How many times was God or Scriptures mentioned in Obama's inaugural address?

[TechBear_Seattle]

I'm curious and too lazy to do the analysis myself.

Also, did Obama use the entirely unconstitutional "so help me God" when he took the Oath of Office?

[cosmik debris]

1. He did say "so help me God"

I'm not sure how many bible references he used, but the one about "childish things" hit me pretty hard.

I was forced to memorize that 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians in public school--5th grade.

[trotsky]

5. Funny, isn't it, how they re-did the oath after Roberts screwed it up...

yet every (recent) president has added the "so help me gawd" line which is NOT in the Constitution at all. If the oath must be stated as written, isn't adding text to it just as bad? :shrug:

[Goblinmonger]

9. I think the problem I have

is not that he said it so much (which does bother me) but that he didn't just add it at the end like Washington did, but Roberts said it too, which, in my mind, makes it an official part of the oath and THEN unconstitutional. If is is just something the President tosses on to the end of the oath, that is their freedom of speech. When the Chief Justice tells you to say it, not so much.

[beam me up scottie]

2. I thought about setting up a game of "God" Bingo but I'm lazy too and not that clever.

You can tell me we don't live in a theocracy all the live-long day, but after watching the ceremonies yesterday, I felt like I was at church all freakin' day.

Freethinkers get one bone thrown to us and the rest of the day was God this God that God blah blah blah...

Anybody know how many preachers they had speak?

[laconicsax]

4. Probably fewer than today's national "what establishment clause?" service.

[charlie]

3. It wasn't too bad

Relatively speaking. It didn't have any of that oooh-you-are-sooo-good, we-are-not-worthy butt kissing the electorate loves to hear.

Here's all the God stuff from the speech:

"...but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things."

"...the God-given promise that all are equal..."

"...the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny."

"...with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us..."

"Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America."

[onager]

6. Huh?

Thanks for going thru the speech to find these.

This one is hilarious, though:

"...the God-given promise that all are equal..."

I don't know where we can find that promise anywhere, in any scriptures of the Big 3 Abrahamic religions.

Just the opposite. As many of us are fond of pointing out in R&T, the Old Testament favorably mentions slavery more than once.

In the NT, Paul's demented scribblings contain a verse often quoted in R&T, that "all are equal in Christ." They don't mention--but I certainly do--that a couple verses later, he's commanding women to keep quiet in the churches and blindly obey their husbands.

For about a thousand years, known as "The Dark Ages," the Xian Church eagerly promoted the Divine Right of Kings. I don't remember much about "all are equal" in that philosophy.

Hmph. Now that I think about it, that line is as insulting as the idea that space aliens built the Pyramids. Human equality was bought over the centuries with the blood of countless brave men and women. Many of them are still paying that price today. (Anyone want to go to Saudi Arabia and make a case for "the Allah-given promise that all are equal?")

Implying that the promise of equality came magically from the sky is an insult to all of us. Like the abolition of slavery, it was an idea we had to hammer out for ourselves, then fight for.

And as Mark Twain pointed out, the churches are almost always the last to support any social progress. And always the first to try and take credit for that progress, long after the rest of the world has accepted it.

I will now shut up and admire the mountain I made out of that molehill. ;-)

[trotsky]

7. Thanks for bringing that up.

Few things piss me off more than the suggestion that the notions of "equality" or "rights" come from the buy-bull - but as we've seen at DU, and certainly in the inauguration god parts noted in this thread, even liberals believe it's in there.

[cosmik debris]

8. I've posted the statement "Equality is not a Christian value"

A couple of times in the R/T forum. I kept looking for a challenge from a Christian, but none materialized.

I suspect that I have discovered a magic bullet.

[skepticscott]

10. From hearing Obama and his religious add-ons talk

You'd think that this country has never achieved and will never achieve anything without the help of almighty gawd. That point was hammered home again and again and again, clearly implying that those who do not believe in that god have contributed nothing to America's history. Sorry, but one brief acknowledgment of the existence of non-believers doesn't even come close to balancing that out. Some atheists seem to think that this is a wonderful thing simply because no other president has ever done it, but I don't think that granting us the least we are due is particularly praiseworthy.

[ihavenobias]

11. I hear what you're saying Scott.

I guess the only thing I'd point out is that Obama is in no position to be the first president to *strongly* acknowledge non-theists.

Why? Because it's his first term and there are already enough idiots out there with misgivings and misconceptions due to racism and xenophobia. There are STILL people who are dubious about his background and even his name. Throw in a serious effort on his part on behalf of atheists and agnostics and you're talking about potential political suicide.

I know there's no perfect time to be the first president to break that particular barrier, but this would be a terrible time. And yes, that sucks but it is what it is.

[skepticscott]

12. It wouldn't bother me particularly

to not be acknowledged, if our political leaders weren't constantly putting their piety credentials on public display by invoking the name of god at every opportunity. I'd be just as happy to leave everyone's religious beliefs (or lack thereof) out of the political equation completely. As you say, Obama has a lot of misgivings to try to dispel with his words, but we can only hope that he shows respect for the separation of church and state with his actions.

[ihavenobias]

13. I agree

100%.