Senator Obama gave a major interview to Christianity Today this week. CT is the flagship Evangelical publication, not the normal stomping ground for most Democrats. But Barack held his own, with candor and without pandering. Check it out below, followed by some of the comments from the CT website.
Q&A: Barack Obama"I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ."Interview by Sarah Pulliam and Ted Olsen | posted 1/23/2008 02:18PMBarack Obama wants to set the record straight. He is not a Muslim, as recent e-mails falsely claim.The Democratic presidential candidate is fighting the e-mails that have been widely circulated. Obama has been continually speaking about the role of faith in politics since his Call to Renewal address in June 2006.In the days before the South Carolina primary, he is driving efforts to speaking with media to emphasize his Christian beliefs. His campaign also sent out a recent mailer portraying the candidate with his head bowed in prayer and says that he will be guided by prayer when he is in office.The senator from Illinois spoke with Sarah Pulliam and Ted Olsen today about his faith, abortion, and the evangelical vote.What do you think your biggest obstacle will be in reaching evangelicals?You know, I think that there's been a set of habits of thinking about the interaction between evangelicals and Democrats that we have to change. Democrats haven't shown up. Evangelicals have come to believe often times that Democrats are anti-faith. Part of my job in this campaign, something that I started doing well before this campaign, was to make sure I was showing up and reaching out and sharing my faith experience with people who share that faith. Hopefully we can build some bridges that can allow us to move the country forward.What would you do in office differently than Hillary Clinton or John Edwards that would appeal to evangelicals?I have not focused on all of their policies so I don't want to speak about what their positions will be. I know that as president, I want to celebrate the richness and diversity of our faith experience in this country. I think it is important for us to encourage churches and congregations all across the country to involve themselves in rebuilding communities. One of the things I have consistently argued is that we can structure faith-based programs that prove to be successful — like substance abuse or prison ministries — without violating church and state. We should make sure they are rebuilding the lives of people even if they're not members of a particular congregation. That's the kind of involvement that I think many churches are pursuing, including my own. It can make a real difference in the lives of people all across the country.So would you keep the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives open or restructure it?You know, what I'd like to do is I'd like to see how it's been operating. One of the things that I think churches have to be mindful of is that if the federal government starts paying the piper, then they get to call the tune. It can, over the long term, be an encroachment on religious freedom. So, I want to see how moneys have been allocated through that office before I make a firm commitment in terms of sustaining practices that may not have worked as well as they should have.One of the critiques of the Bush office on faith-based initiatives — beyond the church and state question — is that while it opened up competition to religious organizations or church-based organizations to compete for some of these federal funds, there was no additional allocation; there was no change in the funding. Instead, there were more organizations competing for the same the slice of pie.I think that's right. There's always a danger in those situations that money is being allocating based on politics, as opposed to merit and substance. That doesn't just compromise government. More importantly, it compromises potentially our religious institutions.For many evangelicals, abortion is a key, if not the key factor in their vote. You voted against banning partial birth abortion and voted against notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. What role do you think the President should play in creating national abortion policies?I don't know anybody who is pro-abortion. I think it's very important to start with that premise. I think people recognize what a wrenching, difficult issue it is. I do think that those who diminish the moral elements of the decision aren't expressing the full reality of it. But what I believe is that women do not make these decisions casually, and that they struggle with it fervently with their pastors, with their spouses, with their doctors.Our goal should be to make abortion less common, that we should be discouraging unwanted pregnancies, that we should encourage adoption wherever possible. There is a range of ways that we can educate our young people about the sacredness of sex and we should not be promoting the sort of casual activities that end up resulting in so many unwanted pregnancies.Ultimately, women are in the best position to make a decision at the end of the day about these issues. With significant constraints. For example, I think we can legitimately say — the state can legitimately say — that we are prohibiting late-term abortions as long as there's an exception for the mother's health. Those provisions that I voted against typically didn't have those exceptions, which raises profound questions where you might have a mother at great risk. Those are issues that I don't think the government can unilaterally make a decision about. I think they need to be made in consultation with doctors, they have to be prayed upon, or people have to be consulting their conscience on it. I think we have to keep that decision-making with the person themselves.You've talked about your experience walking down the aisle at Trinity United Church of Christ, and kneeling beneath the cross, having your sins redeemed, and submitting to God's will. Would you describe that as a conversion? Do you consider yourself born again?I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life. But most importantly, I believe in the example that Jesus set by feeding the hungry and healing the sick and always prioritizing the least of these over the powerful. I didn't 'fall out in church' as they say, but there was a very strong awakening in me of the importance of these issues in my life. I didn't want to walk alone on this journey. Accepting Jesus Christ in my life has been a powerful guide for my conduct and my values and my ideals.There is one thing that I want to mention that I think is important. Part of what we've been seeing during the course this campaign is some scurrilous e-mails that have been sent out, denying my faith, talking about me being a Muslim, suggesting that I got sworn in the U.S. Senate with a Quran in my hand or that I don't pledge allegiance to the flag. I think it's really important for your readers to know that I have been a member of the same church for almost 20 years, and I have never practiced Islam. I am respectful of the religion, but it's not my own. One of the things that's very important in this day and age is that we don't use religion as a political tool and certainly that we don't lie about religion as a way to score political points. I just thought it was important to get that in there to dispel rumors that have been over the Internet. We've done so repeatedly, but obviously it's a political tactic of somebody to try to provide this misinformation.Is there any sense of how wide this e-mail has been distributed?This is similar to these smear tactics that were used against John McCain in 2000. We have to continually chase down this stuff. It's obviously being sent out in a systematic way. You guys really help by getting the story straight. Comments: Aaron Posted: January 25, 2008 11:58 AM Dave is right. I believe Obama when he professes to be a practicing Christian and, as such, a part of the community of faith and my brother. I personally don't agree with Obama's position on many issues, socially and economically. I am, and always have considered myself a "conservative," but Obama reinforces my beliefs that, as "conservatives," we often get too caught up in political issues that demonstrate our lack of compassion. I realize "liberals" are guilty of the same thing in some arenas; but we, in the name of "conservatism" and Christianity, take hardline positions that may be right to take in some cases, but evidence that we place political gamemanship and, in many cases our opinions, above our concern for people and the love that Christ commanded us to have for others. Jesus was neither a Republican or a Democrat. He cared only for people's souls and He took the opportunity to address their needs whenever he had the chance ... whatever polical affiliation they had. Vae Posted: January 25, 2008 6:17 AM Dude is one of the few who actually manages to walk the fine line between belief and that incomprehensible urge to imprint the exact nuances of your own belief on others. Keep it coming, president Obama.
Barack Obama wants to set the record straight. He is not a Muslim, as recent e-mails falsely claim.
The Democratic presidential candidate is fighting the e-mails that have been widely circulated. Obama has been continually speaking about the role of faith in politics since his Call to Renewal address in June 2006.
In the days before the South Carolina primary, he is driving efforts to speaking with media to emphasize his Christian beliefs. His campaign also sent out a recent mailer portraying the candidate with his head bowed in prayer and says that he will be guided by prayer when he is in office.
The senator from Illinois spoke with Sarah Pulliam and Ted Olsen today about his faith, abortion, and the evangelical vote.
What do you think your biggest obstacle will be in reaching evangelicals?
You know, I think that there's been a set of habits of thinking about the interaction between evangelicals and Democrats that we have to change. Democrats haven't shown up. Evangelicals have come to believe often times that Democrats are anti-faith. Part of my job in this campaign, something that I started doing well before this campaign, was to make sure I was showing up and reaching out and sharing my faith experience with people who share that faith. Hopefully we can build some bridges that can allow us to move the country forward.
What would you do in office differently than Hillary Clinton or John Edwards that would appeal to evangelicals?
I have not focused on all of their policies so I don't want to speak about what their positions will be. I know that as president, I want to celebrate the richness and diversity of our faith experience in this country. I think it is important for us to encourage churches and congregations all across the country to involve themselves in rebuilding communities. One of the things I have consistently argued is that we can structure faith-based programs that prove to be successful — like substance abuse or prison ministries — without violating church and state. We should make sure they are rebuilding the lives of people even if they're not members of a particular congregation. That's the kind of involvement that I think many churches are pursuing, including my own. It can make a real difference in the lives of people all across the country.
So would you keep the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives open or restructure it?
You know, what I'd like to do is I'd like to see how it's been operating. One of the things that I think churches have to be mindful of is that if the federal government starts paying the piper, then they get to call the tune. It can, over the long term, be an encroachment on religious freedom. So, I want to see how moneys have been allocated through that office before I make a firm commitment in terms of sustaining practices that may not have worked as well as they should have.
One of the critiques of the Bush office on faith-based initiatives — beyond the church and state question — is that while it opened up competition to religious organizations or church-based organizations to compete for some of these federal funds, there was no additional allocation; there was no change in the funding. Instead, there were more organizations competing for the same the slice of pie.
I think that's right. There's always a danger in those situations that money is being allocating based on politics, as opposed to merit and substance. That doesn't just compromise government. More importantly, it compromises potentially our religious institutions.
For many evangelicals, abortion is a key, if not the key factor in their vote. You voted against banning partial birth abortion and voted against notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. What role do you think the President should play in creating national abortion policies?
I don't know anybody who is pro-abortion. I think it's very important to start with that premise. I think people recognize what a wrenching, difficult issue it is. I do think that those who diminish the moral elements of the decision aren't expressing the full reality of it. But what I believe is that women do not make these decisions casually, and that they struggle with it fervently with their pastors, with their spouses, with their doctors.
Our goal should be to make abortion less common, that we should be discouraging unwanted pregnancies, that we should encourage adoption wherever possible. There is a range of ways that we can educate our young people about the sacredness of sex and we should not be promoting the sort of casual activities that end up resulting in so many unwanted pregnancies.
Ultimately, women are in the best position to make a decision at the end of the day about these issues. With significant constraints. For example, I think we can legitimately say — the state can legitimately say — that we are prohibiting late-term abortions as long as there's an exception for the mother's health. Those provisions that I voted against typically didn't have those exceptions, which raises profound questions where you might have a mother at great risk. Those are issues that I don't think the government can unilaterally make a decision about. I think they need to be made in consultation with doctors, they have to be prayed upon, or people have to be consulting their conscience on it. I think we have to keep that decision-making with the person themselves.
You've talked about your experience walking down the aisle at Trinity United Church of Christ, and kneeling beneath the cross, having your sins redeemed, and submitting to God's will. Would you describe that as a conversion? Do you consider yourself born again?
I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life. But most importantly, I believe in the example that Jesus set by feeding the hungry and healing the sick and always prioritizing the least of these over the powerful. I didn't 'fall out in church' as they say, but there was a very strong awakening in me of the importance of these issues in my life. I didn't want to walk alone on this journey. Accepting Jesus Christ in my life has been a powerful guide for my conduct and my values and my ideals.
There is one thing that I want to mention that I think is important. Part of what we've been seeing during the course this campaign is some scurrilous e-mails that have been sent out, denying my faith, talking about me being a Muslim, suggesting that I got sworn in the U.S. Senate with a Quran in my hand or that I don't pledge allegiance to the flag. I think it's really important for your readers to know that I have been a member of the same church for almost 20 years, and I have never practiced Islam. I am respectful of the religion, but it's not my own. One of the things that's very important in this day and age is that we don't use religion as a political tool and certainly that we don't lie about religion as a way to score political points. I just thought it was important to get that in there to dispel rumors that have been over the Internet. We've done so repeatedly, but obviously it's a political tactic of somebody to try to provide this misinformation.
Is there any sense of how wide this e-mail has been distributed?
This is similar to these smear tactics that were used against John McCain in 2000. We have to continually chase down this stuff. It's obviously being sent out in a systematic way. You guys really help by getting the story straight.
Comments:
Aaron Posted: January 25, 2008 11:58 AM
Dave is right. I believe Obama when he professes to be a practicing Christian and, as such, a part of the community of faith and my brother. I personally don't agree with Obama's position on many issues, socially and economically. I am, and always have considered myself a "conservative," but Obama reinforces my beliefs that, as "conservatives," we often get too caught up in political issues that demonstrate our lack of compassion. I realize "liberals" are guilty of the same thing in some arenas; but we, in the name of "conservatism" and Christianity, take hardline positions that may be right to take in some cases, but evidence that we place political gamemanship and, in many cases our opinions, above our concern for people and the love that Christ commanded us to have for others. Jesus was neither a Republican or a Democrat. He cared only for people's souls and He took the opportunity to address their needs whenever he had the chance ... whatever polical affiliation they had.
Vae Posted: January 25, 2008 6:17 AM
Dude is one of the few who actually manages to walk the fine line between belief and that incomprehensible urge to imprint the exact nuances of your own belief on others. Keep it coming, president Obama.
“…That’s the future within our reach. That’s what hope is – that thing inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better is waiting for us around the corner. But only if we’re willing to work for it and fight for it. To shed our fears and our doubts and our cynicism. To glory in the task before us of remaking this country block by block, precinct by precinct, county by county, state by state. “There is a moment in the life of every generation when, if we are to make our mark on history, this spirit must break through. “This is the moment. “This is our time. “And if you will stand with me in seven days – if you will stand for change so that our children have the same chance that somebody gave us; if you’ll stand to keep the American dream alive for those who still hunger for opportunity and thirst for justice; if you’re ready to stop settling for what the cynics tell you must accept, and finally reach for what you know is possible, then we will win this caucus, we will win this election, we will change the course of history, and the real journey – to heal a nation and repair the world – will have truly begun.”
“…That’s the future within our reach. That’s what hope is – that thing inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better is waiting for us around the corner. But only if we’re willing to work for it and fight for it. To shed our fears and our doubts and our cynicism. To glory in the task before us of remaking this country block by block, precinct by precinct, county by county, state by state.
“There is a moment in the life of every generation when, if we are to make our mark on history, this spirit must break through.
“This is the moment.
“This is our time.
“And if you will stand with me in seven days – if you will stand for change so that our children have the same chance that somebody gave us; if you’ll stand to keep the American dream alive for those who still hunger for opportunity and thirst for justice; if you’re ready to stop settling for what the cynics tell you must accept, and finally reach for what you know is possible, then we will win this caucus, we will win this election, we will change the course of history, and the real journey – to heal a nation and repair the world – will have truly begun.”
***
Your support has already helped Senator Obama make history. Never before has a political candidate engaged the faith community in the way he has – robust and honest, rooted in the belief that we can come together as Americans, and reconcile the beliefs of each, with the good of all:
In short, with your help Barack Obama has fundamentally changed what it means for candidates to articulate their faith in the public square.
Now, with 7 days until the Iowa caucus, we need your help more than ever. Here are a few ways you can lend a hand in these final few hours:
Last night we had one of our first stops on the 40 Days of Faith and Family tour. We were in Marlboro County, South Carolina, talking about faith and politics with a packed house at the Bennettsville Municipal Center. It was a phenomenal time!
Over the last few months we've been traveling across the country holding grassroots forums on faith, politics and American life. We’re sitting down with interfaith, ecumenical groups and having conversations about Barack, his values and his history of leadership in this critical conversation, and we're asking folks to join this movement.
But more importantly, we’re listening. From Charleston, South Carolina to Nashua, New Hampshire and various towns in between, we’re hearing folks tell their stories about how faith motivates them to work outside of the four walls of their house of worship. We're talking about how we each can be active in our own communities, bridge the gaps that divide people of faith, and fundamentally change the way we approach faith and politics in this country.
In large groups and small meetings people are coming together across racial, ethnic and religious lines and finding points of common ground.
In Orangeburg, SC we heard Martha, a grandmother and member of a local A.M.E. church, talk about how the lack of housing for disabled seniors in Orangeburg County is a moral issue, and something the next President should tackle head-on.
In Portsmouth, NH two folks who paired up for a group exercise discovered that they grew up just a few miles from each other in Cincinnati, OH, but because of segregation in housing and schools, they never met. We were able to reflect on the role of faith in healing racial wounds, old and new, and what Barack’s life and work has to say about that. The two participants walked out of that conversation together – still chatting about their previous lives in Cincinnati, and their futures there in Portsmouth.
We also heard from Margaret, a Methodist minister in Cedar Rapids who had a story to tell about the first time she met Senator Obama. I thought she had a wonderful testimony, so I asked her if she'd mind writing it up for the blog. Here's her story:
I first met and shook the hand of Barack Obama in Bethlehem. We had left Israel behind and left our bus to move through two rings of security on our approach to the Church of the Nativity on foot. Our Arab Christian guide was sharing some of the history of the area and the buildings there in the plaza when he was interrupted by five black SUVs screeching up. Our guide was in a panic and wanted us to melt into the wall. I watched as security emerged from the vehicles, spotting rooftop "guns" as they made visual checks. Even having traveled well beyond the average, it is hard to decide if you have never felt safer or more insecure. Then Barack stepped out of the center car. I left our small circle and walked right into the middle of his security detail saying something as profound as, "Barack Obama, I want to shake your hand." He was generous of spirit, as I would have expected. He asked where we were from, shared a few words and moved on to keep his schedule. Our guide was horrified. Others in the group asked who this was. I simply told them that they had just met the first Black President of the United States. When asked how I knew him, I said that he was a Senator from Illinois. When asked how I knew that, I reported that he had given the keynote speech at the last national Democratic convention. The Church of the Nativity has a very small entrance. It is a square cut in stone about three feet thick and less than five feet high. It is quite like entering a cave. There is a dip worn in the stone where hundreds of thousands of feet have stepped over centuries. As I stooped and stepped to get through that opening and realized how much farther Barack had to stoop to enter the same door, I was struck with a confidence that if anyone can figure out how to make way for the emergence of peace in this critical situation, it was Barack Obama. I felt a certainty that he would be able to grasp what I was experiencing the people desiring on all sides: peace with security and independence. I have not thought of myself as a political activist since 1968 when I walked away from a destructive, dehumanizing political process for the mission field. I have not turned completely around. I still serve as a minister, but I serve with more hope for our political possibility than I have had in years. Thank you, Mr. Obama, for your audacity. Margaret Helen, Iowa
The conversations that we're having are rooted in who Barack is as a man, a Senator and a candidate. From his earliest days organizing people of faith in the south side of Chicago to his groundbreaking speeches, interviews and dialogues on faith and politics, Obama, with so many of you, has sought to help mend the tears in our national religious fabric, and bring people together to put their faith into action to bring about change.
When you join Faith - Action - Change, People of Faith for Barack, we'll be sure to let you know when a Faith - Action - Change forum is coming to your area.
In the meantime, take good care. Blessings to you.
-Joshua
Hey folks,
Barack recently gave an email interview to David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network. Check it out here and reader reaction here.
Blessings,
Joshua
As many folks know, Barack was one of the first Democrats to kick-off the emerging national conversation on faith and politics. His early leadership in this area yielded fruit yesterday with a question on faith and politics making it into the CNN / Youtube Democratic Debate:
QUESTION: Good evening. My name is Stephen Marsh of Thousand Oaks, California, proud citizen of the United States of America that does not believe in God. However, the former President Bush said this statement was an oxymoron.
Now, I am worried about the amount of time given to evangelical concerns while secular voters are more or less getting a snubbed -- the faith and politics forum.
So my question is this: Am I wrong in fearing a Democratic administration that may be lip service to the extremely religious as much as the current one? And if so, why? Thank you for your time.
COOPER: Senator Edwards?
EDWARDS: As president of the United States, we will embrace and lift up all Americans, whatever their faith beliefs or whether they have no faith beliefs, as Stephen just spoke about. That's what America is.
Now, my faith is enormously important to me personally. It's gotten me through some hard times, as I'm sure that's true of a lot of the candidates who are on this stage.
But it is crucial that the American people know that as president it will not be my job -- and I believe it would be wrong -- for me to impose my personal faith beliefs on the American people or to decide any kind of decision, policy decision, that will affect America on the basis of my personal faith beliefs.
(APPLAUSE)
COOPER: Senator Obama?
OBAMA: I am proud of my Christian faith. And it informs what I do. And I don't think that people of any faith background should be prohibited from debating in the public square.
OBAMA: But I am a strong believer in the separation of church and state, and I think that we've got to translate...
By the way, I support it not just for the state but also for the church, because that maintains our religious independence and that's why we have such a thriving religious life.
But what I also think is that we are under obligation in public life to translate our religious values into moral terms that all people can share, including those who are not believers. And that is how our democracy's functioning, will continue to function. That's what the founding fathers intended.
Very legitimate question, and solid responses. But I think the larger point is this: I'm not sure this sort of question would've made it into a debate 4 years ago. And I'm glad Senator Obama - and the people of faith who are grassroots leaders on this campaign - are encouraging a national discussion on faith and politics.
Check out some of the coverage of Barack Obama's speech this past Saturday, A Politics of Conscience:
Christian Post: Obama Points to Rick Warren, T.D. Jakes as Models for Faith-Driven Action
New York Times: Faith Has Role in Politics, Obama Tells Church
Chicago Tribune: 10,000 flock to church to hear Obama speak
Hartford Courant: Call to Conscience
Senator Obama delivered a major address on faith and politicstoday at the United Church of Christ General Synod. The speech isbelow; comment and let us know what you think!
It’s great to be here. I’ve been speaking to a lot of churches recently, so it’s nice to be speaking to one that’s so familiar. I understand you switched venues at considerable expense and inconvenience because of unfair labor practices at the place you were going to be having this synod. Clearly, the past 50 years have not weakened your resolve as faithful witnesses of the gospel. And I’m glad to see that.
It’s been several months now since I announced I was running for president. In that time, I’ve had the chance to talk with Americans all across this country. And I’ve found that no matter where I am, or who I’m talking to, there’s a common theme that emerges. It’s that folks are hungry for change – they’re hungry for something new. They’re ready to turn the page on the old politics and the old policies – whether it’s the war in Iraq or the health care crisis we’re in, or a school system that’s leaving too many kids behind despite the slogans.
But I also get the sense that there’s a hunger that’s deeper than that – a hunger that goes beyond any single cause or issue. It seems to me that each day, thousands of Americans are going about their lives – dropping the kids off at school, driving to work, shopping at the mall, trying to stay on their diets, trying to kick a cigarette habit – and they’re coming to the realization that something is missing. They’re deciding that their work, their possessions, their diversions, their sheer busyness, is not enough.
They want a sense of purpose, a narrative arc to their lives. They’re looking to relieve a chronic loneliness. And so they need an assurance that somebody out there cares about them, is listening to them – that they are not just destined to travel down that long road toward nothingness.
And this restlessness – this search for meaning – is familiar to me. I was not raised in a particularly religious household. My father, who I didn’t know, returned to Kenya when I was just two. He was nominally a Muslim since there were a number of Muslims in the village where he was born. But by the time he was a young adult, he was an atheist. My mother, whose parents were non-practicing Baptists and Methodists, was one of the most spiritual souls I ever knew. She had this enormous capacity for wonder, and lived by the Golden Rule. But she had a healthy skepticism of religion as an institution. And as a consequence, so did I.
It wasn’t until after college, when I went to Chicago to work as a community organizer for a group of Christian churches, that I confronted my own spiritual dilemma. In a sense, what brought me to Chicago in the first place was a hunger for some sort of meaning in my life. I wanted to be part of something larger. I’d been inspired by the civil rights movement – by all the clear-eyed, straight-backed, courageous young people who’d boarded buses and traveled down South to march and sit at lunch counters, and lay down their lives in some cases for freedom. I was too young to be involved in that movement, but I felt I could play a small part in the continuing battle for justice by helping rebuild some of Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods.
So it’s 1985, and I’m in Chicago, and I’m working with these churches, and with lots of laypeople who are much older than I am. And I found that I recognized in these folks a part of myself. I learned that everyone’s got a sacred story when you take the time to listen. And I think they recognized a part of themselves in me too. They saw that I knew the Scriptures and that many of the values I held and that propelled me in my work were values they shared. But I think they also sensed that a part of me remained removed and detached – that I was an observer in their midst.
And slowly, I came to realize that something was missing as well – that without an anchor for my beliefs, without a commitment to a particular community of faith, at some level I would always remain apart, and alone.
And it’s around this time that some pastors I was working with came up to me and asked if I was a member of a church. “If you’re organizing churches,” they said, “it might be helpful if you went to church once in a while.” And I thought, “Well, I guess that makes sense.”
So one Sunday, I put on one of the few clean jackets I had, and went over to Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th Street on the South Side of Chicago. And I heard Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright deliver a sermon called “The Audacity of Hope.” And during the course of that sermon, he introduced me to someone named Jesus Christ. I learned that my sins could be redeemed. I learned that those things I was too weak to accomplish myself, He would accomplish with me if I placed my trust in Him. And in time, I came to see faith as more than just a comfort to the weary or a hedge against death, but rather as an active, palpable agent in the world and in my own life.
It was because of these newfound understandings that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity one day and affirm my Christian faith. It came about as a choice, and not an epiphany. I didn’t fall out in church, as folks sometimes do. The questions I had didn’t magically disappear. The skeptical bent of my mind didn’t suddenly vanish. But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side, I felt I heard God’s spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth and carrying out His works.
But my journey is part of a larger journey – one shared by all who’ve ever sought to apply the values of their faith to our society. It’s a journey that takes us back to our nation’s founding, when none other than a UCC church inspired the Boston Tea Party and helped bring an Empire to its knees. In the following century, men and women of faith waded into the battles over prison reform and temperance, public education and women’s rights – and above all, abolition. And when the Civil War was fought and our country dedicated itself to a new birth of freedom, they took on the problems of an industrializing nation – fighting the crimes against society and the sins against God that they felt were being committed in our factories and in our slums.
And when these battles were overtaken by others and when the wars they opposed were waged and won, these faithful foot soldiers for justice kept marching. They stood on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, as the blows of billy clubs rained down. They held vigils across this country when four little girls were killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church. They cheered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial when Dr. King delivered his prayer for our country. And in all these ways, they helped make this country more decent and more just.
So doing the Lord’s work is a thread that’s run through our politics since the very beginning. And it puts the lie to the notion that the separation of church and state in America means faith should have no role in public life. Imagine Lincoln’s Second Inaugural without its reference to “the judgments of the Lord.” Or King’s “I Have a Dream” speech without its reference to “all of God’s children.” Or President Kennedy’s Inaugural without the words, “here on Earth, God’s work must truly be our own.” At each of these junctures, by summoning a higher truth and embracing a universal faith, our leaders inspired ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things.
But somehow, somewhere along the way, faith stopped being used to bring us together and started being used to drive us apart. It got hijacked. Part of it’s because of the so-called leaders of the Christian Right, who’ve been all too eager to exploit what divides us. At every opportunity, they’ve told evangelical Christians that Democrats disrespect their values and dislike their Church, while suggesting to the rest of the country that religious Americans care only about issues like abortion and gay marriage; school prayer and intelligent design. There was even a time when the Christian Coalition determined that its number one legislative priority was tax cuts for the rich. I don’t know what Bible they’re reading, but it doesn’t jibe with my version.
But I’m hopeful because I think there’s an awakening taking place in America. People are coming together around a simple truth – that we are all connected, that I am my brother’s keeper; I am my sister’s keeper. And that it’s not enough to just believe this – we have to do our part to make it a reality. My faith teaches me that I can sit in church and pray all I want, but I won’t be fulfilling God’s will unless I go out and do the Lord’s work.
That’s why pastors, friends of mine like Rick Warren and T.D. Jakes and organizations like World Vision and Catholic Charities are wielding their enormous influence to confront poverty, HIV/AIDS, and the genocide in Darfur. Religious leaders like my friends Rev. Jim Wallis and Rabbi David Saperstein and Nathan Diament are working for justice and fighting for change. And all across the country, communities of faith are sponsoring day care programs, building senior centers, and in so many other ways, taking part in the project of American renewal.
Yet what we also understand is that our values should express themselves not just through our churches or synagogues, temples or mosques; they should express themselves through our government. Because whether it’s poverty or racism, the uninsured or the unemployed, war or peace, the challenges we face today are not simply technical problems in search of the perfect ten-point plan. They are moral problems, rooted in both societal indifference and individual callousness – in the imperfections of man.
And so long as we’re not doing everything in our personal and collective power to solve them, we know the conscience of our nation cannot rest.
Our conscience can’t rest so long as 37 million Americans are poor and forgotten by their leaders in Washington and by the media elites. We need to heed the biblical call to care for “the least of these” and lift the poor out of despair. That’s why I’ve been fighting to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit and the minimum wage. If you’re working forty hours a week, you shouldn’t be living in poverty. But we also know that government initiatives are not enough. Each of us in our own lives needs to do what we can to help the poor. And until we do, our conscience cannot rest.
Our conscience cannot rest so long as nearly 45 million Americans don’t have health insurance and the millions more who do are going bankrupt trying to pay for it. I have made a solemn pledge that I will sign a universal health care bill into law by the end of my first term as president that will cover every American and cut the cost of a typical family’s premiums by up to $2500 a year. That’s not simply a matter of policy or ideology – it’s a moral commitment.
And until we stop the genocide that’s being carried out in Darfur as I speak, our conscience cannot rest. This is a problem that’s brought together churches and synagogues and mosques and people of all faiths as part of a grassroots movement. Universities and states, including Illinois, are taking part in a divestment campaign to pressure the Sudanese government to stop the killings. It’s not enough, but it’s helping. And it’s a testament to what we can achieve when good people with strong convictions stand up for their beliefs.
And we should close Guantanamo Bay and stop tolerating the torture of our enemies. Because it’s not who we are. It’s not consistent with our traditions of justice and fairness. And it offends our conscience.
But we also know our conscience cannot rest so long as the war goes on in Iraq. It’s a war I’m proud I opposed from the start – a war that should never have been authorized and never been waged. I have a plan that would have already begun redeploying our troops with the goal of bringing all our combat brigades home by March 31st of next year. The President vetoed a similar plan, but he doesn’t have the last word, and we’re going to keep at it, until we bring this war to an end. Because the Iraq war is not just a security problem, it’s a moral problem.
And there’s another issue we must confront as well. Today there are 12 million undocumented immigrants in America, most of them working in our communities, attending our churches, and contributing to our country.
Now, as children of God, we believe in the worth and dignity of every human being; it doesn’t matter where that person came from or what documents they have. We believe that everyone, everywhere should be loved, and given the chance to work, and raise a family.
But as Americans, we also know that this is a nation of laws, and we cannot have those laws broken when more than 2,000 people cross our borders illegally every day. We cannot ignore that we have a right and a duty to protect our borders. And we cannot ignore the very real concerns of Americans who are not worried about illegal immigration because they are racist or xenophobic, but because they fear it will result in lower wages when they’re already struggling to raise their families.
And so this will be a difficult debate next week. Consensus and compromise will not come easy. Last time we took up immigration reform, it failed. But we cannot walk away this time. Our conscience cannot rest until we not only secure our borders, but give the 12 million undocumented immigrants in this country a chance to earn their citizenship by paying a fine and waiting in line behind all those who came here legally.
We will all have to make concessions to achieve this. That’s what compromise is about. But at the end of the day, we cannot walk away – not for the sake of passing a bill, but so that we can finally address the real concerns of Americans and the persistent hopes of all those brothers and sisters who want nothing more than their own chance at our common dream.
These are some of the challenges that test our conscience – as Americans and people of faith. And meeting them won’t be easy. There is real evil and hardship and pain and suffering in the world and we should be humble in our belief that we can eliminate them. But we shouldn’t use our humility as an excuse for inaction. We shouldn’t use the obstacles we face as an excuse for cynicism. We have to do what we can, knowing it’s hard and not swinging from a naïve idealism to a bitter defeatism – but rather, accepting the fact that we’re not going to solve every problem overnight, but we can still make a difference.
We can recognize the truth that’s at the heart of the UCC: that the conversation is not over; that our roles are not defined; that through ancient texts and modern voices, God is still speaking, challenging us to change not just our own lives, but the world around us.
I’m hearing from evangelicals who may not agree with progressives on every issue but agree that poverty has no place in a world of plenty; that hate has no place in the hearts of believers; and that we all have to be good stewards of God’s creations. From Willow Creek to the ‘emerging church,’ from the Southern Baptist Convention to the National Association of Evangelicals, folks are realizing that the four walls of the church are too small for a big God. God is still speaking.
I’m hearing from progressives who understand that if we want to communicate our hopes and values to Americans, we can’t abandon the field of religious discourse. That’s why organizations are rising up across the country to reclaim the language of faith to bring about change. God is still speaking.
He’s still speaking to our Catholic friends – who are holding up a consistent ethic of life that goes beyond abortion – one that includes a respect for life and dignity whether it’s in Iraq, in poor neighborhoods, in African villages or even on death row. They’re telling me that their conversation about what it means to be Catholic continues. God is still speaking.
And right here in the UCC, we’re hearing from God about what it means to be a welcoming church that holds on to our Christian witness. The UCC is still listening. And God is still speaking.
Now, some of you may have heard me talk about the Joshua generation. But there’s a story I want to share that takes place before Moses passed the mantle of leadership on to Joshua. It comes from Deuteronomy 30 when Moses talks to his followers about the challenges they’ll find when they reach the Promised Land without him. To the Joshua generation, these challenges seem momentous – and they are. But Moses says: What I am commanding you is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven. Nor is it beyond the sea. No, the word is very near. It is on your lips and in your heart.
It’s an idea that’s often forgotten or dismissed in cynical times. It’s that we all have it within our power to make this a better world. Because we all have the capacity to do justice and show mercy; to treat others with dignity and respect; and to rise above what divides us and come together to meet those challenges we can’t meet alone. It’s the wisdom Moses imparted to those who would succeed him. And it’s a lesson we need to remember today – as members of another Joshua generation.
So let’s rededicate ourselves to a new kind of politics – a politics of conscience. Let’s come together – Protestant and Catholic, Muslim and Hindu and Jew, believer and non-believer alike. We’re not going to agree on everything, but we can disagree without being disagreeable. We can affirm our faith without endangering the separation of church and state, as long as we understand that when we’re in the public square, we have to speak in universal terms that everyone can understand. And if we can do that – if we can embrace a common destiny – then I believe we’ll not just help bring about a more hopeful day in America, we’ll not just be caring for our own souls, we’ll be doing God’s work here on Earth. Thank you.
Hey all!
I'm logging in from Spartanburg, South Carolina where Barack just gave a major Father's Day address about how we can come together to fight poverty and strengthen families in our new economy.
The speech was delivered to a packed house at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church where Rev. Benjamin T. Snoddy is the pastor. Check out the speech here and the AP article here. You can head over to our South Carolina page for some pictures.
I had the pleasure of meeting Josh Stroman before the event. Josh is the young man Barack mentions in his speech as an example of how, with a little help, young fathers from tough circumstances can change their lives and the lives of their families. Josh is a great guy, almost finished with undergrad at Benedict College and preparing to go to law school. I think you'll enjoy his story, and the speech as well.
Strengthening families, lifting folks out of poverty, coming together to find practical solutions to our common challenges - these are the moral values issues we're hearing from people of faith across the country. This is what this campaign - your campaign - is all about.
Drop me a line in the comments with your thoughts on the speech. If there are policy ideas that Barack didn't consider but should have, head over to the Family and Community page and submit your idea in the My Policy box.
Take care,
The Washington Post / Newsweek "On Faith" website has a new post from Barack. Check it out here.
"On Faith" is a really unique site - religious leaders from across the globe having:
intelligent, informed, eclectic, respectful conversation-among specialists and generalists who devote a good part of their lives to understanding and delineating religion's influence on the life of the world. The point of our new online religion feature is to provide a forum for such sane and spirited talk, drawing on a remarkable panel of distinguished figures from the academy, the faith traditions, and journalism. Members of the group will weigh in on a question posed at least once a week, perhaps sometimes more often, depending on the flow of the news. We encourage readers to join the conversation by commenting on what our panelists have to say, offering their own opinions and suggesting topics for future discussions.From About On Faith.
intelligent, informed, eclectic, respectful conversation-among specialists and generalists who devote a good part of their lives to understanding and delineating religion's influence on the life of the world. The point of our new online religion feature is to provide a forum for such sane and spirited talk, drawing on a remarkable panel of distinguished figures from the academy, the faith traditions, and journalism. Members of the group will weigh in on a question posed at least once a week, perhaps sometimes more often, depending on the flow of the news. We encourage readers to join the conversation by commenting on what our panelists have to say, offering their own opinions and suggesting topics for future discussions.
From About On Faith.
The Washington Post has a story today about religious leaders, including the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, urging Congress to enact mandatory limits on carbon emissions to stop the effects of global warming.
Trading the same admonitions from Jesus to protect "the least of these," the climate-change activists said the poor would suffer most from extreme weather; skeptics of climate change said the poor would be hit hardest by the cost of shifting to cleaner energy sources.
What do you think? Is climate change a moral issue? And is this something that everyday people of faith in America could get energized about?
You can check out Barack's perspective on meeting our energy needs here.
Blessings all,
PS - CNN will rebroadcast Monday night's faith forum with Barack, John Edwards and Hillary Clinton tonight at 8pm EST. Hat-tip to lionanimal.
Hi all! I wanted to remind everyone that tonight at 7pm (EST) 6pm (CST) CNN will air a live broadcast of the Sojourner's Presidential Forum on Faith, Values and Poverty. Barack, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards will be answering questions posed by Rev. Jim Wallace, CNN's Soledad O'Brien and national religious leaders. Then, Barack will head on to address the Hampton Minister's Conference in Virginia on Tuesday afternoon. For more info on the Sojourners event check out www.sojo.net.
And remember to sign up and be counted! Join Faith-Action-Change, People of Faith for Barack, at faith.barackobama.com.
Blessings to you!
