It sounds like euphoria in the States for many now that Obama has got in. The internet is full of OTT statements about this new president. It seems in Britain that many are pleased as, compared with Bush, he appears to have a very different approach to Afghanistan and Iraq. The general feeling is that we will be glad to see the back of Bush who pulled us into a war that we did not agree with. It is with these issues that I feel Obama could be a champion of righteousness and justice. Some Christians may disagree but personally I feel this is a greater issue than Obama’s stance on abortion or gay marriages.All this talk about change for the better reminds me of when Blair became prime minister. I wonder how long it will last. I also wonder how much of his popularity is due to media hype, as we heard so much more about Obama than McCain in the lead up to the election. But if Obama can take America - and the rest of us - through the current financial crisis well and handle the Middle East and the War on Terror sensibly I think he has the potential to be one of American’s greatest presidents. I also hope that Obama’s election will be a step forward for racial equality in the States. But who knows? Only time will tell.
Thanks to Jack Thielepape and Kris Kros on flickr for the photo.
UPDATE: I've just seen this little book by a Christian publisher. It's a biography that emphasises Obama's faith in Jesus and is written for kids aged 9-12. It looks good.
3 comments:
Hey Dave =D
he appears to have a very different approach to Afghanistan and Iraq... It is with these issues that I feel Obama could be a champion of righteousness and justice. Some Christians may disagree but personally I feel this is a greater issue than Obama’s stance on abortion or gay marriages.
After living in Britain for 2 years, I think Americans and British have different opinions on these issues. Homosexuality is open, casual, and "normal" in the UK. Christianity is in lapse, and it is indeed a "post-Christian" culture.
However, America is still a more "Christian" culture (even though it is very much not a Christian nation), and homosexuality is still very much taboo. Similarly, abortion is the number one most hotly debated topic in American politics, and it is far from settled.
I think it is easy for the British to dismiss these issues as "old news," because for Britain, it is old news. However, for Americans, and most Christian Americans, these issues represent the front-line of the battle to maintain Godly principles in a fallen world.
Anyway, all that to say- in America, it is far from where Britain is. Instead of conceding and letting it slip further to the UK's post-Christian state of affairs, America is still in the midst of a "culture war" that is far from over.
I think you're right though- time will tell us what to think of Barack Obama =D.
Yes, I find it hard to identify with some of the American Christian right wing ‘moral majority’ views. I am certainly a believer but I wouldn’t describe myself as a fundamentalist and I see what often passes for faith in the States as just too legalistic. The arguments about some of the issues which they stand for may be valid but I think they are out of proportion to the larger issues that the world is facing.
hope he does well after this big build up.i think he could be a good leader.paul. has UCB radio gone off the air, we cant seem to get it any more.
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