Obama: GOP doesn't own faith and values

Obama: GOP doesn't own faith and values

Obama told an evangelical church in South Carolina: "I am confident we can create a Kingdom right here on Earth."

GREENVILLE, South Carolina (CNN) — After speaking to an evangelical church on Sunday in this traditionally conservative South Carolina city, Sen. Barack Obama said that Republicans no longer have a firm grip on religion in political discourse.

"I think its important particularly for those of us in the Democratic party to not cede values and faith to any one party," Obama told reporters outside the Redemption World Outreach Center where he attended services.

"I think that what you're seeing is a breaking down of the sharp divisions that existed maybe during the nineties, when at least in politics the perception was that the Democrats were fearful of talking about faith, and on the other hand you had the Republicans who had a particular brand of faith that often times seemed intolerant or pushed people away," he said.

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"I think that's a healthy thing, that we're not putting people in boxes, that everybody is out there trying to figure out how do we live right and how do we create a stronger America," Obama said.

During the nearly two hour service that featured a rock band and hip-hop dancers, Obama shared the floor with the church's pastor, Ron Carpenter. The senator from Illinois asked the multiracial crowd of nearly 4,000 people to keep him and his family in their prayers, and said he hoped to be "an instrument of God."

"Sometimes this is a difficult road being in politics," Obama said. "Sometimes you can become fearful, sometimes you can become vain, sometimes you can seek power just for power's sake instead of because you want to do service to God. I just want all of you to pray that I can be an instrument of God in the same way that Pastor Ron and all of you are instruments of God."

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http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/10/07/obama-gop-doesnt-own-faith-and-values/

Want to get recognized...Start a thread that Hillary Clinton would be a good president, of India...

What does this have to do with politics? I don't happen to believe that religious = moral/ethical.

I'm so sick & tired of the morals & values talk...To Republicans, morals/values equates to someone who attends Sunday church services, & bitches & moans about Hollywood & Howard Stern as the causes of all the worlds' problems.....Their brand of morality amounts to nothing more than an overly invasive, my way or the highway approach...

To Democrats, morals/values means trying to get healthcare for all those who don't have it, trying to end the mess in Iraq, trying to clean up the environment & tackle global warming, trying to get legislation passed to advance stem cell research, etc...

Morals & values has NOTHING to do with whether or not someone attends church services & it has NOTHING to do with what one reads, listens to, or watches.....

:rant:

Thanks for putting up a link that doesn't go to him. Appreciated.

I realize Obama's going to get hated for this, too. But, hopefully it does him some good with the people.

I have no doubt it's one he makes out of principle but it's also important politically for Democrats to re-claim the "high ground" on values.

It should be obvious from the comments that sludge has linked to it. The "foamers" are out in full force.

Sounds familiar.

Right? Because no Christian ever used that metaphor before the Idiot in Chief.

Cede *nothing*...especially that which means so much to so many people.

without religious people the party is very shaky in terms of winning. Since he is a christian and in the tradition of the African American church, which was the cornerstone of the civil rights movement, he needs to bring some back and to defuse the theocracy threat as well.
I am not religious but, I don't fear those who are especially when they are set on a better party that doesn't build into the cult like thinking as the republicans do.

Religion + Politics = NO THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

The only Kingdom is the one they will go to when they die.