know that, and I'm not sufficiently concerned about it to care whether he is or isn't. It's just an impression I get from a couple of things he has said about religion, and his general attitude towards it.

[Darth Rotor]

I disagree. I think he is a very typical Christian - mostly talk, go to church every once in a while, and then for the rest of the time, it means nothing in their life.

I don't think he believes that Jesus was actually God incarnate.

ETA: Of course, I can't look into his heart and know that, and I'm not sufficiently concerned about it to care whether he is or isn't. It's just an impression I get from a couple of things he has said about religion, and his general attitude towards it.
I note a convergence. :cool:

[pgwenthold]

I note a convergence. :cool:

I would agree, but I doubt MeadMaker would.

[Meadmaker]

I would agree, but I doubt MeadMaker would.

Charming.

[Meadmaker]

I note a convergence. :cool:

In some sense. Many people who attend churches probably either don't believe it, or really don't care one way or another. If you lump in nonbelievers who attend Christian churches, then Obama is certainly a Christian, but it was that group that I was characterizing as not Christian in any meaningful way.

[The True Scotsman]

I normally don't like to simply quote others in my post, but this feel appropriate here:

“For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearance, as though they were realities and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are”

-Niccolo Machiavelli, "The Prince"

Ultimately I don't think there is much distinction between a president who is a liberal Christian and a president who only pretends to be a liberal Christian.

[Cain]

A friend of mine read Obama's books and strongly suspects that Obama, like his parents, is an atheist. This seems like wishful thinking. Obama is probably rationally ignorant, not really interested in matters of religion.

I think Hobbes has some pre-Machiavellian language about keeping up appearances as well, but specifically on the matter of religion.

[The True Scotsman]

A friend of mine read Obama's books and strongly suspects that Obama, like his parents, is an atheist. This seems like wishful thinking. Obama is probably rationally ignorant, not really interested in matters of religion.

I think Hobbes has some pre-Machiavellian language about keeping up appearances as well, but specifically on the matter of religion.

Call me anal, but...

Niccolo Machiavelli 1469-1527
Thomas Hobbes 1588-1679

Hobbes was post-Machiavellian.

[headscratcher4]

Reagan was not a "regular" church goer...hung around with the likes of Jerry Fawell and Pat Robertson on many occasions...yet, somehow Obama's association with Wright is more damning. Strange double standard it seems to me.

[Cain]

Call me anal, but...

No, that's good. It's better to be corrected than mistaken.