I think this is important. It matters when the President of the United States speaks. Today, at a Prayer Breakfast apparently sponsored by the right wing "Christian" group, The Family, President Obama condemned the proposed genocidal law in Uganda that appears to have been inspired by some in The Family.
"We may disagree about the best way to reform our health care system, but surely we can agree that no one ought to go broke when they get sick in the richest nation on earth," Obama said. "We can take different approaches to ending inequality, but surely we can agree on the need to lift our children out of ignorance, to lift our neighbors out of poverty. We may disagree about gay marriage, but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are, whether it is here in the United States or, as Hillary mentioned, more extremely in odious laws that are being proposed most recently in Uganda."
HuffPo:
For some the statement may not be enough. But I am glad he spoke out. I was certain he would. This is about genocide, as in the Holocaust where gays and lesbians perished and wore the pink triangle. When the President speaks, it makes a difference. It could save lives there by preventing this bill from becoming law.
Here is some video from Huffington Post:
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The President asked for civility in discourse, the rejection of demonization of political adversaries. Here is more of his statement/prayer:
But let us remember those who came before; those who believed in the brotherhood of man even when such a faith was tested. Remember Dr. Martin Luther King. Not long after an explosion ripped through his front porch, his wife and infant daughter inside, he rose to that pulpit in Montgomery and said, "Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."
In the eyes of those who denied his humanity, he saw the face of God.
Remember Abraham Lincoln. On the eve of the Civil War, with states seceding and forces gathering, with a nation divided half slave and half free, he rose to deliver his first Inaugural and said, "We are not enemies, but friends... Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection."
Even in the eyes of confederate soldiers, he saw the face of God.
Remember William Wilberforce, whose Christian faith led him to seek slavery's abolition in Britain; he was vilified, derided, attacked; but he called for "lessening prejudices [and] conciliating good-will, and thereby making way for the less obstructed progress of truth."
In the eyes of those who sought to silence a nation's conscience, he saw the face of God.
Yes, there are crimes of conscience that call us to action. Yes, there are causes that move our hearts and offenses that stir our souls. But progress doesn't come when we demonize opponents. It's not born in righteous spite. Progress comes when we open our hearts, when we extend our hands, when we recognize our common humanity. Progress comes when we look into the eyes of another and see the face of God. That we might do so -- that we will do so all the time, not just some of the time -- is my fervent prayer for our nation and the world.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America
HuffPo
I think it is a beautiful statement. I believe the most progressive impulses of this President come from his faith.
And his choice of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and William Wilberforce show that faith is not incompatable with progressive change. In fact, in many cases in history, it has inspired change.
Here's a group I support:
Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ) is a network of people of faith that calls upon our religious values in order to educate, organize, and mobilize the religious community in the United States on issues and campaigns that will improve wages, benefits, and conditions for workers, and give voice to workers, especially workers in low-wage jobs.
Vision
IWJ envisions the religious community, acting on its values in creative and strategic ways, as a powerful leader in creating and sustaining a nation where all workers share in the prosperity of our society, enjoy the fundamental human right to organize, and lead dignified lives as a result of their labor.
IWJ envisions a nation where all workers enjoy the rights to:
Wages, health care, and pensions that allow workers to raise families and retire with dignity;
Safe working conditions;
Organize and bargain collectively to improve wages, benefits, and conditions without harassment, intimidation, or retaliation;
Equal protection under labor law - regardless of immigration status - and an end to the practice of pitting immigrant and U.S.-born workers against one another;
Fair and just participation in a global economy that promotes the welfare of both domestic and foreign workers.
In addition to enjoying these rights, IWJ also believes workers are responsible to:
Be in solidarity with other workers in the pursuit of workplace justice; and
Live in harmony with people around the world.
Interfaith Worker Justice
I believe that people of various faiths and those who are agnostic or atheist can work together to build a better world for all.
The President's prayer seems compatable with that vision.
Update I: From tazzz in the comments:
Obama Speaks At Prayer Breakfast - Part 1
about 6:10 minutes into it
He talks about people questioning his Faith and Citizenship
Part 2: