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June 28th, 2012
04:36 PM ET
First lady implores black churchgoers to get politicalBy Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor (CNN) - First lady Michelle Obama made an impassioned pitch for black churchgoers to embrace political action on Thursday in a speech to the country’s oldest black religious denomination. “To anyone who says that church is no place to talk about these issues, you tell them there is no place better,” Obama said at a conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Nashville, Tennessee. “Because ultimately, these are not just political issues,” she said. “They are moral issues.” With Election Day a little more than four months away, the first lady decried what she suggested was voter apathy in the black community. “How many of us have asked someone whether they’re going to vote, and (they) tell us, ‘No, I voted last time,’ or ‘Is there really an election going on?’ ” “After so many folks sacrificed so much so that we could make our voices heard, so many of us just can’t be bothered,” she said. Obama said that while some voters were “tuning out” and “staying home,” powerful interests are busy raising money to influence Washington. Barack Obama took 96% of the black vote in 2008, and strong turnout among African-Americans and other minorities will be crucial if he hopes to win a second term, analysts say. Surveys show that African-Americans attend church in higher numbers than white Americans do, and Democratic politicians have long made a habit of speaking from black pulpits in the leadup to Election Day. The AME Church has a general convention every four years. The first lady also spoke of her husband on Thursday, telling the story of a photo hanging in the Oval Office that shows the president meeting a 5-year-old African-American boy at the White House three years ago. White House photographers change the photos hanging in the West Wing ever couple of weeks, Michelle Obama said, except for that one. “If you ever wonder whether change is possible in this country, I want you to think about that little black boy in the Oval Office of the White House touching the head of the first black president.” She said blacks had to actively make good on their centuries-old legacy of political activism, mentioning names like Frederick Douglass and Rosa Parks. “Today, the connection between our laws and our lives isn’t always as clear as it was 50 years or 150 years ago,” she said. “And as a result, it’s sometimes easy to assume that the battles in our courts and legislatures have all been won.” In her speech, Obama promoted causes like investing in roads and schools, creating jobs and taking care of veterans. “Our faith journey isn’t just about showing up on Sunday for a good sermon and good music and a good meal,” she said. “It’s about what we do Monday through Saturday as well.”
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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time to kick these whiny gop punks to the curb .
Hello, everyone is invited to visit ... thestarofkaduri.com
Don't bother...its BS
spam spam spam. I think Monty Python based that skit on Jack here.
address everyone or preach bias....it is that simple.
You know if the white comunity had a white church and had a white person saying to the white church that we need to talk about the issues in church then there would be all kinds of people yelling racist and calling the people of the church biggots and there would be law suits. I believe that this country has started to become racist for every single people group that use to be a minority but now are a majority
Perhaps you need to go back and re-read and re-watch all the republican candidates (Bachmann, Perry, Santorum, etc), who campaigned in churches in every state with a primary?
this is wrong!!! The republicans hijacked religion and the flag decades ago. It's theirs I tell you ... you democrats can't have it! Oh the nerve!!! I'm going to watch FOX News to make me feel better.
Brilliant And accurate satire.
Great, just what we need, to infuse even MORE religion into politics. Here I thought the Obama's were for snuffing this kind of stuff out.
If Obama doesn't get re-elected we'll have the Christian Taliban, led by a Mormon cultist, (oh the irony) running the country. The Bible and the Book of Mormon will be our children's only allowed text books.
Woah, paranoid much? Can you name me any policies Romney had in place in MA that were based solely off of his Mormon faith? I'm as much anti-Romney as the next guy, but he has never done anything to indicate his religious beliefs would intermingle with his political policies. You can usually tell a lot about a guy based off of his previous examples.
didn't you see what the school board did in Texas? Completely vetted all school books to suit their christian beliefs.
not paranoid (I stand chastized and corrected) and I don't reeeaaaallllyyy think that "The Bible and the Book of Mormon will be our children's only allowed text books." but I fear that the texas schoolboard incident will happen more and more often
Yeah I can see that but I don't think it will become the norm. I'm all for people practicing their religion but it is pretty much just forcing it on people. Look at the gay marriage ban. I have no stake in either side but I can see it is a ban based solely on the Bible and that is a violation of the Consti-tution.
I thought we had separate of church and state in this country, Obama? Hypocrite.
A few months ago the web and TV were full of stories on Santorum, Perry, Bachmann, et al, speaking in fundiot churches in every state they campaigned in.
I don't seem to remember you condeming them. Why the double standard?
@Andy you troll
Because, Primewonk, Santorum has the strength of his religious convictions. The Obamas, on the other hand, only use it for politicial gain. His flip flop on gay "marriage" is a perfect example of this.
The story indicates that they must have the support of black churches, so this is just political pandering. I guess it depends how many black churches are pro abortion and pro gay marriage; they will probably vote for Barry again.
Andy
Why was Obama changing his mind on gay marriage a flip-flop? Can leaders never change their mind?
A flip flop is only a bad thing if you don't admit your previous mistake. If you try to pretend like you never changed your mind and this is what you always believed, then you are an idiot.
Obama has one thing right, you have to leave religious convinctions at the door when you are president.
Huebert, I feel he only did it to pander to the far left base. Yes, leaders can change their minds but for him it looked very shady and played.
Meanwhile, the economy is still in the toilet. Let's see how he addresses the unemployment rate in the months leading up the election.
Gay marriage isn't a far left issue. Center left maybe, more likely just plain center. You are just so far to the right you would call Reuters communist.
@ Andy – So it's OK when fundiot tea baggers campaign in churches. But not OK when Christians like the Obama's do it?
Right. Got it.
Andy, the economy is in the toilet after 8 years of Republican policy left it in freefall. Do you really think that that big a disaster can be fixed and everything would be rosy again in 3 years? Go and study some economics.
Dyslexic dog:
You first called me a "troll" then you come up with something this weak? Blaming Bush when Barry has been in office for years now?
Sounds like a surrender post. 🙂
once again I say, 3 years is not enough time to undo the 8 years in the making disaster that Obama inherited ... and especially not when the Republicans have done nothing but obstruct every step of the way. (sorry about the "troll" post too btw 🙂 )
@Primewonk – Obamas Christians? LOL!!!!!!!
Although we as Christians may plainly see the injustice and apathy of this secular world, it is unbecoming of us to involve ourselves in worldly matters, because we are no longer of this world. They who are the world speak of the world, and it is the world that hears them; but we who are of God hear God's Words exclusively, without the testimony of this world.
Either increase or decrease your dosage...The dosage you are currently on is clearly not working.
So... you're all a bunch of .... aliens? Not of this world? Do your fingers glow when you "phone home"? .. I mean.. when you talk to your "god"?
I see the loaded language of Jehovah's Witnesses in this post. Don't you have some a child abuse scandals to be worried about right now?
“Because ultimately, these are not just political issues,” she said. “They are moral issues.”
Is it moral to allow someone else to take your just punishment for crimes you committed. No ...it is christian
Is it moral to molest little boys and then cover it up? No but it has been going on for years by the Catholics and the jews.
Is it moral to murder people because they believe something differently than you do. No .It is Catholic, Muslim and countless other religions.
Do not try to tell me the church is the place to discuss "morality"
Holy Moly! You hit that nail on the head. But with that said how is it that you can completely take out your whole life's belief and totally separate that from your politics? Without a shadow of influence?
Revolution is near, Its a TAX and obama and Dems LIE, we wont raise taxes on the middle class, well a family making $30,000 a year just got a $2200 tax increase thanks to king obama.
Only if they CHOOSE to not get insurance. And if the policy is too expensive, there are provision in place to assist with the purchase.
I wonder why you left this part out? Isn't the truth included in the talking points you get from your tea bagger puppetmasters at FAUX News?
you people that watch FOX News and listen to Michelle bachmann really have no idea of what's going on do you. If you have healthcare, this is going to make no difference.
It's exactly like car insurance. We all have to have car insurance or we are fined. OH NO!!! Cue the republican uproar ... huh? ... what, you mean we have been doing that for decades and no-one has complained?
Do you know Obamacare was invented by Romney? Who are you gonna vote for then? Guess you better just stay home in November.
This is one of the most bold faced lies I have seen on the blogs. It is not true. The only government that went to war as an athiest one was the Soviet Union.
True. Talking to "God" has split up families, caused unrestrained suffering, hate crimes, a higher suicide rate, murders and an increase of psychological illnesses.
Apologies Out. I sent my lat message to the wrong person. Forgive me.
Prayer changes things .
Troll
troll, troll, troll, troll...
Truth
Truth, Truth, Truth, Truth ...
truth be told
Truth can be proven.
You mean belief, belief, belief
Two wonderful Truths both proven throughout history, first atheism is useless and has been responsible for more death and destruction in the last 100 years alone than was evidenced in all previous centuries. Second talking with God has proven more life altering change than everything else combined.
Prayer doesn’t not; you are such a LIAR. You have NO proof it changes anything! A great example of prayer proven not to work is the Christians in jail because prayer didn't work and their children died. For example: Susan Grady, who relied on prayer to heal her son. Nine-year-old Aaron Grady died and Susan Grady was arrested.
An article in the Journal of Pediatrics examined the deaths of 172 children from families who relied upon faith healing from 1975 to 1995. They concluded that four out of five ill children, who died under the care of faith healers or being left to prayer only, would most likely have survived if they had received medical care.
The statistical studies from the nineteenth century and the three CCU studies on prayer are quite consistent with the fact that humanity is wasting a huge amount of time on a procedure that simply doesn’t work. Nonetheless, faith in prayer is so pervasive and deeply rooted, you can be sure believers will continue to devise future studies in a desperate effort to confirm their beliefs!.`
truth be told
Bold statement but again...belief....
Show me anything to back up your claim. I can site thousands of examples where religions have caused more death and destruction than anything. The Catholic church alone is responsible for the vast majority of it, and I can back it up.
You cannot separate belief from truth. I pity you
Atheism etc.:
This is a lie. The only government that went to war as an athiest one was the Soviet Union.
True. Talking to "God" has split up families, caused unrestrained suffering, hate crimes, a higher suicide rate, murders and an increase of psychological illnesses.
Don't ever bother waking up if you're a dumb piece of s*#t!
POWERFUL Linda P!
Hitting the right nerve is essential!
IF YOU'RE SO GRUMPY LIKE SATAN – THEN DON'T EVER BOTHER WAKING UP!
Lovely morning(04:38 BST) already!
My enemies may wish to contest this!
If you've got such grim reapings, then;
DON'T BOTHER WAKING UP TOMORROW!
@UK Dave
You so just know how to hit the right nerve!
Seriously??? Get political from the pulpit?? Amazing how Michelle supports this idea IF they are going to talk about supporting her husband from the pulpit, but if she thought they were going to preach against Obamanomics, she'd be the first to scream "SEPERATION OF CHURCH AND STATE" Serioulsly??? We can't have prayer at any school function, but we can use the church pulpit to further a political agenda?? What's wrong with this picture????
yes it's wrong!!! The republicans hijacked religion and the flag decades ago. It's theirs I tell you ... you democrats can't have it!
a true leader is one who does not speak to separate groups of people as it furthers the belief they are separate! if a true leader, then one should speak to all as one to convey a moral standard and principles to all and push forth the standard of equality!
People are not the same. They come from many different backgrounds and have different wants and needs. A true leader reconciles the differences between groups of people and convinces them of a common goal or purpose - for instance, the good of America.
we are all people from the same country... the countries issues are all of our issues and should be addressed as such not make a separation seem like nothing because in doing you highlight the separation...speak to us as one and maybe in time we will act as such in turn.
I tickle criminals!
I tickle the Mafia!
I tickle governments!
I tickle Bilderberg!
I tickle Illuminati!
I even tickle the Church!
See how my prayers are answered!
THE TICKLE MONSTERS ARE COMING!
Gosh! I just love tickle monsters!
Tickle monster me any day!
A tickle is well worth the risk!
BRING ON THE TICKLE MONSTERS!
are they made of spaghetti ... ?
I've a habit of making friends!
What's your habit?
Losing friends!
I've a habit of making friends too!
cocaine!
Most of the Black churches are all but empty on Sunday and any other day. All Americans should get out and vote,:however God's will be done for the best .
Where did this picture come from? I was there and this picture was taken somewhere else. Does that backdrop look like a black church event? What's up CNN?
It is cheaper for CNN to use a stock photo than to pay someone for their photo of the event.