Comments on: Barack Obama and Reinhold Niebuhr http://www.thebigdaddyweave.com/2007/05/barack-obama-and-reinhold-niebuhr.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=barack-obama-and-reinhold-niebuhr News & Commentary About All Things Baptist Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:32:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Dan Trabue http://www.thebigdaddyweave.com/2007/05/barack-obama-and-reinhold-niebuhr.html#comment-970 Dan Trabue Fri, 11 May 2007 13:18:00 +0000 http://www.thebigdaddyweave.com/?p=186#comment-970 Dan Trabue: Just a good ol' boy from Kentucky. No education to speak of, but then, I do wear shoes most of the time, at least... <br/><br/>In my defense, though, I can play a pretty mean game of disc golf and have a passing familiarity with the Bible and a few other books.<br/><br/>I'm with Michael, Bush's scraping through Yale was due to money and name. Bush's businesses were largely handed to him and largely ran down by him.<br/><br/>Further, I don't know that "accomplished businessman" is in any way an especially noble title. Ken Lay was an accomplished businessman. The Vanderbilt's were accomplished businessmen. Some would say that Dillinger was an accomplished businessman or that our friends in the mafia were accomplished businessmen.<br/><br/>The people that the prophets railed against in the Bible were often accomplished businessmen...<br/><br/>Well, you get the point. Dan Trabue: Just a good ol’ boy from Kentucky. No education to speak of, but then, I do wear shoes most of the time, at least…

In my defense, though, I can play a pretty mean game of disc golf and have a passing familiarity with the Bible and a few other books.

I’m with Michael, Bush’s scraping through Yale was due to money and name. Bush’s businesses were largely handed to him and largely ran down by him.

Further, I don’t know that “accomplished businessman” is in any way an especially noble title. Ken Lay was an accomplished businessman. The Vanderbilt’s were accomplished businessmen. Some would say that Dillinger was an accomplished businessman or that our friends in the mafia were accomplished businessmen.

The people that the prophets railed against in the Bible were often accomplished businessmen…

Well, you get the point.

]]> By: Michael Westmoreland-White http://www.thebigdaddyweave.com/2007/05/barack-obama-and-reinhold-niebuhr.html#comment-968 Michael Westmoreland-White Thu, 10 May 2007 15:25:00 +0000 http://www.thebigdaddyweave.com/?p=186#comment-968 Bart:<br/> The fact that Bush graduated (or was even admitted to) Yale and Harvard Business School shows that money trumps brains. It's very sad.<br/><br/>As for "accomplished businessman," Bush's business ventures were failures. "Twice elected" President? Really? He flunked the popular vote in '00 and if the Supreme Court hadn't weighed in, he would have also lost the electoral college. In '04 he did win the popular vote, but there are so many questions about Ohio that it is possible that this election was also stolen."<br/><br/>Obama seems to have learned many of the right things from Niebuhr. One CAN read Reinie in a very hawkish way, but Jimmy Carter (the last theologically-informed president we've had) did not and it looks like Obama doesn't either. Obama's denomination, the United Church of Christ, is a 1957 fusion of the Evangelical and Reformed Church (which gave us the Niebuhr brothers) and the Congregationalists. <br/><br/>I wonder what other theologians, if any, Obama has read.<br/><br/>Dan, I would not be surprised to find several other candidates have read some theologians. Although I dislike her, several articles have shown that Hillary Clinton is deeply rooted in United Methodism and has kept in touch with significant portions of her heritage. Bill Richardson seems to be a very well informed Catholic. John Edwards was raised Southern Baptist and became United Methodist, but I am not sure how much theology he has read. Bart:
The fact that Bush graduated (or was even admitted to) Yale and Harvard Business School shows that money trumps brains. It’s very sad.

As for “accomplished businessman,” Bush’s business ventures were failures. “Twice elected” President? Really? He flunked the popular vote in ’00 and if the Supreme Court hadn’t weighed in, he would have also lost the electoral college. In ’04 he did win the popular vote, but there are so many questions about Ohio that it is possible that this election was also stolen.”

Obama seems to have learned many of the right things from Niebuhr. One CAN read Reinie in a very hawkish way, but Jimmy Carter (the last theologically-informed president we’ve had) did not and it looks like Obama doesn’t either. Obama’s denomination, the United Church of Christ, is a 1957 fusion of the Evangelical and Reformed Church (which gave us the Niebuhr brothers) and the Congregationalists.

I wonder what other theologians, if any, Obama has read.

Dan, I would not be surprised to find several other candidates have read some theologians. Although I dislike her, several articles have shown that Hillary Clinton is deeply rooted in United Methodism and has kept in touch with significant portions of her heritage. Bill Richardson seems to be a very well informed Catholic. John Edwards was raised Southern Baptist and became United Methodist, but I am not sure how much theology he has read.

]]> By: Bart Barber http://www.thebigdaddyweave.com/2007/05/barack-obama-and-reinhold-niebuhr.html#comment-964 Bart Barber Wed, 09 May 2007 00:53:00 +0000 http://www.thebigdaddyweave.com/?p=186#comment-964 Dan,<br/><br/>Bush: Yale graduate, accomplished businessman, twice-elected President of the United States.<br/><br/>Bart Barber: Measures up pretty poorly against that list.<br/><br/>Dan Trabue: ??? Dan,

Bush: Yale graduate, accomplished businessman, twice-elected President of the United States.

Bart Barber: Measures up pretty poorly against that list.

Dan Trabue: ???

]]> By: Dan Trabue http://www.thebigdaddyweave.com/2007/05/barack-obama-and-reinhold-niebuhr.html#comment-960 Dan Trabue Tue, 08 May 2007 12:33:00 +0000 http://www.thebigdaddyweave.com/?p=186#comment-960 Impressive. At a guess, none of the remaining candidates - Dem or Republican - could <i>spell</i> Reinhold Niebuhr, much less have read him. Kucinich, maybe.<br/><br/>And, of course, our current prez likely couldn't <i>pronounce</i> his name, much less spell or have read him.<br/><br/>Bad Dan... Impressive. At a guess, none of the remaining candidates – Dem or Republican – could spell Reinhold Niebuhr, much less have read him. Kucinich, maybe.

And, of course, our current prez likely couldn’t pronounce his name, much less spell or have read him.

Bad Dan…

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