Frank Schaeffer concludes:

Only a brilliant man, with the spirit of a preacher and the humble heart of a kindly family doctor can lead us now. We are afraid, out of ideas, and worst of all out of hope. Obama is the cure. And we Americans have it in us to rise to the occasion. We will. We're about to enter one of the most frightening periods of American history. Our country has rarely faced more uncertainty. This is the time for greatness. We have a great leader. We must be a great people backing him, fighting for him, sacrificing for a cause greater than ourselves.

A hundred years from now Obama's portrait will be placed next to that of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt. Long before that we'll be telling our children and grandchildren that we stepped out in faith and voted for a young black man who stood up and led our country back from the brink of an abyss. We'll tell them about the power of love, faith and hope. We'll tell them about the power of creativity combined with humility and intellectual brilliance. We'll tell them that President Obama gave us the gift of regaining our faith in our country. We'll tell them that we all stood up and pitched in and won the day. We'll tell them that President Obama restored our standing in the world. We'll tell them that by the time he left office our schools were on the mend, our economy booming, that we'd become a nation filled with green energy alternatives and were leading the world away from dependence on carbon-based destruction. We'll tell them that because of President Obama's example and leadership the integrity of the family was restored, divorce rates went down, more fathers took responsibility for their children, and abortion rates fell dramatically as women, families and children were cared for through compassionate social programs that worked. We'll tell them about how the gap closed between the middle class and the super rich, how we won health care for all, how crime rates fell, how bad wars were brought to an honorable conclusion. We'll tell them that when we were attacked again by al Qaeda, how reason prevailed and the response was smart, tough, measured and effective, and our civil rights were protected even in times of crisis...

We'll tell them that we were part of the inexplicably blessed miracle that happened to our country those many years ago in 2008 when a young black man was sent by God, fate or luck to save our country. We'll tell them that it's good to live in America where anything is possible. Yes we will.
-----

And I say, Amen to that!!!

Wow, thank you for finding and posting that Chris. These are the exact reasons why we NEED Obama in the White House.

The sum here is much greater than the parts, folks. Barack Obama is many things, some I disagree with ... but he is what this nation and this world needs at this point; a UNITER. A genuinely good-hearted person, who cares deeply for the people and will do everything in his power for the people, not only of this nation but our allies and, yes, adversaries. Even if it is against his normal political principles, I really see Obama as someone who do what is in the best interests of the common good, and not in the best interests for Barack Obama.

He is a man of God, yet he won't let God dictate policy. He has a true compassion for other religions, faiths, groups, the less fortunate, and will work to help end their plight.

While this is a rather bleak time in many ways in the history of the United States, at the same time it's an exciting time, a time for change, a time where we pull ourselves up by those proverbial boostraps, and better ourselves. It is traditionally a Republican line to say that we "need to get back to what we used to be". In so many ways, it's going to be up to a liberal African-American from Chicago's South Side that leads us to that conservative mindset, that place where we are indeed back to where we used to be.

The more times I see evidence of racism pour into the presidential campaign from various parts of this country, the less I want to go back to where we used to be. Some of the vile things that have come out the last couple weeks has exposed some of the worst elements this country has had to deal with, and apparently is still dealing with.

If that is what we're looking at, I don't want to go back to the way we used to be. I want to go to a place where we've never been. A place where John McCain would never be able to find on his map. Should Barack Obama win in November he is going to have a tremendous challenge ahead of him uniting and enlightening those who still feel the twinge of racism within themselves. This presidential campaign has brought so much hope and optimism, but at the same time has reminded us, though we've made great strides in many areas, as a united country we still have a long ways to go.

Yeah, great post! Thanks Chris.

Spot on, IMHO.

Dono, my thoughts exactly. I'm absolutely disgusted with all the BS going on in this election. Breaking the divide, or better divides, in this nation is going to take us right to the edge!

When I see all the anger, violence, lies, manupulations, and such, I shudder to think so many of us are that vested in the matter of race and ideology. There are way too many people who don't want an actual debate to happen. They fear the democratic process because they know down deep that they do not have the high ground and they don't have the personal strength of character to admit that, or if they can admit it, do the work necessary to deal with it proper and move on.

Notice they are the ones talking about "The Real America". God, I hope they lose out big and get marginalized for a good 20 years or so.

We've got so many other pressing matters to work through.

Man, I just thought about this some more.

Want to know something scary?

I need to see this crap repudiated as much as they need to see it affirmed!

The only difference is I don't think I would go over the boundaries they have just yet. That would take an outright failure of the process to justify.

What is bothersome is that if it's not repudiated, down deep I'm going to see that as a failure...

You guys have any thoughts along those lines? (And Chris, I hope that's on topic enough. If not, spank me and I'll bow out quietly!)

We are hearing more and more from those who lean right or even far right looking intellectually at an Obama presidency. These voices need to come out and come out loud.

Doug...you're good.

Honestly Chris, those of us who aren't looking at it intellectually ... are probably the 30% who look upon the George W. Bush Presidency favorably.

That's hardly looking at it intellectually, IMHO.

For sure Brian. But it is nice when a guy like Schaeffer, with his religious and political background, writes something as compelling as he did.

This is such a great example of how the most noteworthy often get drowned out by the recoil and echoes of the most vocal.

The behavior of not only the most polarizing figures on the political right but also the most obnoxious "media" figures so aligned, like LImbaugh, Hannity, Palin, the gal in Mn., et. al. reminds me of something Thomas Jefferson once said:

"A coward is much more exposed to quarrels than a man of spirit."

Chris--I pray that it is correct information...I remember being at church about 8 years ago, and hearing how Little Bush. Was a born again christian. How he would lead the nation by GOD's will...etc. We have now seen how that was a pile of howey.

Frank Schaeffer is a voice of reason and a man of God. In our current political climate, it has been difficult to keep from framing "God" and "reason" as mutually exclusive terms.

Thanks Chris!

"God" and "Reason" just like "Reverand Wright" and "Father Flager". Cool man. Barry is the last best hope. Guess it is imaterial what the stock market does then. Might as well spend it while we got it.

For most of us having any opposition to Obama is NOT about race.

It is about identification. Do we identify with this person, politically , emotionally , socially and spiritually. In the end I think things come down to which candidate fits all the above criteria for you as a voter.

There are some who factor in race ( bigotry ) etc. I have seen numbers on this and they seem to be around 5 or 6 % of voters nationally.

Francis Schaeffer is rolling in his grave.

Where did you get those numbers Kennewickman? I'm actually quite curious about that element of things. Spot on with identification, but I think it's just part of the picture. Did they have regional breakdowns?

I often wonder about the core elements driving bigotry, racism and such. IMHO, failure to identify is way up there among the causes, but what causes that?

Inability to show empathy! (IMHO, of course) When self-interest over powers empathy, these things manifest from that. Empathy is something often seen as weak, or female, or some other diminutive thing, but it's just not! If we can't place ourselves into another persons perspective and reason from there, how can we ever get along?

IMHO, facing that dilemma is more difficult than just leaning on some crutch, like racism. Always easier to blame somebody else, and that's exactly what these character issues are.

Re: God and reason. I like Paine the best. "I believe in one God only." Believe or not, this is an elemental statement that just rings true to me. Either there is a God, or there isn't, and if there is God, then there is just God, not gods. --"The Age of Reason". If you've not read this work, you really should. It will make you think, and can be found online.

For me, faith and reason are linked in that for a belief to be something that could be seen as potential truth, it must be defensible and that means not failing the logical test to the maximum degree possible.

Beliefs that support or resolve contradictions are just fantasy and really should not serve as a basis for anybody to harbor conviction. Desire yes, but not conviction.

To some, lost in the ideological battles, linking God or faith and reason, is unsupportable. I don't believe this is true, and actually believe it to be a mistake that does a lot of harm, in that misplaced conviction can be mistaken for truth and that leads to the justification of what would otherwise be known unjust.

On the other hand, there is a lot about our state of being that we don't have answers for, and we quite often have the need to operate as if we had those answers. The alternative is to just reason with the open questions and accept unknowns. Each of us has our limits in this, depending on our station in life and our character.

And that is the basis for faith, and it's purpose from a rational point of view.

Given these things, it has to be ok to have religion. To embrace it is a personal choice --a right. I can't then dismiss religion, regardless of my own personal choices, simply because it lacks authority. Also given this dynamic, I should also expect to be given the same consideration in like kind.

And that's where I part ways with those that dismiss the not known rational. Of all the things I value, knowing what I don't know is probably at the top. (I really wish more people would consider this value judgement)

My $0.02

Broadway- This is from a long time clergy friend of mine.
---------
Chris-

I knew "Mr. Frank Schaeffer" as "Frankie," a young boy with a bad leg but incredible spunk.

In the summer of 1962, I spent a week at the Schaeffer Study Compound L'Abri, studying his father's tapes on Romans in the mornings, and then would hike with said father in the Alps in the afternoon. I also played football on the lawn with Frankie, who was starved for attention in the midst of all these people from all over the world who would come to study with his father.

I found father Francis arrogant and rude.

I loved Mrs. Schaeffer (Edith), who presided over the kitchen, made incredible breads and jams, and would listen to lonely 19 year-old travelers tell their stories.

When people say they don't "identify" with Obama, I think race plays a part in that even though many would not admit it.

>> think race plays a part

those words are a bunch of BS (Barbara Streisand)...not true at all...in fact I think YOUR statement is racist!

Bullshit.

When someone says they don't "identify" with someone, that identification or lack thereof has more to do with looks and race than anything else.

Absolutely true.

It's not racist to post up the idea that people may have difficulty relating to different races of people.

Broadway, our ability to differentiate faces, for example, is a learned behavior that occurs when we are young. If we are not exposed to a given race, and it can be any given race, then as adults we have the "they all look the same" syndrome. This is a minor form of face blindness that manifests itself in many ways, one of which is difficulty identifying with others.

As adults, we can easily learn to differentiate and identify, but it requires we go through the same socialization we did as kids. Once done, there are no issues. Having to socialize to understand somebody is where that "they are not the same as me" feeling comes from. All in all, harmless, unless one fears difference.

These are facts. Medical and Psychological ones that can very easily be substantiated with peer-reviewed documentation.

And stating facts is not racist, it just is facts.

Faulting somebody for their race is racist, just to clear things up for you.

Race and Culture get mixed up a lot as well. Big difference here. It might be easier to describe Identity in terms of culture rather than race IMO.

And there are subcultures within macrocultures. For instance you might have a person who identifies better with Jimmy Carter, who perhaps is from the South or Texas. And then would not identify as much with Ronald Reagan because Reagan was pretty much California ( Midwest by birth and early life ) .

And then would that identity trump a contraindicated political affiliation/attitude? It is complicated.

But, when 100% of the people that are saying they don't "identify" with Obama are white, it's hard to argue that there's not a correlation with race.

One hundred percent? How do you know that? How about Hispanic? How about Asian? Native American? How about the few African Americans who are voting for McCain, and there are some .

First of all, we can drop the whole "blacks always vote black" meme right now. African-American Democrats supported the "familiar" candidate in the primaries for months and months and months. Take a look at the Clinton and Edwards numbers before America had a chance to get to know Obama. Most black voters study the issues, examine the record of a candidate, and cast a ballot according to the facts, not the face.

Second, if McCain actually wanted a plurality of black votes, he would have to treat them like citizens and constituents. Liberals and conservatives have both found out the hard way that the African-American vote is not just based on token photo-ops in historic places from the Civil Rights Movement. It is based on the actual record of the candidate, not just their ability to name drop or affiliate themselves with blacks in leadership.

Third, if we are to play the "identity politics" card, we should get beyond skin color as the only factor. Sure, there are some people who will not vote for Obama based on race, but not every racist Democrat voted for Clinton in the primaries. Despite their record of affiliations with bona fide racists, not every racist is voting for McCain, Barr, or Paul in November. Nor should they be automatically considered racist candidates.

Every American is different and every American has their own personal reasons for voting the way that they vote.

I have yet to see a person other than a white person saying they don't "identify" with Obama as a reason not to vote for him, in person, TV, or the internet.

If Obama was white, this would be a blowout beyond anything we've seen in decades. Hell, it still may be, but I have my doubts about small town America.

"I have yet to see a person other than a white person saying they don't "identify" with Obama as a reason not to vote for him, in person, TV, or the internet."

Really? I will cite one example. How about a reactionary like Michelle Malkin? She sure had plenty to say about Gwen Ifill.

"Like Obama, Ifill, who is black, is quick to play the race card at the first sign of criticism. In an interview with the Washington Post a few weeks ago, she carped: "[N]o one's ever assumed a white reporter can't cover a white candidate."

It's not the color of your skin, sweetie. It's the color of your politics. Perhaps Ifill will be able to conceal it this week."

Real Clear Politics

My far less kosher friends in the military would simply dismiss Malkin as a LBFM. That is also bigotry. I will not go there -- I'll just call her an idiot.

>>Frankie, who was starved for attention

well he has your attention here in no less than 3 threads with his sincere but grossly misguided article. So he had a eccentric theologian father that didn't give enough time to him...nothing new...but he's quite the departure from his roots...sadly.

Dan you amaze me. You fight so hard for a baby to be born but when a father doesn't give time to that child it's nothing new??

You are grossly out of touch.

broadway sez: well he has your attention here in no less than 3 threads

Its really only one thread. You're twisting a minor technicality into a bold statement as an attempt to decieve -- sort of like what Palin did with Ayers. Thanks for that BS. No doubt your God is mighty impressed with your attempt to decieve us, eh?

"Francis Schaeffer is rolling in his grave."

So, you are positive he did not make it past the pearly gates?

I think he would be really proud of his son. Something tells me that the Big Guy upstairs probably changed the elder Schaeffer's mind soon after he arrived. First hand enlightenment is pretty popular in those parts.

Dan, with a bit of quiet reflection, you may also find the truth within yourself before you reach the end of this mortal coil. If not, heaven has a rehab program for folks like you who are hooked on narcotic theology.

"...heaven has a rehab program for folks like you who are hooked on narcotic theology."

AMEN!!!

KSKD-put this quote into your book.

Slam dunk LS. (Here's a cyber High Five!!)

There actually is a nice chunk of a book written, BTW.

Life's been tough, but I've found time to work on this.

It's going in there for sure!

Another great T-shirt, LS!

We could help out a bunch of local silkscreening businesses with these snippets.

We'll all be at that book signing, KSKD

>>heaven has a rehab program for folks like you who are hooked on narcotic theology

a statement of heresy and blasphemy my friend...

Dan you totally misunderstood LS's point. But I'm not surprised.

I'm glad my Christian life doesn't have me looking over my shoulder for the ax to drop. God's grace and mercy do actually stand for something bro.

>>No doubt your God is mighty impressed with your attempt to decieve

not a motive/purpose of my God or myself...just shedding some truth and light from His perspective.

>>heaven has a rehab program for folks like you who are hooked on narcotic theology (again)

scripture/verse please of the above claim.

Dan you need to shuffle your theological cards around a bit more. You keep playing the same old hand.

How is it Dan that when you read scripture you interpret it one way and I might interpret it differently? We're reading the same thing aren't we. It should be clear, it's right in front of us...right?

Lets use the example of my favorite scripture verse Micah 6:8. "Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God."

What's your take?

Speaking of T shirts, I got my Obama/Biden T shirt today from my August donation. I'm thinking about wearing it to work on Nov 4. In fact, I'm going to the Metallica concert Nov 1 and I'm tempted to wear it at the concert. But the smart part of my brain says that could be asking for trouble. But then the man side of the brain says I'm big enough to fend off any haters. What's a military looking Obama voting Metallica fan to do?

Rip off the sleeves to show your "guns" and wear it proudly! (Smart) Chicks will dig it and they'll have your back, too.

Vitalogy, here are a few things that could influence your decision:

Kirk Hammett regularly donates a $1,000 a year to the Democratic National Committee.

He is not the only one in the band with a political point of view.

"Speaking to the press in Europe, drummer Lars Ulrich told the World Entertainment News Network that he strongly objects to the use of "Enter Sandman" as a device of coercion. "I feel horrible about this," he said. "No one in Iraq has ever done anything to hurt me, and I don't understand why we have to be implicated in that bullshit."

Ulrich added that if the Army is intent on using loud music to break Saddam's supporters, they should find something really grating on the ears. "What about firing up some Venom or some of those Norwegian death metal bands?" he proposed. "The problem with that is then it wouldn't be a soundbite. Sometimes Metallica becomes the token heavy metal band that you can talk about."

Despite his unhappiness, Ulrich said there's nothing he can do about the current situation. "What am I supposed to do about it," he asked, "get George Bush on the phone and tell him to get his generals to play some Venom?"

VH1

"Why Democracy?, a documentary project using film to start a global conversation about democracy, has posted a nine-minute video interview with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich in which he answers ten questions on his views about the system of government.

Why Democracy? states on its web site: "October 8th, 2007 marks the start of the most ambitious factual media event in broadcast history. More than 35 broadcasters worldwide, a global web presence and an international newspaper are working together for the first time ever to debate the dominant political issue of our time. They are asking the question: Why Democracy?"

Blabbermouth

Including yourself, they have a pretty diverse fan base too.

"To me, Metallica is similar to Obama, it doesn't matter what they say they stand for, what their roots are, it doesn't matter what they do, all they have to do is be the idea of Metallica. Be the idea of the baddest mother fucking speed metal band ever to strap on guitars. Unlike Obama though, in Met land, we don't want change. We hope for no change. Thrash with the one who brought you baby. We miss the days of Kill 'Em All and Master of Puppets, with unrelenting bass riffs and impossible drumming. We have had 3 albums of partisan rock, and we are tired of it. Quit reaching across the aisle to appease the masses and stroke me for awhile."

World of Wonderment

Finally, remember that this is the band that wrote the brutal and classic anti-war anthem, Disposable Heroes.

Mrs. Merkin has some solid advice. I am willing to bet that you will not be the only one in a sleeveless Obama shirt.

It is probably difficult to follow up a post about Metallica with a defense of my own personal faith, but fortunately, Chris summed it up perfectly by quoting Micah 6:8.

Dan, I would also point to Matthew 5:43-47, or my favorite passages in the Bible, The Beatitudes.

If a tee-shirt does get made and sells like hotcakes, I would suggest giving the money to a worthy charity. How about Homes For Our Troops or Nothing But Nets or something similar? Thanks for the kind reactions folks.

>>heaven has a rehab program for folks like you who are hooked on narcotic theology (againX2)

my point was that there will be no need for any rehab in heaven...you're there...perfected with/by God for eternity. I could qoute all kinds of "heavenly" scripture here...maybe later.

Save it for Sunday school.

Vitalogy...might bring back good memories...