www.dougdaulton.com Sometimes Good. Sometimes Bad. Always Me.

Barack Obama – Man of Christian Conviction and Action

Folks,

I am an Obama supporter and I don’t consider myself to be “riding the wave” as some might suggest. I have done my homework and the man is a decent, thoughtful diplomat and true Christian who has a real, positive vision for the United States. With this in mind, I cannot let an email … entitled “The Obama Tidal Wave” (see below) … pass without comment. I will not address each bullet point in the email. Rather, I will speak to the overall tone of it.

First and foremost, let us address Obama’s “murky religious convictions”, he is not and never was a Muslim. He is a devout, thoughtful Christian, always has been. In short, don’t believe the misinformation distributed by FOX News and the Clinton campaign. Our nation has been so fundamentally damaged by the Bush/Cheney administration that we need a special person to fix it. Barack Obama is that person.

Next, after 8 years of Bush & Cheney … with their illegal war, disregard for human life in the aftermath of Katrina and subversion of the United States Constitution with the Rendition & Carnivore programs, Guantanamo Bay and illegal, warrant-less wiretapping of innocent US Citizens … we need a person with integrity in the White House. Simply put, Hillary is not that person. She will change her “convictions” at a moment’s notice if it is politically expedient to do so.

While McCain has more integrity than Clinton, he has allied with some pretty scary political and religious figures … people he formerly denounced … in order to secure the Republican nomination. How is that “integrity”? If you believe in something, you do so even when it is unpopular. That is a fundamental tenet of Christ’s message.

Barack Obama opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning, though he was derided as unpatriotic for doing so. Now, time has proven him right. Sometimes, being a true patriot means standing up to blind, angry and misplaced nationalism, which has been deceitfully painted as patriotism. Barack Obama has made precisely this unpopular and difficult stand … to protect our nation and the freedoms for which it stands.

Does Obama support the division of church and state? Absolutely; so did the founding fathers of this country. Why? They understood that the only way to protect religious freedom was to ensure there was no state-sanctioned “official” religion. Recall Christ’s message … “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” The Catholics among us would do well to remember that, in addition to persecuting blacks and other people of color, the KKK also lynched and killed Catholics and Jews. Many of these crimes were ignored and largely unpunished because of the deeply entwined nature of religion and government in the Southern states back then. Still, things change and our nation is stronger for it.

Another fundamental Christian belief is “love thy neighbor as thyself”. This does not mean that one makes or maintains unjust war. Regrettably, war is sometimes a necessary evil. In the wake of 911, we needed to go into Afghanistan and bring to justice the people who attacked us. Moreover, we needed to stay there and finish the job.

Instead, our President led us into an illegal war based on lies and half-truths. Now that Iraq is broken, we certainly need to fix it, but that does not mean remaining on a war footing for the next 10-100 years. It means re-engaging the United Nations so the forces stabilizing Iraq are multi-national and Iraq understands that it is the will of the world that they get their house in order. This needs to happen so ALL troops can go home, the people of Iraq can know peace (and perhaps democracy) and the region might have a genuinely stabilizing influence

Now, some will argue that Christ’s anger at the moneylenders in the temple, as well as many Old Testament passages justify righteous and faithful wrath … and by extension that justifies our current President’s crusader approach to “diplomacy”. I say that Obama is the true example of “What Would Jesus Do?” How did Christ when, on the eve of his arrest, Simon Peter struck off the ear of the slave Malchus in his defense?

Christ said “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” In short, he accepted that there were misguided and sometimes evil men in the world and rather than using silence, disregard and violence as his tools, he went to meet them and again spread a message of love, peace and tolerance. Think of this when you dismiss Obama for being willing to meet with Castro, Chavez and their ilk. It is precisely the act of man living Christ’s message in the world.

In the history of the USA, few presidential elections have been so important and historically significant as the one before us. Washington, Lincoln, FDR, Kennedy and now Obama … all set the USA on new course, which reinforced Christian principles, secured the interests of this great nation and made the USA a bright light in a dark world. The wrong choice in 2008 may cause irreparable harm to our nation of laws and freedom. So, every American needs to get the facts for themselves and not believe everything written in emails, which were expressly designed to spread misinformation and create division.

Am I dyed-in-the wool Democrat? No. I am an independent. Do I blindly agree with every position that Obama has taken? No. Like all men, including Christ (the man), he is subject to self-doubt and moments of weakness. But on balance, he is the man that most illustrates my understanding of Christ’s message for the world. And, that alone is worth my vote.

Thanks,

Doug Daulton

PS: You are receiving this response because you were part of the group that sent this email on it’s way to me.

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ORIGINAL MESSAGE SENT TO ME
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Email and sender info removed because the point of my reply is to address the issues therein, not to be disrespectful of the folks who sent it in the first place.
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Subject: The Obama Tidal Wave

We are witnessing a political phenomenon with Barack Obama of rare magnitude. His speeches have inspired millions and yet most of his followers have no idea of what he stands for except platitudes of ‘Change’ or that he says he will be a ‘Uniter’.

The power of speech from a charismatic person truly can be a powerful thing. Certainly Billy Graham had charisma and both his manner of speech and particularly the content changed millions. On the extreme other hand, the charisma of Adolph Hitler inspired millions and the results were catastrophic.

Barack Obama certainly is no Hitler or a Billy Graham, but for many Americans out there feeling just like a surfer who might be ecstatic and euphoric while riding a tidal wave, the real story is what happens when it hits shore.

Just Some of What Defines Barack Obama:

• He voted against banning partial birth abortion.

• He voted no on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions.

• Supports affirmative action in Colleges and Government.

• In 2001 he questioned harsh penalties for drug dealing.

• Says he will deal with street level drug dealing as a minimum wage affair.

• Admitted marijuana and cocaine use in high school and in college.

• His religious convictions are very murky.

• He is willing to meet with Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Kim Jung Il and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

• H as said that on e of his first goals after being elected would be to have a conference with all Muslim nations.

• Opposed the Patriot Act.

• First bill he signed that was passed was campaign finance reform.

• Voted No on prohibiting law suits against gun manufacturers.

• Supports universal health-care.

• Voted yes on providing habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees.

• Supports granting driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.

• Supports extending welfare to illegal immigrants.

• Voted NO to making English the official language of the USA.

• Voted yes on comprehensive immigration reform.

• Voted yes on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security.

• Wants to make the minimum wage a ‘living wage’.

• Voted with Democratic Party 96 percent of 251 votes.

• Is a big believer in the separation of church and state.

• Opposed to any efforts to Privatize Social Security and instead supports increasing the amount of tax paid.

• He voted No on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax.

• He voted No on repealing the ‘Death’ Tax

• He wants to raise the Capital Gains Tax.

• Has repeatedly said the surge in Iraq has not succeeded.

• He is ranked as the most liberal Senator in the Senate today and that takes some doing.

If your political choices are consistent with Barack Obama’s and you think that his positions will bring America together or make it a better place, then you will probably enjoy the ride and not forward this Email.

If you are like most Americans that after examining what he stands for, are truly not in line with his record, it would be prudent to get off the wave or better yet, never get on, before it comes on shore and undermines the very foundations of this great Country.

We have limited time to save America or the Supreme Court as we know it.Inaction is action.

If you agree this is important,please pass it on. The mainstream media will not do it for you!?