For Obama at Saddleback, a Tough Crowd on Some Issues

I read the comments and those of you who are Liberals are unbelievable. You think McCain pandered to the audience -- like Obama didn't citing a Bible verse -- no he only sat in a church for 20 years listening to a minister who preached hatred of whites, America and Israel along with his friend Flegler. He has never associated with anyone except radicals -- Ayers, Frank Marshall (his mentor who was a member of the Communist party in Hawaii). Maybe instead of taking him at face value, you should really investigate as to who this man is.

..."Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans..." Barack Obama

To Barack: While I could not vote for McCain, I am disgusted with your lack of integrity and support when it comes to the LGBTQ community and marriage. Either you want to give the LGBTQ community complete respect or none at all. A little respect is not good enough. Complete dignity and respect is showing support for our equality which obviously includes marriage. Sure, the issue of gay marriage is the 'third rail', but then don't say you're about "change" because in the end, when you can look the LGBTQ community in the eye, in front of evangelicals, and say boldly and proudly that you do not believe in gay marriage, you have rendered me invisible. You don't see me, then I won't see you. You're no better than the rest of the politicians.
At some point "change I can believe in" has got to include the rights of adult individuals to marry whether gay or straight.
Not that long ago, the marraige between white and black people was illegal too. You wouldn't exist if the people had not stood up to an inhumane law that had to eventually have the support of government.
Politicians are politicans. They say what they must to get elected. However, you claim to be different. Question: Why do you not believe in gay marriage? Why can't you say you personally support it? Is it because, deep down, the union of gay people wedded in holy matrimony repulses you? Could you actually befriend a gay married couple and not respect their choice? How is it that you can meet upstsanding, loving and accomplished gay people and not believe that two consenting, non-related adults have the right to marry? Are we less than human to you? Since we don't choose our gender, how could you not support a natural outgrowth of two consenting adults who want to pledge their lives to one another, gay or straight? What difference is there to you, really?
Because of your popularlity, your lack of respect sets us back.
Too many of us are silent right now because we're so often beat down but we need to fight you.
No complete recognition to LGBTQ, no vote from me or my friends.

If Baracko makes you feel safe and confident about the future, you must have missed this forum! He stutters like a child and dances around every question to make it warm and fuzzy. Very scary, America!!

One last question; What does it tell you if someone admits he doesn’t know when life begins, BUT can tell everyone it can be terminated when you want it to be. That’s blunt… it looks like someone cares more about an issue than life itself.

Destroy an unborn human and its okay, step on an eagle’s egg and you get fined. What are we thinking?

Obama cannot string four words together without his teleprompter!!Talk about stammering, stuttering, and doubletalk..Jeez!

I never thought I would say this....BUT...
For once Jesse Jackson said ALL THE RIGHT THINGS!!!

Irony is obama supporters complaining about McCain sounding prepared and scripted.

Barry

You say you wonder if Evangelicals practice what they preach. How about it if you move away from your sheltered starbucks life and spend some time in a church. You will find that most live the life they talk. The work hard to ensure they are not living a dead faith. Meaning, that if you have faith, but do not do gods work, then your faith without works is dead.

I am relieved that there are people out there who are very observant. This was not an impartial forum because it was so clear that McCain was privy to the questions ahead of time. That is the reason he was grinning like a Cheshire cat and answering questions before they were asked. My opinion is that Rick Warren was complicit in the entire fiasco. This makes it crystal clear that evangelicals are not interested in fair play. If this had happened on Obama-supported turf and the tables were turned on McCain, it would have been equally unfair. Of course this behavior makes the USA highly favored among nations of the world. So the casting of other nations, e.g. Russia, in bad light needs to cease until the American government cleans up the filth in its backyard. Elect McCain and you will deserve every modicum of suffering that he and his cronies, including the Supreme Court Justices, will heap upon you. Of course, off-shore drilling will immediately reduce gas and food prices ---tee hee, tee hee....Stop being so naive.

I was sitting front row at the Saddleback hosted event

I am a current member of Saddleback.

I sat in the front row at the forum and it was a experience I will cherish for the rest of my life.

I live within 1/4 mile of Saddleback.

All I can say is that, I have been blessed enough to have visited over 14 countries around the world. The memory I retain from the past weekend is something I will cherish for a lifetime.

And I was one of two people who was able to shake the hand of Obama. Yeah... McCain ignored me.

After listening on the radio, I am very Very impressd with who John McCain IS and who B.Obama IS'NT. B.Obama IS NOT Presidential material, plain & simple. McCain's straightforward honest answers is what connected with me. I think he won the election tonight, he found his voice...

I thought it was mediated fairly although I don't agree with the views of many Evangenitals.

I think too many Evangelicals miss the boat when it comes to dealing with abortion. I think it's sad that hearing a candidate say he wants to work to reduce the number of abortions doesn't generate a more enthusiastic response.

Do ordinary Evangelicals understand the limited effect if Roe v. Wade were to be overturned? If Roe was reversed, that would not make abortion illegal, it would simply revert abortion back to the states. My total guess is that only about a third of the states would actually significantly outlaw abortion. In that case, women seeking abortions could just drive across state lines to a state where abortion was legal. I predict we would see abortion clinics built right along the borders of anti-abortion states.

All this energy is being spent on the political and legal arena, for an outcome that would change very little. Evangelicals should change their focus to transforming the hearts and minds of Americans to convince them that human life is sacred and abortion is wrong. (BTW, the sanctity of human life is a slightly separate question from whether human life begins at conception. I think the latter is a more problematic argument that doesn't need to be made to convince people that abortion is wrong.)

Shouldn't reducing the actual number of abortions be the goal? Not just some empty poltical/legal victory?

im a true conservative and in no way was going to vote for McCain. i was going to sit this one out...but after last night, John doesn't seem as bad as i once had thought.
I can't believe the Messiah(barry) danced around the questions like he danced on the Ellen Degeneres show. I am voting for Mccain.... Obama is not ready to lead. he is great reading off a teleprompter or reciting a speech that someone else wrote, but he is not a non action guy...I am so glad hillary isn't running..she was definatly the more qualified of the democratic candidates...The only difference between oBama and oSama..is the BS!

So did Reverend Warren even wonder WHY McCain was thirty minutes late? Did he even wonder IF someone fed him some of the questions as he strolled into the "cone of silence"?

Typical...McCain does not get challenged about his behavior and Obama is scrutinized because he takes the time to actually ponder and reflect on a question instead of shooting back a prepared and facile answer.

This country is hostile to thinkers and friendly to slogan talkers.

Barry blew it big time.

I aplaud both of these gentleman for their courage in seeking this office in difficult days. I respect both of them and I acknowledge that I am not God and I don't know which will be the best president. But, please realize that these postings are saying a lot about our hearts and our true beliefs. Neither gentleman is anywhere near perfect. I will vote my conscience and try not to cast stones.

I just heard that McCain was never in the "cone of silence" referred to by Pastor Warren. When asked by Rick if he was comfortable in that "cone of silence," McCain joked that he was in an adjacent room "listening through the wall"--when apparently he was not and could have heard all the questions in advance. It was clear to those of us watching impartially that he knew much of the early script in advance. Some of his answers were too pat to be spontaneous responses to tough questions--about moral failings, Supreme Court appointees, etc. Plain and simple, McCain lied to Warren's first question and probably had a huge unfair advantage. I assume that Pastor Warren was not complicit in this and that he will disavow any link to McCain, and throw his support to the honest candidate--Barack Obama. What is Warren's response to all this? Jack

I am a Democrat, but after tonight, hearing BHO and JMcCain, I definitely would vote for McCain, he is almost twice as old as BHO and has twice the smarts and does not hesitate to answer. His experience was in full swing tonight. Go, John, Go Hope from Pa.

"I thought it quite interesting the way Obama avoided the question of when an unborn child has rights... Come on, Barak, have the GUTS tpo say what you think."
What about the people who have the guts to take a provisional position when there is not enough evidence. That's the problem with fundamentalism: it is too uncomfortable with mystery and must have an absolute position on everything, no matter how irrational. But even the bible does not prescribe personhood to a fetus until it gets the "breath of life" at birth. Infants are not even counted in censuses either, and the only verse that mentions the death of a fetus requires only a fine, unless the mother is killed. The superimposition of personhood onto blastulas and zygotes and cells in petri dishes is not in any bible verse I've ever seen and so Obama does have wiggle room there- sorry. He also brings up the elephant in the room considering Christian's inharmonious acceptance of IVF and complacency over loss of fertalized eggs, yet aggression over stem cells. Think about it people. Oh, last, fans of Warren's best seller need to see it get DEMOLISHED by Robert Price's "The Reason Driven Life."

John McCain came across as the more seasoned, experienced, and decisive of the two candidates. When it comes to leadership and solving the numerous problems facing this country, John McCain stood head and shoulders above Obama.