Here is a more complete transcription of Obama’s speech, taken directly from the US Senate website:
Moreover, given the increasing diversity of America’s population, the dangers of sectarianism have never been greater. Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers.
And even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools? Would we go with James Dobson’s, or Al Sharpton’s? Which passages of Scripture should guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is ok and that eating shellfish is abomination? How about Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount - a passage that is so radical that it’s doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application? So before we get carried away, let’s read our bibles. Folks haven’t been reading their bibles.
So, according to Obama we are not a Christian nation, and you know what? He doesn’t sound the least bit upset about that.
Here is the full transcription
Now, after reading his speech, this concerns me, as a Christian, even more, because Obama is specifically stating that he will not endorse anything that cannot be defended outside of religion or God’s will. In other words, what the Bible says will have absolutely no bearing on what he does.
This brings me to my second point. Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God’s will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all.
So if the bible teaches that homosexuality is wrong, it doesn’t matter to Obama because he would require a reason that would also apply to atheists.
The only conclusion to draw from this, regardless of what Obama says about being a Christian or his religious beliefs, is that he will not seek Godly council.
