3 of 5: Obama's Christianity: why it might be sincere, why it might not, and why it might not matter

This is a reading of my article "Obama's Christianity: why it might be sincere, why it might not, and why it might not matter," a post to the blog site "Clashing Culture" (http://clashingculture.wordpress.com/).

Here's the direct link to the article: http://clashingculture.wordpress.com/2009/01/07/obamas-christianity-why-it-mi...

My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" (a dialogue between a Christian proselytizer and a Socratic skeptic)

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://www.youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I provide background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Barack Obama
• politics
• Christianity
• Creationism
• atheism
• Bible
• God
• faith
• fundamentalist
• skepticism
• skeptic
• evangelist
• Rick Warren
• homosexuality
• The Audacity of Hope
• Jesus
• Christ
• biblical literalism
• philosophy
• nontheist
• gay rights
• James Dobson
• Jonathan Rauch
• evangelism
• homosexual
• closet atheist

[ToddAllenGates]

> it is a shame that he needs to be deceptive (if he is) about his real beliefs.

Agreed!

> I guess an honest atheist will never succeed in American politics... at least not for a while.

My hope is that Obama's outspoken criticism of biblical literalism is at least a step in that direction.

[imaginenoreligion]

I agree that he is a far better alternative than McCain/Palin, but it is a shame that he needs to be deceptive (if he is) about his real beliefs.

I guess an honest atheist will never succeed in American politics... atleast not for a while.

[ToddGates]

2 of 2:

"What our deliberative, pluralistic democracy demands is that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals must be subject to argument and amenable to reason."

(Page 219 of "The Audacity of Hope")

[ToddGates]

1 of 2:

> So, basically Osama is trying to be everything to everyone. Is this genuine?

I feel he's skilled enough in the art of ambiguous language that he can *appear* to be Christian to Christians and nontheist to nontheists.

His "reaching out to Christians" notwithstanding," I love the way he breaks down the separation between church and state:

[obamadidit2008]

hell no!and eventually obama will realize that when trying to please everyone he loses everyone!

[imaginenoreligion]

So, basically Osama is trying to be everything to everyone. Is this genuine?