Mike Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama said Thursday he will establish a White House office of faith-based initiatives that will show no favoritism to any religious group and adhere to the strict separation of church and state. Addressing the National Prayer Breakfast, Obama spoke of how faith has often been a divisive tool, responsible for war and prejudice. But, he said, "there is no religion whose central tenet is hate. There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being," and all religions teach people to love and care for one another. That is the common ground underlying his faith-based office, he said. In personal terms, he talked about the role of faith in his life, from his Muslim-born father and a mother skeptical of organized religion to his own embrace of Christianity as a young man. "In a world that grows smaller by the day, perhaps we can begin to crowd out the destructive forces of zealotry and make room for the healing power of understanding," Obama told the gathering of lawmakers, dignitaries and world leaders. "This is my hope. This is my prayer." Dogged throughout the presidential campaign by rumors that he was a Muslim, Obama described his background in a household that wasn't religious. "I had a father who was born a Muslim but became an atheist, grandparents who were non-practicing Methodists and Baptists, and a mother who was skeptical of organized religion, even as she was the kindest, most spiritual person I've ever known. She was the one who taught me as a child to love, and to understand, and to do unto others as I would want done," he said. Obama planned to sign an executive order later in the day creating the White House Office on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. It would expand and refocus the faith-based office founded by former President George W. Bush. Obama said the organization will not favor any one religious group over another, will work with communities and will act "without blurring the line that our founders wisely drew between church and state." The president will also appoint Joshua DuBois, a 26-year-old Pentecostal minister who headed religious outreach for Obama's Senate office and later his campaign, to lead the partnerships office and name 25 religious and secular leaders to a new advisory board. During his presidential campaign, Obama said he wanted to expand White House faith-based efforts begun under Bush. But while he endorsed Bush's initiative to give religious groups more access to federal funding, he also promised to make some changes to the office. Obama's advisers want to be certain tax dollars sent to the faith-based social service groups are used for secular purposes, such as feeding the hungry or housing the homeless, and not for religious evangelism. The administration doesn't want to be perceived as managing the groups yet does want transparency and accountability. Obama pledged during the campaign to allow taxpayer-funded religious institutions to hire and fire based on religion — but only for the activities run on private funding. One question is whether the faith-based office will issue grants under the Bush rules while the hiring policy is worked out. Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 I don't know if that's such a good idea. Having more money and more resources to extend help means more opportunity to spread ideology...what religion can resist that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 Save a country. Help stamp out religion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batman Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 change? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 Change? Yes, for the collection basket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 Bottom line here is you've gotta get out of this mess yourselves - don't count on the government which only recognizes the wealthy and influential for immediate and significant aid . You , a bottom -feeder , will surely die in the wait for assistance . One suggestion would be a French Revolution-type affair where you could bust into those gated communities as well as find those evil Baby-boomers wherever they are and guillotine them in mob action ,and rob them of their wealth - so no one in particular is at fault . After all , it was their greed that brought you down .This is the best way . (Q: Why do they live in gated communities ? A: Because they have been so reprehensible that they need this security . ) Alternatively, you could wait patiently like sheep with your hopes and dreams daily tested and foiled as the game plays out . Either that , or invade Venezuela (easy ) and take Chavez's oil . I have faith in you to act appropriately . Alternatively... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 or knock over a Circle K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombre Vivante Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 Bottom line here is you've gotta get out of this mess yourselves - don't count on the government which only recognizes the wealthy and influential for immediate and significant aid . You , a bottom -feeder , will surely die in the wait for assistance . One suggestion would be a French Revolution-type affair where you could bust into those gated communities as well as find those evil Baby-boomers wherever they are and guillotine them in mob action ,and rob them of their wealth - so no one in particular is at fault . After all , it was their greed that brought you down .This is the best way . (Q: Why do they live in gated communities ? A: Because they have been so reprehensible that they need this security . ) Hey, I live in a gated community, but I'm far from being rich... or even middle class. There already is a kind of revolution against the bourgeoisie/middle class by the poor. Once Mission Viejo started bringing in more of that hud housing bunk, a lot more crime started to come in: mail theft sprang up, graffiti started appearing, local schools started to get a large influx of underperforming students that skyrocketted the quality of the education to the bottom, mexican gangs started to form, burglaries were more commonplace, more drugs were coming into the city, mexican illegals started to sit around the corners of the streets for most of the day - every day - begging for money or slinging drugs, streets began to look like a used car sales lot, then more city funds were being drained into welfare and hospital care for these freeloaders (Mission Hospital started to get a large influx of illegal aliens coming into use their services and not paying for any of it). Tustin used to be a good city to live in Orange County about 20 years ago, and now it's a ghetto for the same reasons. We had to move from Tustin and then I moved from Mission Viejo because of this. Little by little, the quality of life is not only being chipped away by that, but also by bad govt. policies which allow it all to happen (or that are not enforced). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted February 8, 2009 Report Share Posted February 8, 2009 OJ Simpson now lives in a gated community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombre Vivante Posted February 8, 2009 Report Share Posted February 8, 2009 Hahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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