Non-Believers Also at Inauguration

Obama:

We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers.

Thanks for including me, Obama! But I'm not sure how I feel about being segregated from* the religious folk with that pause (and em dash in the official transcript).

*typo corrected

Comments

[Elemenope]

I was glad for the inclusion.

[Jennifer]

Still a vast improvement over "Atheists shouldn't be considered citizens because we're 'one nation under God.'"

[Taktix?]

Yeah, at least he acknoledged we exist, although I won't return the favor for their respective Tooth Faries and Santa Clauses...

[KT]

I feel just fine about that, because we are not the same as them. Lack of belief is not simply belief in the opposite direction.

[Jorgen]

As someone who hit adolescence about when Bush got elected, acknowledgment of our existence gave me a chill up my leg.

[Keith]

On behalf of Buddhists and Zoroastrians, I was outraged by his deliberate exclusion of our faiths from his inaugural speech.

[New World Dan]

As usual, the Pastafarians and Scientologists get no love.

[MadBiker]

"Thanks for including me, Obama! But I'm not sure how I feel about being segregationed form the religious folk with that pause"

I felt the same way when I heard that. Did "non-believers" include just Atheists, or those who believe in deities other than Yahweh/Christ, Allah, and the Hindu pantheon?

It was a faux pas on the part of Obama that I will not soon forget.

[mitch]

Do people really think Obama is a believer himself? A left-wing college professor whose parents were left-wing grad students... come on. We have the first atheist president right here.

[CowDog]

Good grief! You may not have included properly?

From where I'm sitting it was a suprising and welcome inclusion.

[Reinmoose]

segregationed?

I'm a little disappointmented with your lack of editing

[Solana]

It was weak. Sorry. I thought it was very weak, and contradictory after that Rick Warren train wreck. Is it an improvement? Marginally. But since when does marginally better (than Bush) mean anything?

If he was going to talk about not believing, or skepticism, he might have been a bit more eloquent.

[duster]

That KMW....is she ever satisfied?

[Solana]

And earnest.

[Franklin Harris]

We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers.

What is this? Separate but equal???

[Warty]

first atheist president

Jefferson.

[Reinmoose]

It's funny how taboo it is still for public figures to acknowledge the non-believers, or even agnostics, given that, in Obama's case especially, a gigantic percentage of all non-believers voted for him.

[EJM]

On behalf of Buddhists and Zoroastrians, I was outraged by his deliberate exclusion of our faiths from his inaugural speech.

Apparently, there are significantly more Buddhists than Hindus in the U.S.

(Full table here.)

[Warren]

I'm am not a non-believer. I believe in the one true religious doctrine, Atheism.

[Elemenope]

It was a faux pas on the part of Obama that I will not soon forget.

Man, and I thought monotheists were whiners.

[Atheist Sea Otter]

"I'm am not a non-believer. I believe in the one true religious doctrine, Atheism."

Science be praised!

[ed]

We have the first atheist president

If you don't count Jefferson, Lincoln...

[R C Dean]

Do people really think Obama is a believer himself?

We'll never know, of course, but I kind of doubt it, myself. His religious beliefs/activities/affiliations have all been, by remarkable coincidence, whatever has been politically advantageous at the time. Not untypical of politicians, of course, but people raised in non-religious households who become genuinely religious later in life tend to have conversion experiences (which he has not, AFAIK) and to be more, I don't know, "out" and inflexible in their religious beliefs.

[Pepe]

Most of the early prez's weren't all that churchy.

[Lester Hunt]

Glad to be included. This makes me like the guy. A little bit. Maybe.

[BDB]

"Pepe | January 20, 2009, 1:04pm | #
Most of the early prez's weren't all that churchy."

Of course they weren't--the Virginia Dynasties were Episcopalian, while the Adamses were Unitarians. What do you expect?

[ktc2]

Sorry, I'd say it was Washington personally. He occasionally spoke about "god" but I think he just used it because the masses needed it. I don't think he was a believer. I recall reading letters in his time about his refusal to discuss religious matters outside of speeches, etc. There was a search for anyone who had ever seen him take communion which no one ever did. I also seem to recall when he was questioned about that his response was to stop attending church completely.

[mediageek]

Non-Believers Also at Inauguration

No, I'm pretty sure that everyone at the event believes Obama can walk on water.

[Elemenope]

It is, IMHO, kind of dickish to question a person' religious commitment without ever even meeting them.

[BDB]

"ktc2 | January 20, 2009, 1:06pm | #
Sorry, I'd say it was Washington personally. He occasionally spoke about "god" but I think he just used it because the masses needed it. I don't think he was a believer."

Again, he was an Episcopalian. That is as close as you can come to be a non-believer while still being politically viable.

[cunnivore]

There is no such thing as a non-believer. Everyone needs some delusion of purpose to get through our purposeless existence. Just because your particular delusions may not involve deities doesn't make you some bastion of rationality.

[Alan Vanneman]

Katie M-W: that's what you get for using "segregation" as a verb. But why did you have to take me with you? I hate being on the wrong side of the em dash.

[Kolohe]

Again, he was an Episcopalian. That is as close as you can come to be a non-believer while still being politically viable.

That seems kind of unfair to the Episcopalians.

[Isaac Bartram]

Do people really think Obama is a believer himself?

I suspect that a lot of our leaders are non-believers myself.

I mean, Bush, yeah, probably believes most of that stuff as does Jimmy Carter. But Cheney, Rumsfeld and the neocons? The Clintons?

I think they think that religion is a wonderful way to keep the masses in line.

Most of the early prez's weren't all that churchy.

But...but...but...We were founded as a CHRISTIAN NATION.

[cunnivore]

It is, IMHO, kind of dickish to question a person' religious commitment without ever even meeting them.

When someone's actions are repeatedly and clearly in violation of their ostensible religious beliefs, it's justified whether you've met them or not.

[Kolohe]

They're basically Catholics, twice removed.

[Soda]

The pause is a sign that we are extra-special, Katherine!

All joking aside, I was glad to be included for once.

[domoarrigato]

Don't forget the impact that Masonry had on early presidents. You must profess belief in God to be a Mason - but then, it doesn't matter which one, and the order goes on to substitute a rational system of morality for the one taught in church. George Washington was a much more devout Mason than he was a Christian.

[OO====D]

"That KMW....is she ever satisfied?"

Plenty.

[Pro Libertate]

What about agnostics?

[BDB]

"That seems kind of unfair to the Episcopalians."

Well I grew up as one (and still nominally one, I guess), so I stand by my description.

[SugarFree]

What about agnostics?

Pick a side; we're at war.

[Pro Libertate]

First they came for the doubtful, and SugarFree said nothing. . . .

[Episiarch]

It is, IMHO, kind of dickish to question a person' religious commitment without ever even meeting them.

Politicians aren't people, so it's fine.

[Solana]

First they came for the doubtful, and SugarFree said nothing. . . .

Ha!

[Episiarch]

Pick a side; we're at war.

It's us against the Ahnenerbe-SS!

[cunnivore]

Every time society has moved in a direction opposite their beliefs, the Episcopalians have quickly changed their beliefs to match society's.

Not comparable to the Catholic Church at all.

[Isaac Bartram]

Also, it's interesting to note, that while one always had to have some religion to be a viable pol and, indeed, the "wrong" religion (Al Smith, JFK) could be a potential handicap it seems to me that the first prs candidate who had a big deal made of his religion was Jimmy Carter. perhaps it was just that he was the first during this "Great Awakening' we're going through.

I recall one article discussing Goldwater's and LBJ's churches.

LBJ belonged to the Disciples of Christ (as did Reagan). Those close to him said he was terrified of dying and going to hell*. I understand that the Disciples of Christ is a pretty fundo-literalist church.

Goldwater was an Episcopalian (his mother's religion, his father was Jewish) who rarely attended church and rarely discussed religion in public.

*that wasn't in the article but does show up in biographies.

It is, IMHO, kind of dickish to question a person' religious commitment without ever even meeting them.

Sorry, but it's perfectly proper to question anything about anyone in public life.

[Matt]

Glad to know atheists are just as whiny as social conservatives. Relax, lady.

[SIV]

So is every one being healthy cyncial in regard to Obama's faith" "Everything Obama says is a politically motivated lie" or is this culty projection "He believes what I believe!" ?

[JP]

It kinda sorta made up for having Rick Warren's sputum all over my face.

[curious C programmer]

OO====D | January 20, 2009, 1:16pm | #

That's quite a big equality operator you have there, precious.

[Kolohe]

Well I grew up as one (and still nominally one, I guess), so I stand by my description.

Fair enough.

Also, alternative headline to this post:

"Yes, Wiccan!"

[Solana]

Also, it's interesting to note, that while one always had to have some religion to be a viable pol and, indeed, the "wrong" religion (Al Smith, JFK) could be a potential handicap it seems to me that the first prs candidate who had a big deal made of his religion was Jimmy Carter.

I know you mentioned him, but then you ended with the Carter bit... no. A huge deal was made of JFK's Catholicism.

[Tarquin]

That dash to separate the non-believers might be overkill, but it's going to take much more than a comma to keep the Jews and Muslims apart.

[Lamar]

We are all non-believers. It just depends on which god you don't believe in.

[J. P. Carlo]

Don't worry KMW, you're almost as good as the rest of those Am-urr-cans. And don't you forget that! 🙂

[joe]

It's such a little thing, but nobody else would do it, until now.

[Isaac Bartram]

Interestingly, Hoover and Nixon are both listed as Quakers here but there's little evidence in their adult lives of their practice of it.

Quakers do look favorably on Hoover's famine relief work but tend to a lefty attitude that he was a heartless monster for not doing anything about the depression.

For the most part they would like to forget about Nixon.

[cunnivore]

OK, joe, your guy is on the clock. No more "he hasn't taken the oath yet", I expect some results pronto.

[Hogan]

As an atheist, who cares? I'd've preferred it if he didn't find it necessary to bring up people's religions at all.

[Jose Ortega y Gasset]

You make it sound as though the President mentioning you is a good thing....

[BDB]

Don't harsh the thrill joe is getting up his leg, cunnivore.

[joe]

cunnivore,

In between his speech and his exit, Obama went inside the Capitol and signed a bunch of executive orders. I wonder what they were.

I hope orders to the Pentagon to begin the processes of closing Gitmo and withdrawing from Iraq were among them. He's better not be spending Inauguration Day naming a fucking tree.

[Isaac Bartram]

A huge deal was made of JFK's Catholicism.

JFK ended almost all negative discussion of his religion with the primay speech in W Va.

Now Catholicism may have played a part in Al Smith's defeat.

Hmmm...never noticed before but both Catholics ran against Quakers. You may need to know that for trivial pursuit or something.

And while Carter's religion generated a lot of talk, it was not generaly seen as a positive at the time. Frankly, most people though it just a little strange.

[Solana]

OK, joe, your guy is on the clock. No more "he hasn't taken the oath yet", I expect some results pronto.

Agreed. The man is the most politically correct president of all time. Fantastic. Now what is he going to do about the economic meltdown, the two wars, the increasingly-more frightening Russia, and, hey, any word on the Patriot Act? The Democrats have lambasted it for years (and rightly so), but where's the talk been lately? The power's in their hands. Are they going to kill it, or are they going to use it for the "greater good?"

[Hopenchangimpeachment]

I wonder if Rezko was invited?

Guess he has to be pardoned first, presumably before he's pressured into incriminating the Messiah.

The clock is running. Tick tock, Barry. Tick tock.

[LGF Fan]

RezkoWrightAyersRezkoWrightAyersRezkoWrightAyers (repeat for four years)

[Kolohe]

In between his speech and his exit, Obama went inside the Capitol and signed a bunch of executive orders. I wonder what they were.

They said it had to do with the first batch of official appointments.

[Hogan]

Hmmm...never noticed before but both Catholics ran against Quakers.

Would be a cool factoid, but Kerry was Catholic, too.

[LGF Fan]

RezkoWrightAyersRezkoWrightAyersRezkoWrightAyers (repeat until impeachment, then -- champagne!)

[LibertyMark]

Don't harsh the thrill joe is getting up his leg, cunnivore.

I'm sure joe has had multiple Obamagasms today.*

*I fully admit that I stole the word from that dick Boortz.

[Bill Ayers]

Barack, buddy, could you at least ask Canada to let me in? They're still overreacting to the whole "known terrorist" thing.

Come on, I kept my head down.

[domoarrigato]

Nah - John Kerry was a secret jew - I read all about it on teh intertubez

[Isaac Bartram]

joe

I think he'll have to consult with the appropriate military commanders before signing anything to do with "closing Gitmo and withdrawing from Iraq."

If they're just vague orders of those things "with a dliberate speed" or some such, I'm not sure they would be worth much more than the promise he's already made.

I'll give him a pass on these. But, yeah, if something is out fairly soon....

[Rod Blagoyevich]

Hey, where's my invite? What am I, chopped liver?

Come on, let's make a deal. Tell Rahm to give me a call.

[Tex Ath]

Let's not overlook some other elements of President Obama's speech which should give us some hope:

"As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake."

"We will restore science to its rightful place..."

These, along with the fact that non-believers were even mentioned as equal to Christians, Muslims, Jews and Hindus (and the pause and emdash were clearly there to establish that equality, not to detract from it), almost make me giddy with the anticipation that at the very least we're no longer living under an administration which regards non-fundamentalist Christians with suspicion, non-Christian deists as second-class citizens, and athiests and agnostics as not protected under the Constitution, regardless of what the liberal, namby-pamby judicial system might have said. When that's extended as well to all the other civil rights ignored by the Cheney Administration, it _almost_ makes me want to become a deist so that I can have a devine benefactor to give thanks to.

[Bill Richardson]

Rod,

Get in line, pal.

[Science]

"We will restore science to its rightful place..."

Does that mean they won't be using me to advance bogus environmental scares anymore? Or was he referring to funding missile defense?

Heck, I'll settle for some sensible policies from the science of economics.

[Isaac Bartram]

Would be a cool factoid, but Kerry was Catholic, too.

Curses, foiled again.

And the biggest deal about Kerry's Catholicism was some bishops telling people to vote against him.

[joe]

Hey, fake name guy. You hear that?

That's the sound of it not working.

[gap-toothed southern boy]

Of course it takes a negro to talk about them atheists in the same sentence as god-fearing peoples.

[Glenda]

"Sorry, but it's perfectly proper to question anything about anyone in public life."

So how big is Obama's dick?

[|]

I'd like to see joe's face when Dear Leader gets impeached, lol!

[Rev Wright]

Great, now Obama's going to be in charge of using the CIA to spread AIDS.

What happened to can't disown me? Looks like my chickens... came home to roooooooooost.

[Callforjustice911]

What a speech not to remember...

No specifics, no content, no substance...

But that is what this new President presented during the long campaign...

Nothing...

And "we the people" (those that elected him) too him for is word or, lack thereof.

[!]

So how big is Obama's dick?

It makes smiling Bob's look tiny

[joe]

You want to me emobodying ecstatic glee?

Sadly, there aren't enough Republicans to push through a bogus impeachment anymore. Which is too bad - the last one was teh awesome.

[The NYT Staff]

So how big is Obama's dick?

Judging by how sore our throats are right now, pretty big.

And let us tell you, swallowing Carlos Slim's load wasn't exactly a fiesta either.

[Pro Libertate]

Science isn't getting restored to its rightful place. We'll just exchange one set of unreasoning prejudices for another. And its not just a Creationism versus Global Warming swap, either. Politics and science don't mix, and the problem here is a whole lot more fundamental than whether we fund this program or that. We aren't going into the science and technology fields, by and large, and that will spell our doom a lot quicker than anything else.

One sad mistake many voters make is in buying into the accepted wisdom about their own party and about the opposition. Much of it is hogwash and, at best, is based on the rhetoric, not the actions, of the party.

[joe]

Looks like the losers are showing the same degree of class they demonstrated at McCain concession speech.

Awwwwwwwwwwwww. Poor baby.

[The Effa Bee Eye]

When your party's over, we've got a few questions for you, Mr. Obama.

"Agents and I talked about payoff, bribe, kickback for a long time, though it took them only a short number of minutes of talking with me while looking at the appraisal to acknowledge what they already seemed to know: The Rezko lot was grossly overvalued," Mr. Conner told The Washington Times Monday.

"Rezko paid the asking price on the same day Obama paid $300,000 less than the asking price to the same seller for his adjacent mansion," he said. "This begs the question of payoff, bribe, kickback."

[BG]

It is good that he mentioned non-believers, and I don't think it makes any sense to get hung up on the pause.

Of course there are other religious believers who were not referenced. It would take way to long to mention them all from Animism to Zoroastrianism, but he could have said something like "We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and other religions - and non-believers".

[BDB]

What a boring scandal. Find something cool like Monicagate if you're going to go on fishing expeditions.

[BDB]

Being bi-partisan, "Plamegate" was the biggest non-scandal ever, too.

[libertymike]

joe-1:47

Let's see, I hope so.

[Blago]

Don't let the fucking bastards get you down, Obi-One.

Remember, they can fucking impeach you, but they can't take your fucking smile.

Also, fucking fuck fuckety-fuck fuck.

[libertymike]

Callforjustice911-

Inaugural speeches tend to be aspirational.

[Chris Matthews]

That thrill isn't just going up my leg anymore.

Uh oh, now my Obama-love is all over my pants. Where's my assistant! Wardrobe crew, get over here!

[MSNBC Wardrobe Crew]

Uhhhh...dude. We quit.

[MSNBC Wardrobe Crew]

We're cleaning up Olbermann's mess.......we won't be able to be there for awhile

[Peggy Joseph]

Obama, please hurry and send the checks for my mortgage and gas bill. I've been sending my bills back with "HOPE AND CHANGE" written on them but the bank said they would foreclose if I don't send them some actual money soon. I think they must be Republicans or something.

[joe]

This thread is like when the rock station plays oldies at lunch.

Can I get a little ACORN?

[Ashley Todd]

"joe | January 20, 2009, 2:42pm | #
This thread is like when the rock station plays oldies at lunch.

Can I get a little ACORN?"

Ohh! ME ME! NROCA. Oh, whoops!

[Peter K.]

i was happy Obama RECOGNIZED us nonbelievers. Word.

Bush was a teetotalling holy roller.

Clinton met with preachers every day after he fooled around with his intern.

[R C Dean]

Can I just say that this line from the benediction kind of pisses me off:

we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right.

Note that the good Rev. Lowery does not seem to think that the day has yet arrived when white people will embrace what is right, or when black people are not asked to get in back, etc.

Nice note to set on a day when a black man just took the oath of office. I can only hope that Obama winced.

And for those of you who thought the race card was retired: think again.

[Kreel Sarloo]

Damn, it sounds like old Rev. Lowery timewarped back to about 1971 (at the latest).

Sometimes it's a fair kick to comment on historical injustices.

But, you're right, the day where the evidence that those injustices are in the past ain't one of them.

[El Foldo]

And no mention of the Urkobold. Yet another faux pas that will not be forgotten.

[Paul]

and when white will embrace what is right.

No fuckin' way man. I got mine.

Now if I can just find it. Somewhere here... under the bed, maybe? Nope. Where did I leave mine? I could swear I had mine. Maybe it was just a dream.

[Gilbert Martin]

"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers."

I'm a non believer - in Obama that is.

[William Walsh]

I believe in Obama. I pray to him too. Prayer changes things.

Bill Walsh

[Nooge]

On behalf of Enochian magicians everywhere, Mr. Obama: our feelings are hurt.

[sudont]

Please - keep me separate from the believers of the supernatural!

[joe]

Note that the good Rev. Lowery does not seem to think that the day has yet arrived when white people will embrace what is right, or when black people are not asked to get in back, etc.

Nice note to set on a day when a black man just took the oath of office.

Electing a minority to high office magically eradicates all current racism, and all consequences of previous racism.

[joe]

And for those of you who thought the race card was retired: think again.

Watching your behavior on these threads during this campaign was enough to put to rest the notion that the race card was retired, RC.

Every single chance you got to set white and black people against each other, or to portray Barack Obama as a scary black man who hates Whitey, you jumped in with both feet.

[joe]

So I could really give two shits what you think about the benediction given by a pastor who marched with Martin Luther King.

[economist]

I could give two shits about anything joe thinks.

[Anvilwyrm]

Jesus Joe, you are a annoying, self righteous prick. Even when I agree with you, I want to punch you.

In the words of the immortal Hobbes:

"your natural charm must have made you a great sprinter"

[Nooge]

I, for one, will not forget joe's attempts to portray anybody- say, RC Dean- who disagrees with Barack Obama's policies and didn't want him elected as a scary white man who hates black people.

[economist]

Nooge,
Is this really new to you? Joe has been convinced ever since he started posting here (probably before that, but I'm only going on what I know for sure) that all white people share (except for himself) have a hate/guilt complex with black people that makes them into violent racists.

[economist]

And I'm inclined to side with RC Dean's assessment of Obama. The only significant difference between his views and his former pastor's views is that Wright at least wasn't a chickenshit.

[Pro Libertate]

joe,

I think you've got a problem if you're insinuating that Mr. Dean is a racist, even in this thread.

[economist]

ProL,
You're just saying that because you're a racist at heart!

[economist]

"Electing a minority to high office magically eradicates all current racism, and all consequences of previous racism."

Funny, when you and MNG were splooging over Obama's election, I said something similar, but from a different standpoint. If it doesn't magically "eradicate...all consequences of previous racism" (for which all black people in the United States are entitled to reparations for the rest of eternity), then what was the point again exactly?

[MJ]

"Every single chance you got to set white and black people against each other, or to portray Barack Obama as a scary black man who hates Whitey, you jumped in with both feet."

Yeah joe, RC's pitting whites and blacks against each other for calling Lowery out on his divisive and dickish closing line. What you have done in the past does not forgive your actions in the present.

[MJ]

Katherine, from where do these low self-esteem issues come?

[B]

Jesus Christ, I can scarcely think of a more touchy, hypersensitive whiny bunch than atheists. Is there an atheist that does not have a martyr/persecution complex. Lighten the fuck up.

[jk]

economist:

"...for the rest of eternity"

My CPU just got a floating point math overflow exception fault.

[B]

"Jesus Joe, you are a annoying, self righteous prick"

Christ, it took you this fucking long to realize that? You must not have a master's degree like joe.

[B]

"I hope orders to the Pentagon to begin the processes of closing Gitmo and withdrawing from Iraq were among them."

And if not, what are you going to do, criticize him? I won't be holding my breath on that one.

[B]

"I think you've got a problem if you're insinuating that Mr. Dean is a racist, even in this thread."

You just gotta love it. Someone, RC Dean, calls out a guy for his divisive race-baiting, during a fucking prayer of all things, and joe responds by accusing RC Dean of bigotry, and then has the nerve to excoriate others for using the race card.
Joe, I would call you a pathetic asshole, if you weren't such a fucking joke. What the hell, I will do it anyway. Joe you are a pathetic asshole.

Since it is pretty much impossible for Obama to come anywhere near to living up to the expectations set by the card-carrying members of his cult of personality, the resulting criticism will probably require joe to play most of the cards in his race deck pretty rapidly. Christ the guy has been in office less than a day and joe is already calling people bigots.

[B]

"So I could really give two shits what you think about the benediction given by a pastor who marched with Martin Luther King."

So fucking what. So did Jesse Jackson, and we all know he is not a divisive race-baiter is he?

Now if you will excuse me, I have to gather my things. I am leaving for Hymietown in the morning.

[dhex]

"What about agnostics?"

ehh, i don't know...

[BruceM]

I was very happy that he included nonbelievers in his speech. I didn't find anything derogative about the slight pause... in fact if anything I took it to me somewhat of a reminder to everyone that nonbelievers are Americans, too.

Keep in mind, Obama's father, Barack Obama Sr., is one of about a half-dozen black atheists to ever live on planet earth. So Obama actually knows an atheist, has (had) one in his family, and thus had reason not to exclude nonbelievers from his speech.

That being said, I'll tell you what did piss me off. Not only did Chief Justice Roberts (the "originalist" that he claims to be notwithstanding) alter the wording of the Presidential Oath of Office contained in Article II, Section 1, Clause 8 of the Constitution with the addition of the improper and unnecessary"so help me God" at the end (those words are NOT in the Constitution)... Roberts actually had the gall to phrase it as an extraneous question directed to Obama, right on the spot, by asking "So help you God?" (to which Obama answered in the affirmative, "So help me God").

The rest of the Oath of Office was just reciting what Roberts said, word-for-word (except when Roberts screwed up at the beginning with the placement of the word "faithfully" but that's a different story). But Roberts did not say "So help me God" for Obama to repeat, he asked "So help you God?" - clearly phrased as a question to be answered, to which Obama obliged by saying "So help me God."

Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. As was the faith-based jesusfucking religio-babble of proudly homophobic and blatantly homosexual pastor Rick Warren, when giving the wholly unnecessary invocation. Why do we, a secular republic with guaranteed separation of church and state, need to placate religious people with such bullshit? If they want to pray, they can do so in their own homes, in their own churches, and in their own minds.

Why do we have to tarnish an otherwise wonderful and proud moment that is supposed to signal progress with chants to ancient ghosts and spirits and dieties? Religion and change are incompatible. Religion is the antithesis of progress, and as one takes a step forward, the other takes a step back. Over the past 8 years, we've taken far too many backwards steps - we cannot afford another one. I was greatly disappointed in the Jesusbabble that commenced an otherwise proud, historic moment. Faith, the lack and ignorance of reason, is the singular most destructive force in the world, and it's the last thing we should willingly encourage. At lest Obama didn't get up there and start babblign about thanking Jesus. Good for him. Deep down, I think Obama is the least religious presidents we've had in a century. But he has to go along with being religious, lest he lose all credibility with the 95% of the population suffering from the grave mental disorder known as religion. If you want to lead the pod people, you have to pretend to be a pod person....

[Max]

Best part of the speech was 'non-believers'.

I doubt he's the first atheist president. I believe Jefferson was an non-theist...

a few more would have faked it so they were electable.

[fresno dan]

I prefer the term "filthy, disgusting, unwashed, dirty, despicable, heathen pederast" thank you very much. I have much longer and more formal sobriquets, but the above is the short version.

[Hogan]

comes a little late, but if you take Yuval Levin's word for it, this has been standard practice for at least a few decades.

[slacker5gate]

It's a shame that Pastor Warren was included in the festivities, yet The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster went completely unmentioned - if everyone is to be included, Pastafarians should not be overlooked.

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[Rick Thorne]

THE END TIMES ARE HERE!
NATION'S ARE NOW PREPARING FOR WORLD WAR.....
AMERICA'S ECONOMY IS CRUMBLING....
THE "ONE WORLD ORDER" WILL BE DECLARED NOT LONG FROM NOW....
GO TO:
http://web.mac.com/rthorne2/Si.....ISTRY.html