Romney: 47% of Americans are losers, don't care about 'em

[CountDeMoney]

Um. Romney's comment that he'd have a better shot of winning if he'd been born of Mexican parents also seems awful.

Yeah, but I doubt that'll hurt him, since he didn't say it in Spanish.

[HVC]

I wonder if he acts like 'them' in church. You know, all that testifying.

Doubtful, considering he's practically whiter than you.  He just sits there, and claps appreciatively.  Politely.  Offbeat, of course.

does he do the ray charles head swerve thing?

[Ed Anger]

I wonder if he acts like 'them' in church. You know, all that testifying.

Doubtful, considering he's practically whiter than you.  He just sits there, and claps appreciatively.  Politely.  Offbeat, of course.

[CountDeMoney]

As for the atheist view of Obama, at worst he attends church for political reasons (reflects badly on his character), at middle he's a cultural christian who hasn't given the issue much thought (reflects badly on his intellectual curiosity), at best he's a non-confessing in the closet atheist (reflects well on his political judgement, but badly on character and courage). His professed religion is problematic, but then his politics are 100% consistent with secular humanist values, so we forgive him for lying about it.

  You Euros and your hang-ups on religion.

[Queequeg]

As for the atheist view of Obama, at worst he attends church for political reasons (reflects badly on his character), at middle he's a cultural christian who hasn't given the issue much thought (reflects badly on his intellectual curiosity), at best he's a non-confessing in the closet atheist (reflects well on his political judgement, but badly on character and courage). His professed religion is problematic, but then his politics are 100% consistent with secular humanist values, so we forgive him for lying about it.

How would "secular humaist values" differ from Liberal Protestant values? 

[Caliga]

As for the atheist view of Obama, at worst he attends church for political reasons (reflects badly on his character), at middle he's a cultural christian who hasn't given the issue much thought (reflects badly on his intellectual curiosity), at best he's a non-confessing in the closet atheist (reflects well on his political judgement, but badly on character and courage). His professed religion is problematic, but then his politics are 100% consistent with secular humanist values, so we forgive him for lying about it.

I don't think it can be your second option, as it's hard for me to believe Obama isn't intellectually curious given his background and credentials.  I suspect that as soon as he decided he wanted to pursue elected office he realized that he would have to pretend to be religious, as if there's one thing this country won't tolerate it's an atheist politician, for some pathetic reason.  I wouldn't fault Obama for that any more than any other secretly-atheist politician in this country.

[Neil]

Um. Romney's comment that he'd have a better shot of winning if he'd been born of Mexican parents also seems awful.

Why?  Every American who isn't racist is reverse-racist.  Being a minority worked for Obama, who brought nothing else to the table.

[Viking]

As for the atheist view of Obama, at worst he attends church for political reasons (reflects badly on his character), at middle he's a cultural christian who hasn't given the issue much thought (reflects badly on his intellectual curiosity), at best he's a non-confessing in the closet atheist (reflects well on his political judgement, but badly on character and courage). His professed religion is problematic, but then his politics are 100% consistent with secular humanist values, so we forgive him for lying about it.

  You Euros and your hang-ups on religion.

we didn't get an equivalent of your 1st amendment until it was too late 

[Viking]

As for the atheist view of Obama, at worst he attends church for political reasons (reflects badly on his character), at middle he's a cultural christian who hasn't given the issue much thought (reflects badly on his intellectual curiosity), at best he's a non-confessing in the closet atheist (reflects well on his political judgement, but badly on character and courage). His professed religion is problematic, but then his politics are 100% consistent with secular humanist values, so we forgive him for lying about it.

How would "secular humanist values" differ from Liberal Protestant values?

Not very much. However, Obama didn't go to a UU church or have Gene Robinson as his pastor did he though?

Lets not do a religion hijack here, if you want, start a thread...

[Ed Anger]

I saw that subtle spelling correction.

[DGuller]

As for the atheist view of Obama, at worst he attends church for political reasons (reflects badly on his character), at middle he's a cultural christian who hasn't given the issue much thought (reflects badly on his intellectual curiosity), at best he's a non-confessing in the closet atheist (reflects well on his political judgement, but badly on character and courage). His professed religion is problematic, but then his politics are 100% consistent with secular humanist values, so we forgive him for lying about it.

I don't think it can be your second option, as it's hard for me to believe Obama isn't intellectually curious given his background and credentials.  I suspect that as soon as he decided he wanted to pursue elected office he realized that he would have to pretend to be religious, as if there's one thing this country won't tolerate it's an atheist politician, for some pathetic reason.  I wouldn't fault Obama for that any more than any other secretly-atheist politician in this country.

Let's not forget that both his parents were atheist/agnostic free-thinkers, and that he himself grew up in multiple and diverse environments.  Odds are that if you grow up in such an environment, you either become an atheist/agnostic, or you rediscover religion and go deep into it.  Nominal religiosity is for those who were born into religion culturally.

[Viking]

As for the atheist view of Obama, at worst he attends church for political reasons (reflects badly on his character), at middle he's a cultural christian who hasn't given the issue much thought (reflects badly on his intellectual curiosity), at best he's a non-confessing in the closet atheist (reflects well on his political judgement, but badly on character and courage). His professed religion is problematic, but then his politics are 100% consistent with secular humanist values, so we forgive him for lying about it.

I don't think it can be your second option, as it's hard for me to believe Obama isn't intellectually curious given his background and credentials.  I suspect that as soon as he decided he wanted to pursue elected office he realized that he would have to pretend to be religious, as if there's one thing this country won't tolerate it's an atheist politician, for some pathetic reason.  I wouldn't fault Obama for that any more than any other secretly-atheist politician in this country.

There can be only ONE

I don't pretend to be able to read Obama's mind, so I'm not going to rule out intellectual lazyness. The human mind is truly a remarkable thing and capable of incredible feats of cognitive dissonance and just plain "not thinking about shit that I don't want to think about". I judge him by what he says and what he does. He says he's a christian and he acts like an atheist imho.

[CountDeMoney]

Jesus H Chocolate Covered Christ on a stick, people.

Sometimes people go to church, not out of "intellectual curiosity" or "nominal religiosity" or any of the other bullshit reasons you fucking noodleheads are overthinking, as fucking usual.

Sometimes people go to church because it's a goddamned community thing, it's usually the largest collective activity in the community particularly in the urban environment, and they have some wicked fried chicken dinners afterwards.  Fuck.

[DGuller]

Who the fuck hijacked this thread to discuss Obama's religion anyway?  This thread is about Mitt's thought processes.

[Ed Anger]

Jesus H Chocolate Covered Christ on a stick, people.

Sometimes people go to church, not out of "intellectual curiosity" or "nominal religiosity" or any of the other bullshit reasons you fucking noodleheads are overthinking, as fucking usual.

Sometimes people go to church because it's a goddamned community thing, it's usually the largest collective activity in the community particularly in the urban environment, and they have some wicked fried chicken dinners afterwards.  Fuck.

Church dinners: yum