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American Presidents and God

2

Comments

  • #32
    UCDVet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,894 ✭✭✭UCDVet


    Agricola wrote: »
    The sad thing about the US is that the men who drew up the constitution a couple of hundred years ago were far sighted enough to explicitly state that church and state had no business mixing with each other. Yet today they have a presidential election which is partly a "whos the most pious" competition. Plus a candidate couldnt be openly atheist and hope to have a chance of winning.

    Separation of church and state shouldn't be interpreted to mean political leaders can't be religious or shouldn't express religious beliefs.

    For better or worse, there are a lot of American's who want someone who believes in 'God' to represent them. That's a lot different than establishing an official church or giving it governmental powers.


  • #33
    Wereghost
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 324 ✭✭Wereghost


    pmcmahon wrote: »
    The only reason he got in was due to the republicans putting clowns in for the running.I have a sneaky suspicion they don't want the job in the current economic climate.
    I don't know. Recent history suggests that a significant number of Republican voters quite like their clowns.


  • #34
    ArtSmart
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,610 ✭✭✭ArtSmart


    stoneill wrote: »
    Jimmy Carter was also facing a disaster in Iran at the time of the elections with 440 US hostages and a failed rescue attempt when a Hercules and a helicopter crashed into each other.. Funny how the hostages were released right when Ronald Reagan was taking his oath of office. God was looking after one of them there.

    Yes. True.

    Well, I think the only reasonable explanation would be that Ronald was closer to God's wishes?


  • #35
    tom_thumb
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 27 ✭tom_thumb


    stoneill wrote: »
    Jimmy Carter was also facing a disaster in Iran at the time of the elections with 440 US hostages and a failed rescue attempt when a Hercules and a helicopter crashed into each other.. Funny how the hostages were released right when Ronald Reagan was taking his oath of office. God was looking after one of them there.

    your right , the iranian hostage crisis was a huge factor , carter would have lost regardless though

    watched a tv movie from ten years ago last night about the reagans , dont know whether it was a hatchet job or not but if it was pretty accurate , nancy reagan had every bit as much influence on the presidency as hillary in the nineties


  • #36
    wendell borton
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,335 ✭✭✭wendell borton


    stoneill wrote: »
    Jimmy Carter was also facing a disaster in Iran at the time of the elections with 440 US hostages and a failed rescue attempt when a Hercules and a helicopter crashed into each other.. Funny how the hostages were released right when Ronald Reagan was taking his oath of office. God was looking after one of them there.

    And the Sad thing is that Carter is a very religious man yet never tried to shove it down others throats.
    While the rebuplican pander to christians for votes.


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  • #37
    tom_thumb
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 27 ✭tom_thumb


    wendell borton wrote: »
    And the Sad thing is that Carter is a very religious man yet never tried to shove it down others throats.
    While the rebuplican pander to christians for votes.

    jimmy carter was probabley the most decent man to inhabit the oval office in the past five decades , he was too decent - nice for the role


  • #38
    mikemac1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,395 ✭✭✭✭mikemac1


    rarnes1 wrote: »
    Isn't Obama athiest or non religious or something?

    Muslim


  • #39
    Voltex
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,584 ✭✭✭Voltex


    mikemac1 wrote: »
    Muslim
    didnt the americans shoot him?


  • #40
    Handsome Bob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,905 ✭✭✭✭Handsome Bob


    GalwayGuy2 wrote: »
    Tbf, I think it's more an empty ceremony with Obama.

    What's your reasoning in thinking this?


  • #41
    EZ24GET
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,017 ✭✭✭EZ24GET


    Agricola wrote: »
    The sad thing about the US is that the men who drew up the constitution a couple of hundred years ago were far sighted enough to explicitly state that church and state had no business mixing with each other. Yet today they have a presidential election which is partly a "whos the most pious" competition. Plus a candidate couldnt be openly atheist and hope to have a chance of winning.

    It wasn't quite like that. It's to protect everyone's choice. Separating church from state was to insure that the government could not force a specific religion or any religion on the citizens. I haven't talked with any one who has made their choice based solely on religion. I do think a candidates values are important and those values might be a reflection of his religion but through the years we have elected presidents and congressmen with a variety of religious beliefs.


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  • #42
    my favourite rossy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12 ✭my favourite rossy


    Obama is A Ledgend .. Sound skin many a pint we had together


  • #43
    B.A._Baracus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,309 ✭✭✭✭B.A._Baracus


    I reckon there has been a good few former presidents who were infact atheist. But alot of Christian voters in the states. So if you wanna win you gotta appeal.

    Sure, another "criteria" for being US president is to be a family man. Always has to be married with kids. Crap about having family values.


  • #44
    Scanlas The 2nd
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,144 ✭✭✭Scanlas The 2nd


    S. De Sousa wrote: »

    What's your reasoning in thinking this?

    I think he just seems too sharp to believe in God. Unjust wouldn't believe him if he said he believed on God.


  • #45
    DEFTLEFTHAND
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,499 ✭✭✭✭DEFTLEFTHAND


    Franklin Pierce president from 1853 to 1857 didn't swear the oath on the Bible but instead affirmed it by placing his hand on a law book.

    Interesting character to read up on, he's generally viewed as one of the worst Presidents in history and struggled with alcoholism during his tenure. George W Bush's wife Laura is actually related to him.


  • #46
    Seaneh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,300 ✭✭✭✭Seaneh


    GalwayGuy2 wrote: »
    Tbf, I think it's more an empty ceremony with Obama.

    I wouldn't be so sure, he's a devout Christian, he's just not a new earth creationist biblical literallist.

    One of his closest friends is the pastor of his church.


  • #47
    Courtesy Flush
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,859 ✭✭✭Courtesy Flush


    I would imagine that many of them, particulary on the republican side, werent as religious as they pretended to be. But when a lot of your voters believe that the bible is literally true, you have to play along


  • #48
    Handsome Bob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,905 ✭✭✭✭Handsome Bob


    Scanlas The 2nd wrote: »
    I think he just seems too sharp to believe in God. Unjust wouldn't believe him if he said he believed on God.

    That would be an awfully presumptuous attitude to have.


  • #49
    Teyla Emmagan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,638 ✭✭✭Teyla Emmagan


    It's always the same with American politicians they are ALWAYS banging on about God. And what annoys me is how they constantly express how God supports them on this, that, and the other. It's all 'God is with this campaign' and 'God is with us in this war' or whatever, and it really gets on my tits. How do they know God endorses whatever sh*t or vengence they are peddling today? They don't, of course, he's just another marketing tool. As someone who, mostly, believes in God, I wish he'd smite half the feckers down for using his name in vain.


  • #50
    Midlife Crashes
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 954 ✭✭✭Midlife Crashes


    Teyla Emmagan wrote: »
    It's always the same with American politicians they are ALWAYS banging on about God. And what annoys me is how they constantly express how God supports them on this, that, and the other. It's all 'God is with this campaign' and 'God is with us in this war' or whatever, and it really gets on my tits. How do they know God endorses whatever sh*t or vengence they are peddling today? They don't, of course, he's just another marketing tool. As someone who, mostly, believes in God, I wish he'd smite half the feckers down for using his name in vain.

    Look how well Rick Santorum did by constantly banging on about God. In some areas the evangelical vote is hugely important.


  • #51
    Run_to_da_hills
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭Run_to_da_hills


    rarnes1 wrote: »
    Isn't Obama athiest or non religious or something?

    Obama is Muslim and Romney is Mormon.


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  • #52
    Midlife Crashes
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 954 ✭✭✭Midlife Crashes


    Run_to_da_hills wrote: »
    Obama is Muslim and Romney is Mormon.

    Obama is Protestant.


  • #53
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 25,909 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    S. De Sousa wrote: »
    What's your reasoning in thinking this?

    People like to tell themselves that their hero doesn't believe the stuff that the mental case Pastor at his church was preaching while criticising the opposition for literally believing silly things.


  • #54
    Run_to_da_hills
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭Run_to_da_hills


    Midlife Crashes wrote: »
    Obama is Protestant.

    He is not Christian although he tries to put on a one size fits all approach when confronted about his faith.

    A few tell tail signs will tell us that he is not Christian.


  • #55
    ResearchWill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,111 ✭✭✭ResearchWill


    Agricola wrote: »
    The sad thing about the US is that the men who drew up the constitution a couple of hundred years ago were far sighted enough to explicitly state that church and state had no business mixing with each other. Yet today they have a presidential election which is partly a "whos the most pious" competition. Plus a candidate couldnt be openly atheist and hope to have a chance of winning.

    While the American Constitution through the first amendment stated that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," America has always been a very religious country, all presidents have sworn their oath of office on a bible, all presidents have been Christian and very openly so in most cases. The White House has had prayer breakfasts on many occasions. All or at least most of the founding fathers were in fact very religious. A politician can be very religious, he can even bring that religion into his politics, what he can't do is establish his or another religion as the state religion. This of course was in answer to the established Church of England.


  • #56
    Reindeer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,076 ✭✭✭Reindeer


    It has much more to do with than the 'bible belt' - http://www.gallup.com/poll/147887/americans-continue-believe-god.aspx
    A 'Europoll' conducted in Ireland which asked specifically whether the person believed in God(VS whether they were a Catholic) claims 72% of respondents stated they believed in a God. This is about even with many polls I have seen in the US. I might add that the same Europoll folks stated over 90% of Irish claim to be Catholic, which may show, as some here have argued, that Catholicism is akin to the status of ethnicity in the ROI.

    Your average American, depending on which poll you want to quote, is a God believer. The fastest growing demographic in The States is not bible belt Christians, but Hispanic Catholics. So, it seems this God thing won't be waning any time soon.

    The First Amendment to the US Constitution states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

    So, not only does this mean the government can not make laws unfairly biased for, or against religion, but that the people have the right to speak freely about such a thing - including the president.

    I would also use caution in assuming Ireland is an atheist country, or at least more so than the US. I don't claim to know every one in Ireland, but I do know several hundred people, at least in passing, and very few of those are not believers in God or Allah, etc. One does not have to be fanatical to believe in a 'supreme being'. Personally, I am agnostic - as all Reindeer are.


  • #57
    ResearchWill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,111 ✭✭✭ResearchWill


    Run_to_da_hills wrote: »
    He is not Christian although he tries to put on a one size fits all approach when confronted about his faith.

    A few tell tail signs will tell us that he is not Christian.

    Just read this 5 statments of the US Predident http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2012/02/21/obama-religious-quotes_n_1292116.html

    Just one of them

    "From the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington on Dec. 2, 2011
    "More than 2,000 years ago, a child was born to two faithful travelers who could find rest only in a stable, among the cattle and the sheep. But this was not just any child. Christ's birth made the angels rejoice and attracted shepherds and kings from afar. He was a manifestation of God's love for us.
    "And he grew up to become a leader with a servant's heart who taught us a message as simple as it is powerful: that we should love God, and love our neighbor as ourselves. That teaching has come to encircle the globe. No matter who we are, or where we come from, or how we worship, it's a message that can unite all of us on this holiday season."

    There is an old saying looks like a duck quacks like a duck it's a fcuking duck. So talks like a Christian, goes to service like a Christan and breaks bread with Christians gues what it's a Christian.


  • #58
    Anyone
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,376 ✭✭✭Anyone


    SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »
    The Bible belt

    thats why

    80% christian nation is more than a belt.


  • #59
    ResearchWill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,111 ✭✭✭ResearchWill


    Anyone wrote: »
    80% christian nation is more than a belt.

    Well the belt refers to a particular brand of Christian.


  • #60
    Seaneh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,300 ✭✭✭✭Seaneh


    Run_to_da_hills wrote: »
    He is not Christian although he tries to put on a one size fits all approach when confronted about his faith.

    A few tell tail signs will tell us that he is not Christian.

    He is a Christian.


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  • #61
    Run_to_da_hills
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭Run_to_da_hills


    ResearchWill wrote: »
    Just read this 5 statments of the US Predident http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2012/02/21/obama-religious-quotes_n_1292116.html

    Just one of them

    "From the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington on Dec. 2, 2011
    "More than 2,000 years ago, a child was born to two faithful travelers who could find rest only in a stable, among the cattle and the sheep. But this was not just any child. Christ's birth made the angels rejoice and attracted shepherds and kings from afar. He was a manifestation of God's love for us.
    "And he grew up to become a leader with a servant's heart who taught us a message as simple as it is powerful: that we should love God, and love our neighbor as ourselves. That teaching has come to encircle the globe. No matter who we are, or where we come from, or how we worship, it's a message that can unite all of us on this holiday season."

    There is an old saying looks like a duck quacks like a duck it's a fcuking duck. So talks like a Christian, goes to service like a Christan and breaks bread with Christians gues what it's a Christian.

    Obama has publicly mocked scripture on several occasions for political gain.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi-V_ilJu0w


    He also cancelled the tradition of National day of prayer at the White House. . He also renowned for covering up scripture and Christian related artefacts from schools and halls when he makes public appearances.


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