October 7, 2007
Obama: GOP doesn't own faith and values
Obama told an evangelical church in South Carolina: "I am confident we
can create a Kingdom right here on Earth."
GREENVILLE, South Carolina (CNN) After speaking to an evangelical church on
Sunday in this traditionally conservative South Carolina city, Sen. Barack
Obama said that Republicans no longer have a firm grip on religion in political
discourse.
"I think its important particularly for those of us in the Democratic party
to not cede values and faith to any one party," Obama told reporters outside
the Redemption World Outreach Center where he attended services.
"I think that what you're seeing is a breaking down of the sharp divisions
that existed maybe during the nineties, when at least in politics the
perception was that the Democrats were fearful of talking about faith, and on
the other hand you had the Republicans who had a particular brand of faith that
often times seemed intolerant or pushed people away," he said.
Obama noted that he was pleased leaders in the evangelical community like
T.D. Jakes and Rick Warren were beginning to discuss social justice issues like
AIDS and poverty in ways evangelicals were not doing before.
"I think that's a healthy thing, that we're not putting people in boxes, that
everybody is out there trying to figure out how do we live right and how do we
create a stronger America," Obama said.
During the nearly two hour service that featured a rock band and hip-hop
dancers, Obama shared the floor with the church's pastor, Ron Carpenter. The
senator from Illinois asked the multiracial crowd of nearly 4,000 people to
keep him and his family in their prayers, and said he hoped to be "an
instrument of God."
"Sometimes this is a difficult road being in politics," Obama said.
"Sometimes you can become fearful, sometimes you can become vain, sometimes you
can seek power just for power's sake instead of because you want to do service
to God. I just want all of you to pray that I can be an instrument of God in
the same way that Pastor Ron and all of you are instruments of God."
He finished his brief remarks by saying, "We're going to keep on praising
together. I am confident that we can create a Kingdom right here on Earth."
Asked by CNN if he talks about faith more in churchgoing South Carolina than
he does in the other early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, Obama said:
"I don't talk about it all the time, but when I'm in church I talk about it."
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