Senator Obama issued the following statement in honor of Gandhi Service Day:
Dear Friends,It's a pleasure for me to join today in commemorating Mahatma Gandhi's dayof birth, celebrated across America and around the world by service to our neighbors and other good works. Gandhi's commitment to creating positive change by bringing people together peacefully to demand it resonate as strongly today as they did during his lifetime. Through the power of his example and his own unshakeable spirit, he inspired a people to resist oppression, sparking a revolution that freed a nation from colonial rule. In formulating his strategy to achieve freedom, Gandhi had a choice, and he chose courage over fear.America faces many choices as we work to address the challenges of our time. We must act from a place of strength and conviction to reclaim the high road and position of moral leadership that has defined the United States at its best.Gandhi's significance is universal. Countless people around the world have been touched by his spirit and example - his victory in turn inspired a generation of young Americans to peacefully wipe out a system of overt oppression that had endured for a century, and more recently led to velvet revolutions in Eastern Europe and extinguished apartheid in South Africa. Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke of their great debt to Gandhi. His portrait hangs in my office to remind me that real change will not come from Washington - it will come when the people, united, bring it to Washington.This is a pivotal election. This is our time for change. For far too long, we've watched as ordinary Americans work harder and harder for less and less. We've watched our standing in the world erode as we continue to lose American lives in a war that should've never been authorized and never been waged. I need you to stand up and work for change. Let us all rededicate ourselves, every day from now until November 4th, and beyond, to living Gandhi's call to be the change we wish to see in the world. Sincerely,Barack Obama
Dear Friends,It's a pleasure for me to join today in commemorating Mahatma Gandhi's dayof birth, celebrated across America and around the world by service to our neighbors and other good works. Gandhi's commitment to creating positive change by bringing people together peacefully to demand it resonate as strongly today as they did during his lifetime. Through the power of his example and his own unshakeable spirit, he inspired a people to resist oppression, sparking a revolution that freed a nation from colonial rule. In formulating his strategy to achieve freedom, Gandhi had a choice, and he chose courage over fear.America faces many choices as we work to address the challenges of our time. We must act from a place of strength and conviction to reclaim the high road and position of moral leadership that has defined the United States at its best.Gandhi's significance is universal. Countless people around the world have been touched by his spirit and example - his victory in turn inspired a generation of young Americans to peacefully wipe out a system of overt oppression that had endured for a century, and more recently led to velvet revolutions in Eastern Europe and extinguished apartheid in South Africa. Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke of their great debt to Gandhi. His portrait hangs in my office to remind me that real change will not come from Washington - it will come when the people, united, bring it to Washington.This is a pivotal election. This is our time for change. For far too long, we've watched as ordinary Americans work harder and harder for less and less. We've watched our standing in the world erode as we continue to lose American lives in a war that should've never been authorized and never been waged. I need you to stand up and work for change.
Let us all rededicate ourselves, every day from now until November 4th, and beyond, to living Gandhi's call to be the change we wish to see in the world.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
I want to convey my greetings to the American Muslim community on the Festival of Breaking the Fast that marks the end of Ramadan. Through fasting, prayer and charity, your observance this past month of the universal values of patience, generosity and caring for the less fortunate is an important reminder of the values that have helped make America great. As a nation, we must commit ourselves to that greater cause to ensure that the less fortunate are never forgotten or ignored. On behalf of Michelle, Joe and Jill Biden and I, we hope that Ramadan brought you happiness, good health, and a sense of renewal.
Today, on the seventh anniversary of the September 11th attacks we, along with our nation, honor the memories of all who suffered a loss on September 11, 2001. We honor and remember each and every life that was lost on September 11, 2001, and grieve with the family and friends who lost a loved one in New York City, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, PA.God of all creation, help us be righteous and strong. Grant your peace and blessings upon all your creation.God, we pray that you unite our hearts by the common bond of justice for all.God, inspire us to give life to a vision that ensures we love, respect and truly care for one another. God, help each of us to recognize You in the face of our neighbors, here and throughout the world.God, may we recognize and honor the diversity You have lovingly planted within each of us and our world community.God, help us to continue to be a country keeping sacred the love of justice and an unending call for unity.God of love, mercy, justice, and peace, bless those who fell on that day, and minister to those who continue to suffer. Help us remember that change requires sacrifice. Help us be mindful that change requires time. In your Divine guidance and wisdom, look over us.
History says, Don’t hope on this side of the grave, but then, once in a lifetime the longed for tidal-wave of justice can rise up, and hope and history rhyme.So hope for a great sea-change on the far side of revenge. Believe that a farther shore is reachable from here. Believe in miracles and cures and healing wells.
The National Baptist Convention has worked for years to build a community that serves all God’s children, around the world and in our own communities. Thanks to Dr. Shaw and the leaders that came before him, God has built this church into our nation’s oldest and largest Baptist convention. And I’m so proud to be here with you today.
I come here today as a Christian, a person of faith, who believes that we’ve all been called to serve our fellow men and women, and to honor all of God’s creation. I come here as a wife who loves my husband and believes he will be an extraordinary president. I come here as a daughter, raised on the South Side of Chicago by two of the warmest, hardest-working people I’ve ever known. But most of all, I come here as a mother. Our girls are God’s greatest gift to Barack and me, and a reflection of His grace in our lives every day.
So many of our neighbors are working hard every day, without enough resources, to keep their families and communities strong. So the question we should ask is, shouldn’t we have policies that reflect that reality—that we’re all in this together? Shouldn’t we have policies that express our values, and honor our common humanity? Shouldn’t we have leaders who get it?
Remember what Jesus told us, in one of the greatest speeches ever given, the Sermon on the Mount. He said, “You are the light of the world.” He told us not to hide our light, but to let it shine for all. He was telling us to get involved in this world. To open our hearts and raise our voices and share our hopes with the people around us and to work for as long as it takes to make those hopes come true. That’s what we are called to do today. If we tell all the people in our lives what’s at stake in this election. If we remind them that voting is a responsibility and an opportunity. If we tell them that this time is our time. And if we get everyone we know to vote on November 4th. Then, on Election Day, we will let our light shine. We will build a better future, for our daughters, our sons, our parents and our grandchildren. We will finally bring the change that we need to the country we love. And we will do it together.
What inspires me most about Senator Obama is his thought process. He goes beyond angst and socials wars to achieve a reconciling third view. This is why he will ultimately be better in foreign policy, as he will seek a convergence of the best ideas and approaches. He doesn’t want to treat immigrants as scapegoats, and he has a plan that uses tax dollars wisely by assisting those with the greatest need. Even when I disagree with him, I still find his thought process to be clear and full of depth. Obama cares about the things I care about such as alternative energy, taking care of the poor and middle class, using diplomacy first, compassionate immigration reform, health care, etc. It tells me that as a human being he pays attention to the soul, and I feel that he is a good man.We need honesty, the ability to lead and make decisions, and we need the needs and concerns of the people to be heard. We need a president who has the ability to synthesize varying points of view to come to consensus to solve problems. We need to be inspired to do better than we are doing by someone with integrity and respect. We need someone to speak the language of our collective, American soul in such a way that it gets us involved, but also lays out a bit of a roadmap for us. We need to know we are going in a positive direction without veils of secrecy and misconduct. I see a good degree of all of these in Senator Obama. I pray our nation gets a chance!
Community organizing is how ordinary people respond to out-of-touch politicians and their failed policies … Community organizing is the foundation of the civil rights movement, the women's suffrage movement, labor rights, and the 40-hour workweek. And it's happening today in church basements and community centers and living rooms across America.
"We, not the Senate, were all he cared about … Five years later, we married my mom, Jill. Together they rebuilt our family.""So even though Dad worked in Washington, he's never been part of Washington. He always sounded like the kid from Scranton, Pa., he is. And even that is a story of overcoming."
Shedding light on that Catholic "kid from Scranton," Biden once affirmed:
"The animating principle of my faith, as taught to me by church and home, was that the cardinal sin was abuse of power. It was not only required as a good Catholic to abhor and avoid abuse of power, but to do something to end that abuse."
As with Senator Obama, Biden views faith as an "active, palpable agent"; you can't just talk about values, you have to "do something" to realize those values. This approach helps explain Biden’s leadership in ending abuse in homes around our country by writing the Violence Against Women Act, which has allowed countless women to restart their lives after domestic violence. Joe Biden’s faith has also informed his advocacy on issues such as genocide, universal health care, equal pay, and helping America's struggling work force. By promoting policies that value and strengthen families, as well as advancing a tough, smart, and principled foreign policy, his life's work contains the raw spirit of faith in action.
As Biden works to support American families and causes in this campaign and as the next Vice President, he’ll continue to draw strength from his faith and his roots.As Alexia Kelley, director of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, noted:
Joe Biden's "Catholic and working class roots have been a source of solidarity for him with hard-working American families who are suffering the most from the current economic crisis."
Joe Biden gets it because his iife wasn't easy, either. In the words of C.S. Lewis, he went through moments of difficulty and crisis "not without pain, but without stain." When Biden went to Washington, he sought to end the abuse of power, empowering Americans in the process. Speaking on his personality, Doug Kmiec, a professor at Pepperdine University, related, "You can't find a more regular guy than Joe Biden. He would be the kind of guy you would expect to find in the parish hall, in the neighborhood." Not as someone running to be Vice President of the United States.
In honor of the month of Ramadan, Senator Obama made the following statement:
Today marks the beginning of Ramadan, a special time for American Muslims. This is not only a month of fasting and prayer -- it is also a time to reflect on the needs of those who are less fortunate. In the weeks to come, Michelle and I want to wish all American Muslims our very best wishes. We hope Ramadan brings you happiness, good health, and a sense of renewal.
“If we think that we can secure our country by just talking tough without acting tough and smart, then we will misunderstand this moment and miss its opportunities. If we think that we can use the same partisan playbook where we just challenge our opponent's patriotism to win an election, then the American people will lose. The times are too serious for this kind of politics.” […]“One of the things that we have to change in this country is the idea that people can’t disagree without challenging each other's character and patriotism. I have never suggested that Senator McCain picks his positions on national security based on politics or personal ambition. I have not suggested it because I believe that he genuinely wants to serve America's national interest.”
Obama managed to connect emotionally to the crowd as well as appeal to our intellect. His answers provided a clear understanding of who he is and what he believes. The most telling question had to do with the presence of evil and how we approach it. Obama recognized that in our pursuit of good, we must have a sense of humility. Good intentions don’t always bring about positive results, and so we must be thoughtful and reasoned before fighting in the name of what’s good.
For those tuning into the Saddleback Civil Forum on Saturday night, a recurring theme throughout Senator Obama’s conversation with Pastor Warren was “caring for the least of these.” Obama was honest in admitting his past shortcomings, owning up to a “fundamental selfishness” in his youth. What’s compelling about this period of his life – as was revealed in the faith forum – is that Obama grows to embrace an empathetic and interconnected worldview. When asked what America’s greatest moral failure was, Obama remarked...
I think America’s greatest moral failure has been that we still don’t abide by that basic precept in Matthew that whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me. That basic principle applies to poverty, racism, sexism. It applies to not having … ladders of opportunity for people to get into the middle class. There is a pervasive sense that this country is wealthy and powerful, but we still don’t spend enough time thinking about the least of these.
It’s interesting to note the parallels between Obama’s reflections on America’s greatest moral failure and his answer to the question, “Why do you want to be President?” That same conviction and worldview emerges once again: empathy, guiding compassion toward the least of these. It’s not simply a private matter for Senator Obama; it’s essential to what he wants to accomplish as chief public servant:
I remember what my mother used to tell me. I was talking to somebody a while back and I said the one time that she’d get really angry with me is if she ever thought that I was being mean to somebody, or unfair to somebody. She said, imagine standing in their shoes, imagine looking through their eyes – that basic idea of empathy. And that I think is what’s made America special is that notion that everybody’s got a shot. If we see somebody down and out—if we see a kid who can't afford college—we care for them too. And I want to be President because that’s the America I believe in, and I feel like that American Dream is slipping away. I think we are at a critical juncture economically; I think we are at a critical juncture internationally. We’ve got to make some big decisions not just for us, but for the next generation, and we keep on putting it off. And unfortunately, our politics is so broken and Washington is so broken that we can't seem to bring together people of goodwill to solve these common problems. I think I have the ability to build bridges across partisan, racial, and regional lines to get people to work on some commonsense solutions to critical issues, and I hope that I have the opportunity to do that as President.
“[Obama’s] heading out to Pastor Warren’s church to talk about his values, and it’s a subject he’s never been afraid to talk about. He’s been very open about both his personal relationship with Christ but also what we can to do reconcile religion and politics in this country. He went out there in December of 2006 to talk about faith and values. He’s given a couple major addresses about his personal faith and also laid out a plan for faith-based initiatives. So this is territory that Senator Obama’s very comfortable with. He wants to talk about how to strengthen families. He wants to talk about the best plan for America. You’re not going to agree with him on every issue, but you will agree that he’s a straight shooter, and I think that’s what he’s going to go out to Saddleback to do.Folks will identify with his integrity, with the fact that he is a family man who loves his two girls and loves his wife, and with the fact that he’s going to try his best to lead our country in the right direction.Even if you disagree with him on some issues, you know that he's speaking from his heart and he’s going to try his best to do the right thing. So if folks feel a little closer to Barack, if they learn a little something about him that they didn’t know before, if some issues are debunked—you know, there’s a lot of rumors and myths spreading out about him, so if he can address some of those—then I think we will have had a good day.
At the end of each worship service we sing a paraphrased version of the scripture from Micah 6: “What does the Lord require of you? To do justice, love kindness, walk humbly.” To me, this describes completely the intersection of faith, politics and daily life. I seek to approach all people with joy and reverence. I take courageous stands, especially on behalf of those who are in some way marginalized. This often happens in small but powerful ways, like paying for the young mother in the grocery line whose food stamps won’t cover the baby formula. There are ample opportunities to create a world that is more just, more whole, more aligned and healthy. I vote. I serve on community boards. I recycle. This past year I’ve dedicated much of my life to realizing an Obama presidency—campaigning across America—and I now feel deeply honored to have been elected to serve as an Obama Delegate from Colorado to the Denver National Convention. This is an authentic, active convergence of faith and politics!
Among non-evangelical, born-again Christians, Obama leads 43-31%. This lead among the born again group is particularly significant, Barna notes, because this would represent the “first time in more than two decades that the born again vote has swung toward the Democratic candidate.” Among Catholics, Obama has opened a wide lead of 39-29%. Among Protestants, Obama also has a resounding lead of 43-34%.Among “notional” Christians, Obama leads 44-28% and among those who adhere to other faiths, Obama leads 56-24%.Barna also noted that the “McCain candidacy does not seem to be gaining momentum among evangelicals,” and his support has in fact “declined significantly.” (Note: faith was not self-reported in this survey, and was instead a result of the poll’s questions and Barna’s own inductions.)
My faith calls me to be a good steward of this world God created, and I feel compelled, as a father and grandfather, to leave my children and grandchildren with a world at least as healthy as I inherited. I personally have begun with simple steps such as having energy efficient appliances, including low-watt light bulbs; using reusable canvas bags for grocery shopping; driving a more fuel efficient car whilst promoting better fuel mileage, including properly inflating the tires; and turning off and unplugging electric items when not in use. Also, those of us who can afford more expensive conservation items should work to assist less fortunate people with upgrading to more efficient items.
Today, as modern people living in a post-industrial age, we are less familiar with the context of the Bible, which broadly consisted of nomads, farmers, and traders who were more communal than individualistic, and whose liveliness was more tied to the earth. For most Americans, going back to a simpler time isn’t feasible, but in order to sustain our modern world in a way that demonstrates charity toward everyone – and in a way that will continue to support societal progress and advancement – it’s critical that we find ways to use less energy, conserve more natural resources, and adopt lifestyles that take the long view into account rather than saddle the problems of energy dependence onto the backs of future generations. Every faith has much to say about responsibility to our environment and to our fellow human beings, and Christianity is no exception. Christians, as well as people of all faiths, are called to act toward society in such a way that will bring about renewal in this life even as we await redemption in the next life.
“Of all the rocks upon which we build our lives, we are reminded that family is the most important.” When When Obama spoke these words on Father's Day, he was urging fathers to assume a more active role in the family structure by being physically and emotionally present, instilling values of “excellence and empathy” in their children.Politicians routinely talk about strengthening family, but what does this look like in practice? How can we provide support to this most intimate, basic structure? Robert Gordon of The New Republic recently reviewed a book – Grand New Party – on this very subject, offering the following synopsis: “A much-praised new book wants the GOP to stand up for families. It's a great idea—and Obama's already doing it.” The premise for Grand New Party is that economic, social, and cultural disparities largely arise from family instability, as young people raised outside of marriage are at higher risk for poverty. According to Gordon’s review, while Senator McCain “mechanically invokes ‘family values,” Obama has concrete policies that will uplift American families, fortifying our country’s base and ensuring our collective prosperity.
Family’s Value [Robert Gordon – The New Republic]
In their smart and fun new book, Grand New Party, Ross Douthat and Reihan Salam urge Republicans to spend trillions of dollars on policies to shore up working-class families. Several critics have pointed out that the Republican Party will likely remain much more interested in spending trillions of dollars on tax breaks for rich people. What's been less noticed is that Democrats could easily adopt much of the family agenda Douthat and Salam propose—and that, more than his opponent, Barack Obama already has. […]More than half of McCain's tax cuts are for corporations (and hence the holders of capital); another big chunk is for upper-income taxpayers, through repeal of the Alternative Minimum Tax … By contrast, Obama would offer two tax breaks that benefit low-wage workers: the expansion of the EITC and a $500 per worker credit against payroll taxes. And he also cuts the EITC marriage penalty. According to the Tax Policy Center, Obama's tax plans are better than McCain's for the bottom 80 percent of families with children, and vastly superior for the bottom 40 percent. […]Obama is better positioned than the Republicans … and most other politicians to talk about families. He can push fatherhood in part because he is an African American dad pushing back against a stereotype about black fathers. Raised mostly by his strong mother and grandparents, he naturally avoids the harsh tone toward single parents at which most Americans recoil. You will not catch him saying government should “stigmatize illegitimacy.”Obama likely understands both the need to address family structure and the need to do it gently. Unlike, say, health care or energy, family is something government can properly influence only on the margin.
Energy independence will require an all-hands-on-deck effort from America – effort from our scientists and entrepreneurs; from businesses and from every American citizen. Factories will have to re-tool and re-design. Businesses will need to find ways to emit less carbon dioxide. All of us will need to buy more of the fuel-efficient cars built by this state, and find new ways to improve efficiency and save energy in our own homes and businesses. […]If I am President, I will immediately direct the full resources of the federal government and the full energy of the private sector to a single, overarching goal – in ten years, we will eliminate the need for oil from the entire Middle East and Venezuela. To do this, we will invest $150 billion over the next ten years and leverage billions more in private capital to build a new energy economy that harnesses American energy and creates five million new American jobs.
Strang, a Republican who voted for Bush, said the hot topic among his readers is "broadening the definition of pro-life" to include the fight against poverty, war, disease, global warming and genocide - as well as abortion. "What I'm hearing is that out of the two candidates, one of them is pro-life on five of the six" issues, he said of Obama. "And one is pro-life on one of the six." (Lakshmanan - Bloomberg)
