John McCain prefers a Christian president

Parent Cafe
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<p><a href=“http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070930/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_faith[/url]”>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070930/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_faith&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>"Sen. John McCain said in an interview published Saturday that he would prefer a Christian president over someone of a different faith, calling it “an important part of our qualifications to lead.” </p>

<p>I wonder what has happened to this guy.</p>

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<p>Wow. It’s especially disheartening that, not only does he now espouse that, but that he apparently figures it’s a safe, defensible thing to say, too.</p>

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<p>Some of the rest of the story -

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<p>yeah, he did backpedal, didn’t he? It apparently became less of an important qualification when he thought more about it.</p>

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<p>He just said he ‘preferred’ it and also expanded on his statements. I don’t know that he backpedaled or it was all part of the same context since I wasn’t there listening to him. People will read into this what they want. It seems to me that he was honest and there are likely lots of others who have similar opinions as him (I’m not one).</p>

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<p>McCain doesn’t seem to know his history that well.</p>

<p>If anything, this country was founded on deist principles.</p>

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<p>don’t know if this is worse than Justice Thomas who is one angry dude</p>

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<p>It’s almost like the Republicans are competing in ‘Who is the worst of them all?’ game show.</p>

<p>McCain thinks the President must be a Christian in this progressively diversifying country… Who’s the alternate? Guilliani, a candidate who was carrying on with another woman (now his 3rd wife) while being married to his second wife! His own flesh and blood, son does not even talk to him. His daughter was actually rooting for Obama on her website! How’s is this guy as a candidate of ‘family values’?</p>

<p>Justice Thomas - despite being replete with self pity, rancor, and bitterness and completely amnesic about his old alcohol problem, looks as guilty (of sexual harrassment) today as he did 16 years ago!</p>

<p>I say, it’s time for women to start taking over the reins of this runaway train. Go Hillary!</p>

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<p>One of 'em even tried to say this week that the Constitution established the US as Christian country. Sheesh. I’m sure the idiot probably called for “strict constructionist” Supreme Court justices in the same stump speech. Of course, being Catholic seems to be a litmus test for Republican appointees to the Court.</p>

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<p>To be fair, he does not say that the President must be a Christian. What he says is bad enough.</p>

<p>Here’s the actual interview transcript:</p>

<p><a href=“John McCain on Islam, Mormonism, America as a Christian nation, his move from an Episcopal to Baptist church - Beliefnet”>John McCain on Islam, Mormonism, America as a Christian nation, his move from an Episcopal to Baptist church - Beliefnet;

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<p>“I say, it’s time for women to start taking over the reins of this runaway train. Go Hillary!”</p>

<p>I agree, pharmagal!</p>

<p>BTW can you share a reference about Clarence Thomas’ old alcohol problem?</p>

<p>{I haven’t read his book, but from the interview i saw, he is still teeming with self-pity and bitterness! AND still very unwilling to extend the same helping hand to others that brought him to the hightest court in the land.}</p>

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<p>I would support a Christian, Jew, or somone not believing in God. I wouldn’t support a muslim unless the candidate repudiated most of the beliefs of Muslims. </p>

<p>Clarence Thomas’ story is an amazing one. He truly represents the American dream of starting with nothing and rising to the highest court in the land. </p>

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Extending a helping hand is simply not the role of the U.S. Supreme Court. Its role is to apply law regardless of who benefits from that application. Your helping hand is the responsiblity of elected officials. They have done a good job of helping their hands into the pockets of Americans and future generations. I don’t think they need the Supreme Court to join in the fun.</p>

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<p>My first reaction was “and what does McCain have against Lieberman?”</p>

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<p>Which Muslim views would you want a candidate to repudiate, razorsharp? Just asking as a hypothetical; I don’t expect any serious Muslim candidates in my lifetime.</p>

<p>The only aspect of Islam (the real religion, not that misinterpreted by fanatics) I’d have a problem with is the tendency not to want to separate religion and the state. Ironically, that is the same problem I have with the religious right. I guess I dislike fanatics of every stripe.</p>

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Bingo! One of the fundamental principles of Islam is there should be no separation of church and state. </p>

<p>I also have problems with how Islam treats women. Keeping women separate from men at all times means women are second class citizens. Determining how women must dress based on religion is offensive to me. Burka’s, etc. are simply evidence of male ownership of women. They get away with it because they say it is their god’s will.</p>

<p>There are many more problems with Islam but those are the big two.</p>

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<p>God Bless John McCain.</p>

<p>While I don’t agree with alot he says lately, I am willing to listen. Even though I am opposed to some of his stands, I respect that he is open about them and does not attack me for my positions. He is one of the few that can have an honest open disagreement with somebody and not try and leave a scorched earth in the disagreement. </p>

<p>There was a time I would vote for John, it may have passed, but I still respect the guy.</p>

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<p>“I also have problems with how Islam treats women. Keeping women separate from men at all times means women are second class citizens. Determining how women must dress based on religion is offensive to me. Burka’s, etc. are simply evidence of male ownership of women. They get away with it because they say it is their god’s will.”</p>

<p>Those practices are not derived from Islam. They are features of many of the cultures that adhere to Islam. Careful to separate the culture from the religion.</p>

<p>I lived for a year and a half in the Yemen Arab Republic. My neighbors, friendly and hospitable all, referred to me as “the Christian,” and I was aware that all of my words and actions were interpreted through that lens. Yikes!</p>

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You make an excellent point. However, when confronted with their poor behavior, Muslims point to their god as a justification for their behavior. I think a lot of the poor treatment of women derives from the example of Muhammad.</p>

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<p>Exactly - the treatment of women in the Koran is not that much different from the treatment of women in Christian or Jewish religious texts.</p>

<p>For example, in Egypt, the practice of female circumcision is being battled by an unusual coalition of the govt., feminists and Islamic scholars, however, long-time cultural traditions (which predate Islam) are hard to overcome.</p>

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<p>Uhh, you do know that Muslims worship the SAME God as Christians and Jews – the God of Abraham.</p>

<p>And actually, Muhammad had a pretty progressive view with regard to women for his time.</p>

<p>Muhammad’s first wife, Khadijah, previously had been married (twice) and she was a powerful businesswoman (of great intellect and compassion for the needy).</p>

<p>Muhammad’s love for her was so great that he didn’t take another wife until Khadijah died some 25 years later (which devestated him).</p>

<p>The poor treatment of women has little to do with Muhammad, but everything to do with the typical pateralism that is found in all societies, esp. by males holding religious power (the Middle East, particularly the rural, areas, just hasn’t gone through the “reformation” that other cultures have gone through).</p>

<p>As for the whole “Christian nation” thing - the Founding Fathers (Congress)pretty much repudiated any notion of such a thing when they ratified the Treaty of Tripoli in 1796.</p>

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I understand this is what Muslims say, but there is a difference between theory and practice. I do not believe the God Christians pray to would support the flying of two planes into the World Trade Center killing approximate 3000 people in his name and in the name of the religion of Islam. I do not believe the God Christians worship would support the horrible treatment of women so common in Islam. I cannot believe the God Christians worship would support killing someone because he made silly cartoons of Muhammad. The only logical conclusion is that Muslims pray to a god other than the Christian God.</p>

<p>If you wish think Muhammad was progressive in his treatment of women as demonstrated by his engagement to a six year old while he was 53, I don’t know what progressive means. I would call it pedophelia.</p>