RSSObama/McCain Saddleback Debate … When Asked Whether Evil Exists Did Obama Just Say the US was Evil?
Did Obama just call America evil last night?
If you do not think the two candidates for President, Obama and McCain, are not on the opposite ends of the spectrum then you have not been paying attention. When asked about “evil” last night Barack Obama actually focused on the US doing evil and some how in his mind found it comparable to terrorism and September 11, 2001. Exactly how is it that Obama always finds fault in a flawed America as opposed to the real evil that exists abroad? Obama actually blamed America for being evil in the face of confronting it. This is what people would vote for as a United States Commander and Chief?
At the Saddleback Civil Forum last night, Pastor Rick Warren asked both candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, ”Does evil exist, and if so, do we ignore it, do we negotiate with it, do we contain it, or do we defeat it?”
The transcripts of the Saddleback Civil Forum can be found HERE. So to the Gateway Pundit for the VIDEO of each candidates response.
The following is how Barack Obama responded to the “evil” question.
Warren to Obama- Does evil exist, and if so, do we ignore it, do we negotiate with it, do we contain it, or do we defeat it?
Obama: “… Now, the one thing that I think is very important is for us to have some humility in how we approach the issue of confronting evil. You know a lot of evil has been perpetrated based on the claim that we were trying to confront evil… In the name of good and I think one thing that’s very important is having some humility in recognizing that. You know, just because we think our intentions are good doesn’t mean that we’re going to be doing good.”
… is always to start out with the premise of a flawed America, rather than appreciation of the vast difference between us and the alternative. Never a word here about evil abroad, or bin Laden or Dr. Zawahiri. No, instead, we need humility about that “lot of evil” perpetrated by you know whom.
More great reads:
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American Power: Obama’s Missed Opportunity at Saddleback Civil Forum
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Sistertoldja: Tonight’s faith Q&A with Rev. Rick Warren, McCain and Obama
UPDATE I: Obama’s evil is only evil when he says its evil.
From the Saddleback Civl Forum Obama stated that “evil does exist” and believes “we can confront it when we see it”. So did evil not exist in Iraq? What would be the difference between Saddam Hussein in Iraq and the situation in Darfur? Both would be deemed ethnic cleansing. However, I guess it is only when Obama actually “sees it” is it really evil, much like what was going on in his church for 20 year.
EVIL DOES EXIST. I MEAN, WE SEE EVIL ALL THE TIME. WE SEE EVIL IN DARFUR. WE SEE EVIL SADLY ON THE STREETS OF OUR CITIES. WE SEE EVIL IN PARENTS WHO HAVE VICIOUSLY ABUSED THEIR CHILDREN AND I THINK IT HAS TO BE CONFRONTED. IT HAS TO BE CONFRONTED SQUARELY AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I STRONGLY BELIEVE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT GOING TO, AS INDIVIDUALS, BE ABLE TO ERASE EVIL FROM THE WORLD. THAT IS GOD’S TASK. BUT WE CAN BE SOLDERS IN THAT PROCESS AND WE CAN CONFRONT IT WHEN WE SEE IT.
Posted August 17, 2008 by Scared Monkeys Barack Obama, John McCain, Politics, Presidential Election 2008, You Tube - VIDEO | 27 comments |
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27 Responses to “Obama/McCain Saddleback Debate … When Asked Whether Evil Exists Did Obama Just Say the US was Evil?”
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I don’t think we’re all perfect human beings. Do you?
fallibility is one thing, lying is yet another. Barack Obama knows he was not in the Federal Senate when the vote was taken on the Iraqi war so why did he tell the audience that was his toughest decision?
Barack Obama knows that he walked out on John McCain’s group trying to put together a bi-partisan agreement on Abortion so why on earth does he quote that as one of his times to work across the aisle?
He also knows his position on abortion so why play the game “it’s above my pay grade”? Well because he’d have to admit the truth (that his belief about life and his stance on abortion are totally incompatible) and he’d look stupid.
One can talk all about “hope” and “change” but when it comes to a definition of what that means, even his own party is now insisting that Barack Obama define it.
It’s pretty obvious that Obama is the more “Christian” of the two candidates.
#3 … ah NO!
Unless you are being sarcastic.
There is a difference between being fallible, sinners and “EVIL”.
What Obama did was pander to the LEFT and compare Bin Laden to the War in Iraq.
I think you’ve all missed the point of Obama’s comments: Sitting in a room of evangelical Christians who notoriously claim the moral high ground even when their tactics are destructive (think anti-abortion bombings, vitriol language against homosexuals, etc.) Obama as a fellow Christian pointed out that evil is often perpetrated by those who think they’re doing good. His comments had nothing to do with America’s position in the world — although we should apply his humility there, too. His comments were intended to make a roomful of Christians aware of collective failure at discerning good and evil.
So Barry botched again….he doesn’t do well at all without a teleprompter and sometimes even then it’s a disaster….
He has got a very negative moral about America…and I don’t believe for one minute he shows any allegiance to our country…every time I look at that video where he would not put his hand over his heart when everyone else was proud to respect and honor our flag….it makes me sick…I guess I better not look at it anymore…
And he says we have to be soldiers….I believe the war is in Iraq…and he never had time to visit our troops in Germany…you know, his thing, the gym and all….and he thinks he is fit to be Commander and Chief….
I can’t imagine him trying to handle 911 or even wanting too….
#6…sorry, meant to morale….
Obama knows nothing about National Security or Foreign Policy…looks like Joe Biden might be the VP….
And with all the issues going on…don’t tell me I have to learn to speak Spanish….!!!!
WHY WOULD WE LEARN TO SPEAK SPANISH WHEN THE MEXICANS KNOW HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH ? THEY JUST CHOOSE NOT TO USE IT.
THEY THINK THEY ARE FOOLING PEOPLE BY ACTING DUMB BUT THESE ILLEGALS KNOW WELL HOW TO CONVERSE IN ENGLISH. IF YOU FORCE THEM TO USE ENGLISH, THEY WILL TO GET WHAT THEY WANT. I WITNESS THIS ON A DAILY BASIS.
Clear as a bell, he is speaking of Iraq.
Obama is a pinhead!! The guy can’t string four words together without a teleprompter…talk about stammering, stuttering, tap dancing and double talk! But what the hell….he’s a Democrat! None of them can answer a question straightaway.
But now the “Hate bloggers” are making light of what McCain went through at the “Hanoi Hilton”. The treatment he received required extreme courage and will power on his part. Now on the other hand, the Jerk The DemocRATS want to stick in the Oval Office, lacks the courage and will power to…QUIT SMOKING!!! But I guess his “Pay Grade” can afford the expensive habit!!
As part owner of the White House and Air Force One, I don’t want this clown stinking them up!!
For once, Jesse Jackson said all the right words!!
Oath of a Christian Knight- Ancient
1. Protect the Christian Faith
2. Protect Women and Children
3. Give to the Poor
4. Fight Evil without quarter.
The above are absolutes. The oath was absolute..JS
WAKE UP AMERICA – use your head – it’s time to do what’s really right :
Vote for Ron Paul – a man who’s voting record shows that he is for Smaller Government, less spending, ending the war, restoring freedom and rights for American citizens, legalization of hemp ( which we now legally import but cannot grow here ): a 35 billion dollar a year cash crop, and many other great ideas.
The media doesn’t cover him because they are left wing NObama lovers… Rupert Murdoch (fox network owner) would not let Ron in the debates – hmmm w.t.f. … ….
If you keep voting for wars(mccain) or insanely higher taxes(NObama), this country and it’s fiat currency will have to be run into the ground before anything will be corrected! WAKE UP
#14—-Wake Up America???LOL Vote for Ron Paul? Legalization of hemp? Yah, OK Buddy- go smoke another blunt and check back with us later.
Do you believe Mccain will become evil if it means defeating evil? For example, will he subject the Iraqi prisoners of war to the same torture he endured as a POW in order to obtain information that could defeat evil? And if he does what makes his “evil” different from the one he originally intended to defeat? Personally i believe there is no universal evil. I believe that what is evil to one person could be good to another
Obama did not say the U.S. was evil. You are an idiot. This is the reason why one of my English teachers, years ago, said computers were going to ruin kids. She stated,:They would believe everything they would read on the computer.” Again, yes, you are an idiot. Thanks for letting me point that out. =o)
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SM: No Health … you happen to be the Kool-Aide drinking informationally challened one. Since your reading comprehension and deductive reasoning skills seem to be vacant … let us go back to the question as to whether evil exixts.
Sorry if a coloring book needs to be used for you but if you do not think that The Chosen one is referencing the Iraq war and GWB being evil by confronting evil then maybe you may want to go back to school.
R
IMO, Obama never implied that the US was evil, I think he’s just implying that we need to focus on the country’s evil first (which did not imply the charge of US imperialism, just crime and abuse).
However, after watching the “debate” I wouldn’t trust Barak for me and my family’s security; he’s not that decisive to me but McCain is.
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SM: You are entitled to your opinion; however, I believe you are wrong.
Democrats have long panderd to the far LEFT and they hate the military. The evil Obama was referring to was in helping others, not to be evil in the process. Thus he was comparing the acts of a few soldiers to the EVIL of terrorism. The Left has always made that comparison that it was the same. American derserved what it got on 9-11 for its evil in the world … those were quotes from the left as moral comparisons.
Anyone should be scared of Obama when it comes to National Security because frankly he just does not get it.
There is evil and then there is EVIL. With Obama there is no difference.
R
SM, I don’t see that comparision there, I think you’re reading-in too much into his statement. However, I agree that the extreme Left does hate our military, and if Barak is part of that extreme, then there’s no way on earth I’ll be voting for him.
I know some people on this post had no problem understanding the meaning behind Obama’s statement. For everyone else, it’s hard to believe that you really listened to his response at all. I’ve never, ever responded to a post and maybe I never will again. But, while I agree with #6 and anyone else who shares a true understanding of what he was articulating, I have to shake my head in disbelief at the comments that have attempted to put words in Obama’s mouth. P-E-A-C-E
We do not have the ability to infer who is more Christian than the other because to be a true Christian means having a relationship with Jesus Christ. We do not know what either of them does in their own homes; therefore the only resource we have is the way they express themselves. Lets look first at the way they have run their campaigns. John Mccain has done nothing but run a dirty, angry and dishonoring campaign constantly expressing hate towards his Christian brother. On the contrary, Obama has stuck to the issues at hand. For anyone here who reads their Bible, we know that before attempting to remove a speck from someone else’s eye, we must remove the plank from ours so that we can see. McCain believes that we are the “good guys” and anyone against us is the “Bad guys”. I’ll tell you that we are viewed more often as the bad guy. That is why so many nations hate us. We spend so much time fixing what is wrong across the waters when we are the ones who need so much fixing back home. McCain was able to get out of any faith question by pulling out the POW card again and again and again and again…….I respect him for doing that, but that has nothing to do with his every day life and Jesus role in it. To any Christian, that should be the most important thing. Obama was very clear that God is EVERY part not just some, not just those difficult moments years ago, but EVERYTHING. I encourage people to go to the Bible while considering these two, so that you can see who is trying to please and be obedient to God and who is just trying to receive applause from man.
Go ahead and locate all the evil in the world outside yourself and outside the USA. Whatever helps you sleep at night… I’ll bet that feels great to be without sin, eh?
But don’t you dare claim to be Christian after
that, because you haven’t even understood lesson
one.
Obama is explaining what we must do to avoid being truly evil; part of that is questioning oneself. Consider the case of Nazism. Nazis certainly believed they were doing the good by eradicating “unpure” races. I cannot believe that anyone does evil in the name of evil; instead, truly evil deeds are done only in the name of good (what someone falsely believes is good). Bin Laden certainly believed that he was doing good; he believed that he was defeating an evil empire. I am not saying that Bin Laden is justified (quite the contrary actually), my point is that he has demonstrated no humility in his beliefs. Real humility, which consists of constantly questioning oneself.
If we are not vigilant about questioning ourselves, we will commit grave evils, just like the numerous terrors of history. Questioning oneself (and by extension one’s own nation) is not unpatriotic, and it is certainly not un-Christian. It is actually quite the opposite; to be a good American, and to an even greater extent, a good Christian, one MUST question one’s own actions and beliefs concerning good and evil.
Osama bin Laden is not some kind of demon; HE IS NOT. He absolutely is not some kind of evil being that is absolutely distinct from us. He just isn’t. He is a man that believes that he is doing God’s will. HE IS WRONG, but he believes he is doing good. If we want to be examples of the good, we must question ourselves. As soon as we fail to question ourselves, we will commit evil.
I am disgusted by McCain’s suggestion that we should only respond to evil by attempting to defeat it. If we do as McCain suggests, and confront what we call evil only by destroying it, we are doing exactly what bin Laden does. That is how bin Laden rationalizes his actions; he believes that the only way to respond toward what he calls evil is by destroying it. And if we do as he has done, confronting evil with evil, we are the same as him. We would be evil.
Let everyone with ears listen.
WOW. If you think that Obama is saying the US is evil here then you seriously need to read the Bible and/or get some English lessons. One of Jesus’s main points throughout his ministry was HUMILITY. When Obama speaks here he is acknowledging the fact that “ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” INCLUDING THE USA. If you really think the US is perfect go read a freaking history book – please.
Also on your comment “There is evil and there is EVIL” According to God – you’re completely, flat-out, wrong. God sees all sins the same. Yes, whether you kill a man or lie to your mommy about eating a cookie, they are the same in God’s eyes. Please do us all a favor and read the Bible.
First of all, I can’t see how Barack Obama can even profess to be a christian when he has associated himself with people like rev. wright and contradicts the Bible on issues like abortion, partial birth abortion, gay marriage, etc. Obama needs to start asking himself and answering the question of “what would Jesus do” more accurately. I think Jesus’ whole mission was to destroy evil. It really bothers me that Obama can’t simply respond to these questions with the simple one or two word answers that the questions beg for.
All this holier than thou talk is fine, but when my nation is attacked I want us to fight back and destroy the EVIL that is trying to destroy me.