This is just another sign of the times. A sign of the rampant age of hypocrisy in which most of us struggle to live ...
GOP Congressman Walks Out During Obama’s National Prayer Breakfast Speech
Atlanta CBS local -- Feb 3, 2012
(CBS Atlanta) — A Republican Georgia congressman walked out during President Obama’s speech at the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday.
Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., left during Obama’s speech because “he was disturbed and offended by the president’s use of prayer and reflection time for partisan politics and class warfare.
[...]
[Barack Obama:]
“And I think to myself, if I’m willing to give something up as somebody who’s been extraordinarily blessed, and give up some of the tax breaks that I enjoy, I actually think that’s going to make economic sense,” the president said. “But for me as a Christian, it also coincides with Jesus’s teaching that ‘for unto whom much is given, much shall be required.’”
Talaber told CBS Atlanta that these types of political comments during a prayer breakfast “disappointed” the congressman.
Yes, I guess finding out after all, that President tries to follow Christian precepts -- could be "disappointing" to Party of hypocritical Bullies, who have made their careers, trying to ignore those very same help-the-poor teachings ...
I wonder how Congressman Gingrey feels about those other compassionate Christian tenets that the President spoke about, as being worthy of governing by, as worthy of living by?
Of course we will probably never know -- since the "honorable" Tea Party Congressman stormed out ... before the president even got to the moral of the story ... our many human stories ...
Here are some other Christian teachings that the Tea Party Rep apparently had no need to hear ... as he stormed out, no doubt clutching his pearls of don't-tax-me wisdom -- before the President got to them ...
National Prayer Breakfast: President Obama’s speech transcript
washingtonpost -- Feb 2, 2012
[... pg 2]
[Barack Obama:]
And so when I talk about our financial institutions playing by the same rules as folks on Main Street, when I talk about making sure insurance companies aren't discriminating against those who are already sick, or making sure that unscrupulous lenders aren't taking advantage of the most vulnerable among us, I do so because I genuinely believe it will make the economy stronger for everybody. But I also do it because I know that far too many neighbors in our country have been hurt and treated unfairly over the last few years, and I believe in God's command to "love thy neighbor as thyself." I know the version of that Golden Rule is found in every major religion and every set of beliefs -- from Hinduism to Islam to Judaism to the writings of Plato.
[... pg 3]
To answer the responsibility we're given in Proverbs to "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." And for others, it may reflect the Jewish belief that the highest form of charity is to do our part to help others stand on their own.
Treating others as you want to be treated. Requiring much from those who have been given so much. Living by the principle that we are our brother's keeper. Caring for the poor and those in need. These values are old. They can be found in many denominations and many faiths, among many believers and among many non-believers. And they are values that have always made this country great -- when we live up to them; when we don't just give lip service to them; when we don't just talk about them one day a year. And they're the ones that have defined my own faith journey.
[...]
[emphasis added]
Yes, loving your neighbor, speaking up for the helpless, and helping the poor ... you know, basically living by the Golden Rule idea ... those can be quite offensive to Political posers, that succeed by catering only to the corporately rich.
How dare the president inject his "political agenda",
-- into their once a year feel-good, religious-ritual event!?
You'd think, he actually meant it or something, eh? You know, doing more than just giving those grand charitable precepts of all humanity, more than just "lip service" ... on more than one day out of the very long political year.
Oh the nerve ... "Why can't he just be a good Muslim?" -- is probably what indignant Congressman Phil Gingrey must be thinking right about now ... assuming he's done fainting.
I bet Phil's about ready, for conducting more of that charitable business of government, you know Tea Party stonewalling ... just like he learned in Sunday School.