OBAMIANITY

The Obamian Common Purpose

A quote from an Obama speech given yesterday in front of a group of hispanic evangelicals in Texas:

Whenever I hear folks talk about how we can’t come together as Protestants, Catholics and Jews, believers and non-believers alike, I think about the evangelicals I know who may not agree with progressives on every issue, but agree that poverty has no place in a world of plenty, that hate has no place in the hearts of believers, and that we all have an obligation to be good stewards of God’s creation.

Whenever I hear folks say that Republicans and Democrats can’t come together around a common purpose, I look to the work that Hispanic evangelicals like you are doing to mobilize voices in Congress for comprehensive immigration reform.

This is Obamianity in action trying to bridge the many cultural and political divides we have here in the US between religions and between the religious and the non-religious.

How far and in how much detail can Obamians continue to look for agreement and common purpose? And will this work only until Obama is elected president? Or, will the promise of this unity help to truly transform politics in a way we haven't seen happen in 40 years?

An Eloquent Christian Layman

From Jim Wallis blog, faith blog, religion, christian, christianity, politics, values:

Like his politics or not, support his candidacy or not - but don't disparage Barack Obama's faith, his church, his minister, or his credibility as an eloquent Christian layman who feels a vocation in politics. Those falsehoods are simply vicious lies and should be denounced by people of faith from across the political spectrum.

It seems like Jim Wallis, the well known evangelical, is an Obamian. It seems clear that many moderate to progressive evangelicals will support Obama. What is still not so clear is how many conservative evangelicals and Christians will support Obama. Who will Rick Warren support?

Gay Equality in Obamianity and Christianity

From Ben Smith's Blog at Politico.com:

An interesting moment came when he was asked a question about LGBT rights and delivered an answer that seemed to suit the questioner, listing the various attributes — race, gender, etc. — that shouldn't trigger discrimination, to successive cheers. When he came to saying that gays and lesbians deserve equality, though, the crowd fell silent. So he took a different tack: "Now I’m a Christian, and I praise Jesus every Sunday," he said, to a sudden wave of noisy applause and cheers. "I hear people saying things that I don’t think are very Christian with respect to people who are gay and lesbian," he said, and the crowd seemed to come along with him this time.

Obamianity, unlike large segments of Christianity, is willing to take a stand for gay equality. It is noteworthy that Obama is trying to sell gay rights using Christian language and values.

Young Evangelicals Think Jesus Would Vote for Obama

RELEVANT MAGAZINE, a magazine "Covering God, Life and Progressive Culture" asks about who Jesus would vote for. More Young Evangelicals say Jesus would vote for Obama than Southern Baptist preacher, Mike Huckabee. It is a good sign for Obamianity that such a high number of serious conservative Christian youth associate Obama with Christian values.

As a Kind of Prayer

Gary Kamiya in his article "It's OK to vote for Obama because he's black", writes:

Many dismiss the Obama phenomenon as a mere "cult of personality." It is in some ways a cult, but not one of personality -- it's a cult of racial healing, of racial transcendence. For many whites, voting for Obama is a kind of appeal to one's better self, and the better self of the country. It is, in a way, a promise. It could even be seen as a kind of prayer.

Kamiya has an interesting point of view. That our very act of voting and supporting Obama is a religious and redeeming act. Self-congratulatory, no doubt, yet more than that; something more deeply communal and necessary for the country.