Tuesday, January 20, 2009

This land was made for you and me.

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

-Barak H. Obama, 1/20/2009-

And isn't it time someone affirmed that fact? In a country that still, in many states, requires religious belief as a test for office; in a country where accepting Jesus of Nazareth as a savior as a requirement for public office is on the books in at least one state, isn't it time our leaders stood up for the freedom of religion we have been promised?

7 comments:

Buffalo said...

One helluva speech. Sort of makes you feel hopeful again.

billie said...

that shocked me to the core- mainly because i am one :) i am cautiously optimistic but optimistic and relieved for the first time in 9 years :)

Capt. Fogg said...

I thought the times were a changin' many, many years ago and they weren't, but maybe -- just maybe. . .

Chris the Hippie said...

Amen! Uh... I mean... Yes.

Capt. Fogg said...

Almost a quarter millennium after Jefferson said he didn't care what someone believed as long as he did no one any harm, Obama is the first president to acknowledge that you don't have to be religious to be American.

The elder Bush supposedly said he couldn't see how an atheist could be considered a citizen.

To me, this may be as big a step forward as full civil rights for minorities.

RR said...

Amen ... about time us non-believers were at least acknowledged.

The speech was great: touched on service to country and community ... such a big change from Bush's "go shopping and to Disneyworld" speech after 9/11.

What a complete putz.

Capt. Fogg said...

His mother was, I think, an unbeliever. It's his complex background that makes him a thinker.

He shoulda mentioned Buddhists though.