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#1 | |||
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Mormon Atheist
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Southern California
Posts: 53,300
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The importance of secularism. Obama gets it.
This video lays out Obama's views of the importance of secularism in America. It's a great video and showcases Obama's gift for speaking and his common sense view of the founding fathers vision.
A longer video can be found here. |
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__________________
Ego, ain't it a bitch? It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion. --Adam Smith |
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#2 |
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Master Poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Estevan (wear da fox hat)
Posts: 2,751
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That's a radical shift in worldview for the office of president. Not bludgeoning others with your churchiness. Impressive.
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#3 |
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Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 22,837
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Well done.
I think that Secularists have shot themsleves in the foot a lot by attacks on religon so over the top that they come off as no better then the "religionists" they despise so much. This is a much better approach. |
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#4 |
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Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: In the cold
Posts: 10,802
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Obama clearly gets it. Yet another reason, if any was needed, to rejoice in his election.
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#5 |
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Illuminator
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 3,562
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Wow. I hope that President Obama is willing to say the same things as Candidate Obama.
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#6 |
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Banned
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,089
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#7 |
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Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,417
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I would suggest in my most humble opinion and as an outside that you don't get hung up on symbols.
Obama obviously did not think that wearing an American flag pin really meant anything but added one when the chattering classes started making their grunting noises, My favourite person from history is Galileo -- "Eppur si muove!" |
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"Reality is what's left when you cease to believe." Philip K. Dick |
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#8 |
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Anti-homeopathy illuminati member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 26,575
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#9 |
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Graduate Poster
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: the land of make-believe
Posts: 1,905
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WOW.
I had never seen or heard that before. I am genuinely impressed, not because of what he is saying, but because it's being said by the next President of the United States. Jesusland, indeed... |
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A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals. Eternal salvation or TRIPLE your money back! |
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#10 |
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Banned
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,089
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'God' isn't a 'symbol' for most believers. He/she is a real entity that gives license for all kinds of sectarianist and prejudicial ideology.
The USA is not one nation under god. For a sizable portion of the population god does not exist. It should be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance. It doesn't mean that those who want to worship a god do not have to. The beauty of secularism is that it provides not only "Freedom from Religion" it also provides "Freedom of Religion" Both are equally important. |
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#11 |
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Scholar
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 58
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Obama also gets that the NWO is what sets the agenda. He got it way better than McCain.
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#12 |
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Mormon Atheist
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Southern California
Posts: 53,300
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__________________
Ego, ain't it a bitch? It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion. --Adam Smith |
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#13 |
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Mormon Atheist
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Southern California
Posts: 53,300
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__________________
Ego, ain't it a bitch? It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion. --Adam Smith |
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#14 | |||
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Catholic School Survivor
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 11,342
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That was great. Thanks for posting it Randfan.
Reminds me of JFK's comments on the separation of church and state that he made over forty years ago. I imagine if he made these comments today they would be attacked and he would be smeared worse than when he made them all those years ago.
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#15 |
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Graduate Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Stockholm, Sweden, Mater Evropa, Sol-III
Posts: 1,193
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Hear-hear! This speech (will see the full version later) was soo wu wei.
It's noteworthy that one word can have many different and often contradictory meanings. Some examples of what "religion" can mean:
So when you say that religion should play a role in the future political life of Iraq (as it now does with the theocratical constitution, thank you very much) you're sowing dragons' teeth. (Unless you want to implement policies in "the colony" over there that you can't do domestically.) |
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"Eh-ya-ya-ya-yahaah - e'yayayayaaaa... nhg'aaaaa... ngh'aaaa... h'yuh... h'yuh... HELP! HELP!... ff-ff-ff-FATHER! FATHER! YOG-SOTHOTH" |
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#16 |
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Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,417
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__________________
"Reality is what's left when you cease to believe." Philip K. Dick |
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#17 |
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Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,417
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__________________
"Reality is what's left when you cease to believe." Philip K. Dick |
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#18 |
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post-pre-born
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 16,367
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RandFan, do you know the date/location/occassion of that speech?
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#19 |
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useless idiot
Join Date: May 2008
Location: New Jersey-You gotta problem wit dat?
Posts: 4,999
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Obama is not that stupid. Such an attempt would open an ugly, divisive battle and Obama would lose. Hell, Congress was so concerned that the mint had moved IN GOD WE TRUST to the edges of the Presidential dollars (which no one uses anyway) that a Democratic congress passed a law moving it to the front. That should give you a clue about how likely they are to pass a law removing non-secular religious symbols from government.
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#20 |
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Banned
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,089
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#21 |
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Mormon Atheist
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Southern California
Posts: 53,300
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__________________
Ego, ain't it a bitch? It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion. --Adam Smith |
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#22 |
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post-pre-born
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 16,367
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gdnp's right. In fact, the opposite is going to happen. Very soon now Newdow's "under god" case will be decided (again). Only this time he is acting as attorney for atheist couples so the whole issue of standing which the Supremes used last time to duck the issue is moot. It will likely go exactly the same way, congress will react the same way (remember 99 of them standing on the capitol steps saying the pledge?), and it will go to the Supremes again with no way out. This time they will probably use the "civil religion" excuse as a way out but if not congress will enact some really dumb legislation and Obama, being a consummate politician, will support it and sign it.
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#23 |
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Banned
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Montréal
Posts: 25,831
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The fact that he actually took the time to mention non-believers just blew me away, and I saw that video before.
Wow. |
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#24 |
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Banned
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Montréal
Posts: 25,831
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#25 |
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Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,417
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__________________
"Reality is what's left when you cease to believe." Philip K. Dick |
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#26 |
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lorcutus.tolere
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 23,126
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Chill out people. If you want to talk religious symbols in government, we have a frikken head of state allegedly appointed by God himself, and yet we're all a bunch of non-religious communist family-hating liberal pinko infidels.
I hardly think a few words on a pledge or on a coin are going to influence things much. I mean, bear in mind we have EIIR's friggen HEAD on our coins and notes, and she's the head of the Anglican Church so that's like having the Pope on your coins, or someone like that. Hasn't made us all religious nutbag zealots. Our National Anthems are called God Defend New Zealand and God Save The Queen and much as we love to sing the old stuffy tune (7th most patriotic nation on earth, thank you very much) we're still a nation of filthy heathens. We have an official state religion and yet most of us couldn't pick our God out of a lineup of Olympian proportions. Heck if we want to talk oaths, our Oath of Allegiance, Governor-General's Oath, Executive Council Oath, Judicial Oath, Armed Forces Oath and Police Oath all end with "So help me God". Recently we amended our Oaths and there was heated discussion about removing reference to the Monarch and barely a ripple about removing the religious aspect. And despite all of that my Nation is still a land of Godless pagans led by an openly agnostic Prime Minister. |
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![]() O xein', angellein Lakedaimoniois hoti têde keimetha tois keinon rhémasi peithomenoi. A fan of fantasy? Check out Project Dreamforge. |
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#27 |
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Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,417
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__________________
"Reality is what's left when you cease to believe." Philip K. Dick |
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