Re: [asa] Thoughts on the new president

Burgy -

Apparently I don't listen to Rush et al as regularly as you! (Generally only when I'm in the car & there's a commercial break on Rome's sports talk show & the music on NPR is tedious.) It's consistent with the childish level of most of his humor that he's made use of Obama's initials as I noted.

I do have a quote from one of his books in _The Cosmos in the Light of the Cross_ to illustrate one strand of bad religious argument about the environment (basically "No problem - God will take care of us.")

Shalom,
George

---- "John Burgeson (ASA member)" <hossradbourne@gmail.com> wrote:
> Have to ask where you've been, friend George. Those initials are not
> new to the "cause" of the yahoos among us. (I know -- I spend far too
> much time listening to some of them).
>
> I agree with "BHO" as a necessary curative.
>
> On 1/22/09, gmurphy10@neo.rr.com <gmurphy10@neo.rr.com> wrote:
> > It hadn't struck me before but the initials BO could be fodder for
> > anti-Obama jokes. Maybe we should go with BHO if we need an abbreviation.
> > (I'm not suggesting that Iain had any maleficient intent!)
> >
> > Shalom,
> > George
> >
> >
> > ---- Iain Strachan <igd.strachan@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> I think the phrase you are objecting to is just a bit of journalistic
> >> writing. It is more interesting to see it in the context:
> >>
> >> Most of all, he feels
> >> deep in his heart that our problems can never be solved, let alone to
> >> the full satisfaction of all, by harping on our acute differences and
> >> rubbing in ad nauseam our past mutual hurts, but only by looking into
> >> the future, holding hands together as dedicated citizens of the nation
> >> and of the world
> >>
> >> From my listening to Obama's speeches (I've heard the one he gave
> >> exactly a year ago at the MLK church, and the inaugural speech), this
> >> certainly seems to be a recurring Obama theme - that we should
> >> concentrate on what we have in common to work together, rather than
> >> fighting over differences. Since it recurs so often it would seem
> >> reasonable to say that at the very least it is something he feels
> >> passionately about.
> >>
> >> I noticed, for example from the inaugural speech, that BO acknowledged
> >> the role of non-believers (is this a first?) in saying something like
> >> "We are a nation of Christians and Muslims and Jews and Hindus - and
> >> non-believers" - the implication being that all had something to
> >> offer.
> >>
> >> Maybe that's a bit wishy-washy for some? But I rather liked the
> >> intent to try and avoid the war between science and religion,
> >> believers and non-believers, and start working together.
> >>
> >> Iain
> >>
> >>
> >> On Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 12:30 PM, Nucacids <nucacids@wowway.com> wrote:
> >> > Let's not abandon critical thinking. For example, Raman writes, "Most
> >> > of
> >> > all, he feels deep in his heart.." How does Raman know what Obama
> >> > feels
> >> > "deep in his heart?" From the way he speaks, one gets the impression
> >> > that
> >> > Raman is a close friend of Obama. Is this true?
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Mike
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Iain Strachan"
> >> > <igd.strachan@gmail.com>
> >> > To: "ASA" <asa@calvin.edu>
> >> > Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2009 5:20 AM
> >> > Subject: [asa] Thoughts on the new president
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >> >From "Science and Religion Today":
> >> >>
> >> >> "From all that we have seen and heard and read, Obama is a man of
> >> >> unusual intelligence, insight, and vision. He is a rare combination of
> >> >> idealism and activism, a politician and citizen who considers himself
> >> >> an American first and foremost, rather than an individual with a
> >> >> hyphenated nationality and subgroup loyalties. He is, in the tradition
> >> >> of the country, a man of faith, but also enlightened enough to respect
> >> >> those who find fulfillment beyond his own pews, or in no traditional
> >> >> religion at all. He has his own convictions about traditional
> >> >> morality, but respects those of others in so far as they don't perturb
> >> >> the personal lives of their fellow citizens. Most of all, he feels
> >> >> deep in his heart that our problems can never be solved, let alone to
> >> >> the full satisfaction of all, by harping on our acute differences and
> >> >> rubbing in ad nauseam our past mutual hurts, but only by looking into
> >> >> the future, holding hands together as dedicated citizens of the nation
> >> >> and of the world," says V.V. Raman, an emeritus professor of physics
> >> >> and humanities at the Rochester Institute of Technology, in a note to
> >> >> Science & Religion Today.
> >> >> "Obama is acutely aware of the dangers lurking in the environment as a
> >> >> result of unbridled industrial excesses, and he trusts scientifically
> >> >> informed advisers to recommend steps to curb and eliminate these
> >> >> dangers. He respects science and science education in our schools,
> >> >> relegating visions of a Creator God to places of worship and tradition
> >> >> rather than to biology classes."
> >> >>
> >> >> (Please note: I am from the UK and don't have a political axe to
> >> >> grind, but I thought these observations were encouraging).
> >> >>
> >> >> Iain
> >> >>
> >> >> --
> >> >> -----------
> >> >> Non timeo sed caveo
> >> >>
> >> >> -----------
> >> >>
> >> >> To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
> >> >> "unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> --
> >> >> No virus found in this incoming message.
> >> >> Checked by AVG.
> >> >> Version: 7.5.552 / Virus Database: 270.10.10 - Release Date: 1/19/2009
> >> >> 12:00 AM
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> -----------
> >> Non timeo sed caveo
> >>
> >> -----------
> >>
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> >
> >
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> >
>
>
> --
> Burgy
>
> www.burgy.50megs.com
>
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Received on Thu Jan 22 10:28:35 2009