McCain:Christianity... "an important part of our qualifications to lead."

135

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  • darkcrow
    darkcrow Posts: 1,102
    http://www.miamiherald.com/367/story/256844.html

    By LIZ SIDOTI
    Associated Press Writer

    WASHINGTON -- Several Jewish organizations criticized John McCain on Monday after the Republican candidate said he would prefer a Christian president over someone of a different faith.

    In an interview with Beliefnet, a multi-denominational Web site that covers religion and spirituality, the White House hopeful was asked if a Muslim candidate could be a good president.

    "I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles ... personally, I prefer someone who I know who has a solid grounding in my faith," McCain said. "But that doesn't mean that I'm sure that someone who is Muslim would not make a good president."

    Later, McCain said, "I would vote for a Muslim if he or she was the candidate best able to lead the country and defend our political values." He added that "the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation."


    The American Jewish Committee, an international think tank and advocacy organization based in New York, issued a statement criticizing the Arizona senator, arguing that McCain should know that the United States is a democratic society without a religious test for public office.

    "To argue that America is a Christian nation, or that persons of a particular faith should by reason of their faith not seek high office, puts the very character of our country at stake," Jeffrey Sinensky, the group's general counsel, said Monday in a statement.

    A partisan organization, the National Jewish Democratic Council, also called McCain's comments repugnant.

    Amid the criticism, Democrat Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, an Orthodox Jew, came to the defense of his Senate colleague.

    "I have known John McCain very well for many years and I know that he does not have a bigoted bone in his body. I know that he is fair and just to all Americans regardless of their faith," Lieberman said.

    Over the past few days, McCain has sought to clarify his remarks.

    While campaigning in New Hampshire on Sunday, he said that the most qualified person could be president, no matter his or her religion.

    "It's almost Talmudic. We are a nation that was based on Judeo-Christian values. That means respect for all of human rights and dignity. That's my principle values and ideas, and that's what I think motivated our founding fathers," McCain said.

    Also Sunday, in a statement, his spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker said: "The senator did not intend to assert that members of one religious faith or another have a greater claim to American citizenship over another."
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  • 810wmb
    810wmb Posts: 849
    you know that's what wrong with all this PC crap.

    he was asked a question, gave an honest answer and is now getting slammed.

    that's what he prefers, so be it....
    i'm the meat, yer not...signed Capt Asshat
  • chopitdown
    chopitdown Posts: 2,222
    810wmb wrote:
    you know that's what wrong with all this PC crap.

    he was asked a question, gave an honest answer and is now getting slammed.

    that's what he prefers, so be it....

    exactly. He even said that he would vote for a different candidate if he thought they were the best, but he preferred a Christian candidate; everyone has preferences about candidates. This may not be an important issue to all but the fact remains it is an important to some, whether you agree with it or not.
    make sure the fortune that you seek...is the fortune that you need
  • DriftingByTheStorm
    DriftingByTheStorm Posts: 8,684
    The US constitution established this country as one nation under GOD.
    It didn't say DICK about CHRIST or Christianity or whose fucking religion was better.

    It wasn't concerned with that.

    The only concern was with the fact that humans have inalienable rights, natural rights, GOD GIVEN rights ... the rights in the first 10 ammendments to the constitution are just SOME of those rights, but we retain EVERY right we could possibly think of, because they are all natural rights assigned to us by the benevolene of whichever supreme force out there actually formed this universe ... that supreme force being the one we petty humans label "god" ...

    show me where in the constitution it mentions christ or christianity.
    McCain should pick up his pocket patriot and read the damn thing!
    If I was to smile and I held out my hand
    If I opened it now would you not understand?
  • 810wmb
    810wmb Posts: 849
    drifting - read the post before yours.......

    i'm aware the constitution have anything about Christ in it. i'm sure mccain does too(just a guess)

    a lot of those dudes were Christians (i hope that doesn't spoil yr day)

    they were smart enough to know for the country to work, it couldn't be founded on a religion.

    hey, some Christians did a good thing...got a beef with that?
    i'm the meat, yer not...signed Capt Asshat
  • callen
    callen Posts: 6,388
    soulsinging wrote:
    yeah, he went too far with the money and oil nonsense, but i'd like to see you answer his first question. what's the connection between iraq and 9/11? where are the wmd's?

    i don't think religious affiliation should be part of any political decision.
    so why is it again that we're still there......oh right, good will toward muslims....building democracy......riiiight

    Sadam went into Kuwait to control oil.

    US went into Kuwait to take back control of oil.

    US stationed permanent troops in Saudi Arabia to protect Oil.

    Osama didn't like having Christians in Saudi Arabia.

    Osama attacked us.

    We attacked Osama....but for good measure...and again to secure that oil, went into Iraq.

    All about controlling oil. Very elementary really.
    10-18-2000 Houston, 04-06-2003 Houston, 6-25-2003 Toronto, 10-8-2004 Kissimmee, 9-4-2005 Calgary, 12-3-05 Sao Paulo, 7-2-2006 Denver, 7-22-06 Gorge, 7-23-2006 Gorge, 9-13-2006 Bern, 6-22-2008 DC, 6-24-2008 MSG, 6-25-2008 MSG
  • callen
    callen Posts: 6,388
    810wmb wrote:
    callen wrote:


    dude, do you watch john stewart to get yr hard news?

    you are soooooooooo far off base...

    where there any WMD's?

    was there a link between Sadaam and 9/11?

    was Al quida in Iraq prior to our invasion?

    Hell even Fox has had to sucumb to the realization that they were punked by the administration.
    10-18-2000 Houston, 04-06-2003 Houston, 6-25-2003 Toronto, 10-8-2004 Kissimmee, 9-4-2005 Calgary, 12-3-05 Sao Paulo, 7-2-2006 Denver, 7-22-06 Gorge, 7-23-2006 Gorge, 9-13-2006 Bern, 6-22-2008 DC, 6-24-2008 MSG, 6-25-2008 MSG
  • NMyTree
    NMyTree Posts: 2,374
    810wmb wrote:
    hahahahhaahahha....



    well, i'm pretty sure the bible said to kill all the indians, didn't it?

    jeeze, Christ taught what was right and good. we screw it up.

    Exactly, that's the point. What good are Christian principles if the people in power and the one's who have the weapons; don't adhere to those principles?

    810wmb wrote:

    you can label a whole people such as "Christians" as never living out their faith, right?

    I didn't label anyone. McCain did.

    You should be laughing at him or annoyed with him. Because he spoke in a sweeping generality of Christian principles, as if every so-called Christian.....or everyone who uses Christianity as one of their manipulation tactics or talking points; actually lives their lives according to Chrisitian principles.

    It's equally absurd to speak and label Christians/Christianity (or people of any religion) as all being people who adhere to those principles.

    For quite some time I have noticed how it's perfectly okay/acceptable to speak of or label Christians (or any people of whatever religion) as all good people who adhere to their Christian/religion of choice's principles. Christians/religious people have no problem with that.

    But to speak of or label Christians (or any people of whatever religion) as bad, manupulative or destructive; is NOT okay/acceptable.

    And we all know neither are true or realistic.

    810wmb wrote:
    but if i were to label a whole group such as "blacks" "spics" etc, as anything that cover an entire group, you would bust a gut!

    You don't know me very well, indeed.
  • 810wmb
    810wmb Posts: 849
    callen wrote:
    810wmb wrote:

    where there any WMD's?

    was there a link between Sadaam and 9/11?

    was Al quida in Iraq prior to our invasion?

    Hell even Fox has had to sucumb to the realization that they were punked by the administration.


    harhar!!!!!!!!!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjgquIN4Rrw

    you think this started with 9-11...go back just a couple of years
    i'm the meat, yer not...signed Capt Asshat
  • 810wmb
    810wmb Posts: 849
    once again yr blanketing all Christians...

    as far as my black comment, i didn't want to say

    "blacks all play basketball and eat watermelon"



    before people stroke, this is an example....

    what the hell do you think i mean by a "practicing Christian?"

    all you keep coming back with is the don't practice their faith...

    some do...maybe you don't know enough about it to be fairminded
    i'm the meat, yer not...signed Capt Asshat
  • NMyTree
    NMyTree Posts: 2,374
    810wmb wrote:
    once again yr blanketing all Christians...

    as far as my black comment, i didn't want to say

    "blacks all play basketball and eat watermelon"



    before people stroke, this is an example....

    what the hell do you think i mean by a "practicing Christian?"

    all you keep coming back with is the don't practice their faith...

    some do...maybe you don't know enough about it to be fairminded


    .......woooosh..........right over your head and over the fence.

    You're not getting what I'm saying. Nevermind.

    Have a good evening.
  • 810wmb
    810wmb Posts: 849
    it's pretty plain what yr saying

    have a good one
    i'm the meat, yer not...signed Capt Asshat
  • Ahnimus
    Ahnimus Posts: 10,560
    810wmb wrote:
    drifting - read the post before yours.......

    i'm aware the constitution have anything about Christ in it. i'm sure mccain does too(just a guess)

    a lot of those dudes were Christians (i hope that doesn't spoil yr day)

    they were smart enough to know for the country to work, it couldn't be founded on a religion.

    hey, some Christians did a good thing...got a beef with that?

    Which ones?

    John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson? Nope.

    Those guys were Deists. In-fact, many of the settlers, and signers of the declaration of independence left the British rule for precisely the reason that it was ruled by christian dogmatism. Deists don't believe God interacts with humans, and they don't believe Christ was the son of God.

    The separation of church from state was exactly to prevent the United States from becoming ruled by religious dogmatists. The right to bare arms was exactly so the people could overthrow said dogmatists and the freedom of speech was again for the same reason, to protect from dogmatic and tyrannical governments. The likes of which, the founding fathers fleed from in Britain.

    I'm Canadian, which involves another part of the story. During the American Revolution, parts of Canada were collonized by American Settler's fleeing the Americans. Americans were ready to kill anyone who sided with the British. Markham, ON was founded in just this way by my distant relative Kasper and some other refugees.

    So, no. The United States of America was not founded on Christianity. Absolutely false and Hitler was not an atheist, he was a Catholic.
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
  • NMyTree
    NMyTree Posts: 2,374
    Ahnimus wrote:
    Which ones?

    John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson? Nope.

    Those guys were Deists. In-fact, many of the settlers, and signers of the declaration of independence left the British rule for precisely the reason that it was ruled by christian dogmatism. Deists don't believe God interacts with humans, and they don't believe Christ was the son of God.

    The separation of church from state was exactly to prevent the United States from becoming ruled by religious dogmatists. The right to bare arms was exactly so the people could overthrow said dogmatists and the freedom of speech was again for the same reason, to protect from dogmatic and tyrannical governments. The likes of which, the founding fathers fleed from in Britain.

    So, no. The United States of America was not founded on Christianity. Absolutely false and Hitler was not an atheist, he was a Catholic.

    You would think he would know that. You know, American history and all that.

    But it took a Canadian to point out what I assumed every American already knew. Good job Ahnimus!!!

    That's what I get for assuming.
  • Ahnimus
    Ahnimus Posts: 10,560
    NMyTree wrote:
    You would think he would know that. You know, American history and all that.

    But it took a Canadian to point out what I assumed every American already knew. Good job Ahnimus!!!

    That's what I get for assuming.

    Well, I noticed someone here mentioned it briefly, maybe it was you. But the overwhelming majority of comments about the foundation of the U.S. claimed the exact opposite. Clearly, this is formulated history, someone is making a huge assumption about history without actually knowing it for fact.

    Someone pointed out that this might be an incorrect inference because of the "one nation under God" thing. Which would be true for deists as well as theists, the only ones not considered by the founding fathers were atheists, understandably since there probably wasn't any during that era.
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
  • callen
    callen Posts: 6,388
    NMyTree wrote:
    .......woooosh..........right over your head and over the fence.

    You're not getting what I'm saying. Nevermind.

    Have a good evening.
    starting to wonder about age of ole 810.....think parental controls need to be enabled....
    10-18-2000 Houston, 04-06-2003 Houston, 6-25-2003 Toronto, 10-8-2004 Kissimmee, 9-4-2005 Calgary, 12-3-05 Sao Paulo, 7-2-2006 Denver, 7-22-06 Gorge, 7-23-2006 Gorge, 9-13-2006 Bern, 6-22-2008 DC, 6-24-2008 MSG, 6-25-2008 MSG
  • 810wmb
    810wmb Posts: 849
    wonder on......

    did i say EVERY ONE? nope........


    i tell you what, let burns us some Christians

    i'm glad that canadians know stuff
    i'm the meat, yer not...signed Capt Asshat
  • Ahnimus
    Ahnimus Posts: 10,560
    810wmb wrote:
    wonder on......

    did i say EVERY ONE? nope........


    i tell you what, let burns us some Christians

    i'm glad that canadians know stuff

    Which ones were Christians?
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
  • 810wmb
    810wmb Posts: 849
    http://www.shalomjerusalem.com/heritage/heritage19.html


    there is just too much Jesus going on
    i'm the meat, yer not...signed Capt Asshat
  • Ahnimus
    Ahnimus Posts: 10,560
    Ahnimus wrote:
    Which ones were Christians?

    Nevermind, here you go.

    This is a good article, the author sounds genuine. Outlining which founding fathers were and were not Christian by virtue of the Apostle's Creed.

    James Watkins (author) notes:
    I am a subscriber to the Apostles' Creed (I've had a "subscription" since second grade). I would love to document that the most prominant Founding Fathers were orthodox Christians.

    However, I'm also a journalist who is committed to being an OAF (Objective, Accurate, and Fair), so I have only included quotes where I could find at least two collaborating, reliable sources.

    http://watkins.gospelcom.net/foundingfathers.htm
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire

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