teaches us not to question the ways of God, but I can't help but feel sadness that President-Elect Obama's grandmother did not live to see last night. No, President-Elect Obama is not the Messiah, but no matter what else his election means, it means this: an end to a very ugly and sad history in the United States in regard to race. That's a beautiful thing, and it is something every Christian can celebrate, even as we continue to press the point that it is just as evil to treat a child in the womb - that most vulnerable of human beings - as an object that can be disposed of to suit our idols of convenience. Let's pray for our new President-Elect that God's Spirit stirs up in him the wisdom to value and protect every human life from its inception to its natural end. Let's pray that God grant him the wisdom to serve and serve well the nation that has entrusted him with its highest office. President-Elect Barack Obama, congratulations!
P.S. That's as political as this blog will ever get. Promise.
10 comments:
I can't help but feel the joy around my black neighbors. And it's true, this outcome may have more positive than negative in many ways.
That and I admit I am cracking up about our prop 8. What a blow to Gavin Newsom over here.
I promise to stop laughing at this by noon, my time. Just give the devil in me a few hours of payback.
Interesting comment from one of the contributors at str (Stand to Reason).com of another historical aspect of yesterday's events:
"Many have commented that they never thought they'd see a black man elected president in their lifetime. I truly did. Not necessarily this time, but some time soon. It never occurred to me we wouldn't because I believe this is a fair and good country that tries to live up to its principles. We'll elect all kinds of firsts because that's who we are.
What I believe now is that in my lifetime I'll never see the Constitutional rights of the unborn protected by our Supreme Court. Not now that we've elected the most radical pro-abortion president in our history the Supreme Court is likely to be lost for 20-30 years. We will get there because, as I said, we do eventually live up to our principles. We'll work for changing minds and hearts, and changing the law incrementally and state by state. But I don't think I'll see our Constitution applies to all human persons in my lifetime".
The only correction considering Pres. Elect Obama's beliefs would be to add "the born" to those unprotected.
I'm thrilled the US has passed this landmark. But isn't it a little ironic (and absolutely horrific) that millions of future Americans will never hear of it this side of heaven?
"No matter what else his election means, it means this: an end to a very ugly and sad history in the United States in regard to race."
I don't think we can truly say that until the majority of black voters vote for a white man over a black man. I think I heard last night that, in exit polling, over 98% of black voters voted for President-elect Obama. Now, if Governor Bobby Jindal or another minority runs for president in 2012 against a white candidate and loses, THEN I will believe that we've reached the end of a very ugly era regarding race in our country.
Doug Kmiec, who was a major contributor to the DNC platform on culture of life issues, and his colleagues have written some quite good books, essays, on the subject,,, and managed to tick off certain Roman bishops in the process. His bishop, Cardinal Mahoney, has defended him consistantly. The good Cardinal is obviously better at theology than he is at church architecture.
The race aspect of it reminds me of the excitement Catholics (at the time, we Catholics) felt at the election of JFK, regardless of politics. Regardless of whether JFK was a particularly observant Catholic either, for that matter. A Catholic could become president after all.
Which if that was present to a ten year old kid, how much moreso to his mother, who remembered when she was a kid being hidden with black kids during Klan marches.
Deep South? No. Iowa.
Anyone else find the grandmother's death just a tad too convenient? Anyone else find it odd that when the grandmother is supposedly at death's door last week, Obama's children and wife don't make the trip to see her? I'm not joking. My rule is that anything that happens politically didn't happen by accident, and I wonder if Obama wasn't going to a private funeral the other week, and they wait until just before the election to make the announcement. I hate to be so cynical, but politicians continually give fuel to that cynical streak. I expect nothing less of the Obama administration.
Fr. Weedon, just curious, but why apologize for discussing politics on a blog? Are pastors not allowed to have political views? I see nothing wrong with it personally, as long as everyone realizes that the pastor is not speaking as a pastor but as a citizen.
Thanks for the comments, all. Just an explanation for Pr. Beisel - nothing so profound. Its just an area that I am fundamentally not interested in. I try to pay attention to it when I have to, but I'd far, far rather talk about other things. You know: forgiveness, Our Lord, the Blessed Trinity, the Divine Service, even rubrics. :)
Anyone here ever take a break from Scripture, the Fathers, liturgy, the Lutheran Witness etc to read the real "Ideas Have Consequences". It's great, and, unlike the Fathers and litugics, short!
Here an excellent op-ed piece from yesterday's LA "We Love Obama" Times by Shelby Steele on the myth of post-racial America. You have to read it all the way through to catch the subtly inclusive "we" near the end and realize that Mr. Steele is black.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-steele5-2008nov05,0,6553798.story
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