President Obama gave a speech today at The National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. For past-presidents this would certainly not rank very high on the press' "sexy" list but with President Obama it certainly does. Many Americans (and at least one Canadian I should add) question his faith. I would be ecstatic to hear that President Obama is, at the very least, doubting. Most Americans on the otherhand view such skepticism in the supernatural in the same light as "sins" like theft, adultery, and rape (oh the possibilities for a Pope joke here).
While President Obama reaffirmed his commitment to Christianity during his speech to believers today, I still hold that he is far more a wise man than a Christian one. He knows his approval ratings would nose dive at a rate similar to Piers Morgan's viewership if he were to even hint at questioning his beliefs. Not to mention the fact that he is in his first term with a pack of bible-thumping, gun wielding, tea-baggers cocked, loaded, and awaiting election season. If he decided to be the first modern era President to publicly question his faith he would at least wait until the farewell tour of his second term.
So after reading his speech from this morning I am certainly not any less ardent in my theory (see hope) that President Obama is an atheist. I am, however, happy to have read a portion of his speech where he discusses his parents and upbringing. He describes his father as a "non-believer" and his mother as "growing up with a certain skepticism" (this is his way of saying she was atheist without giving America a collective heart attack). It's what he says he learned from his mother that brought a smile to my face and, I feel, was a subtle message to atheists, agnostics, and skeptics. He said that his mother "was somebody who was instinctively guided by the golden rule and who nagged me constantly about the homespun values of her Kansas upbringing, values like honesty and hard work, and kindness and fair play. And it's because of her that I came to understand the equal worth of all men and all women, and the imperatives of an ethical life, and the necessity to act on your beliefs."
Get ready to soil your gitch America. You have a president that learned his "Christian values" from an atheist. Values on which many believers feel they hold a monopoly. How many times have we atheists heard the argument that without a belief in God one is unable to live a life of morality? Right-wing believers may hate his politics but look me in the eye (just click on "
About Your Bartender") and tell me the guy is amoral. Then again, you can look me in the eye and tell me you believe the story of Noah so forget it.
I'm no conspiracy theorist but I really think Obama is speaking to the skeptical population when his speeches contain these subtle passages. I think he wants us to know that he has doubts, respects skepticism, and knows we're good people even if we don't believe.
