In which case I'll firmly take my stance as "Hippy-in-the-middle", 'pansy-ass' though it may be, defending the people caught in the crossfire and being used as tools. In this case I think Obama is going to be a little pissed that one day in his words are being taken out of context and his image is being used to endorse a message that he himself doesn't. By the nature of his office, he too has to sit on the fence in this one.
The advert is mostly composed of a quotation from his book in which he states that sectarianism is dangerous and that he was raised to have a good character despite his mother not being religious. I don't see how any of that context is lost or twisted in this advert, nor that it is a message he does not endorse. He has stated that he believes good character is possible without religious upbringing and uses himself as an example in his published words. In Britain this is not at all unusual, but in America it is, and you really can't judge this advert by British cultural standards.
By the nature of his office, he too has to sit on the fence in this one. He doesn't sit on the fence, he is a Christian and has declared that in public repeatedly. In Bush America, one side of the fence was that non-believers are evil, wrong, amoral and un-American; Obama has landed on the other side of the fence, which says non-believers can be just as good and moral or evil and amoral as any religious person and should be judged by their actions, not their faith or lack of, and that non-believers are just as American as any religious person. Sitting on the fence would be to just ignore non-believers.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2009-01-21 01:24 pm (UTC)In this case I think Obama is going to be a little pissed that one day in his words are being taken out of context and his image is being used to endorse a message that he himself doesn't. By the nature of his office, he too has to sit on the fence in this one.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-21 01:50 pm (UTC)By the nature of his office, he too has to sit on the fence in this one.
He doesn't sit on the fence, he is a Christian and has declared that in public repeatedly. In Bush America, one side of the fence was that non-believers are evil, wrong, amoral and un-American; Obama has landed on the other side of the fence, which says non-believers can be just as good and moral or evil and amoral as any religious person and should be judged by their actions, not their faith or lack of, and that non-believers are just as American as any religious person. Sitting on the fence would be to just ignore non-believers.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-21 01:52 pm (UTC)