Comments | keilexandra: 2008 Presidential Inauguration

keilexandra

2008 Presidential Inauguration

Jan 20, 2009 17:31

I didn't expect to see the inauguration live, but I did--a lucky coincidence of class scheduling. I was struck by Barack Obama's inclusion of "non-believers" in his list of American faiths; it was an ironic moment in a ceremony of barely veiled religious pageantry. The "invocation" (aka prayer) by Rick Warren, "So help me God" in both Congressional ( Read more... )

religion, race

Comments 12

rachelmanija January 20 2009, 22:43:16 UTC

I think we'll see a non-Christian president before we see an atheist president.

A Muslim candidate would face enormous prejudice, but I think a Jewish candidate would be possible. Of course anti-Semitism still rages, but people seemed not to have much of a problem with Joe Leiberman. (On the basis of his religion, I mean; many of us despised him for other reasons!)

keilexandra January 21 2009, 00:15:17 UTC

Oh, yes. If you follow that link to the Gallup poll (which I've referenced before), I think 90+% of Americans would vote for a Jewish Presidential candidate.

I think (I hope) I will live to see a non-Christian president. But an atheist president--seeing the state of religious prejudice against my particular faith, no, I don't dare keep that slim of a hope.

kaigou January 20 2009, 22:46:58 UTC

I noticed the announcer said "H" in the introductions, but the oath was the same (well except for Roberts' reversal) as always, with full name. It just went by so fast, is all. I was expecting it to be, y'know, LONGER. Or something.

Frankly, I think they should've ditched Warren and focused on Lowry, even if I was halfway worried for the first few minutes of the benediction that the man was about to fall over. (Sometimes it's a little disturbing to see that even heroes can get so old.)

lady_puck9999 January 21 2009, 04:03:15 UTC

It would be interesting to see, if a non-Christian president was elected, what thy would do with the "So help me God." Like, if a pagan was elected, would EVERYONE have to say "So help me Goddess," or just the president elect?

glishara January 21 2009, 14:30:54 UTC

The "so help me god" part is actually optional. I didn't think the administering official was supposed to prompt it at all, though Roberts did, so I could be wrong. But not every president has said it, and it is definitely not part of the constitutionally mandated oath.

keilexandra January 21 2009, 22:38:11 UTC

That's good to know. Roberts prompted so I assumed that it was part of the official oath.

haucuzha January 28 2009, 01:50:02 UTC

I personally like to take it a few steps farther.
Openly gay, agnostic/atheist, single (though maybe married might be worse/better, living in sin and all that), minority woman.
Now that would be progress.

Funny story: I told this to my father and he said "Well maybe it will be you"
whereupon I started laughing and reminded him of my birthplace. Well maybe if Arnold S. (not even going to attempt that spelling) gets his way.

keilexandra January 28 2009, 01:56:34 UTC

O God, openly gay is probably just as bad as openly atheist. Or trans--I don't think the evangelical right would even accept the idea of transgender. Single, there's an interesting one I hadn't thought about. I guess because of the age requirement for service, and, you know, the enormous surplus of single politicians. (Are there any? I can't think of them, but there must be some.)

For it to be you, Arnold would have to get that amendment through AND you'd have to come out of the closet. ;)

haucuzha January 28 2009, 04:11:26 UTC

Well google yielded this article: http://thehill.com/cover-stories/a-spouse-who-needs-it-2007-05-07.html

Which is rather surprising actually but I'd like to see the percentage of single females versus single males (I admit I skimmed rather quickly - it may be in there).

Oh dear transgender. There's definitely more than the evangelical right working against them. Also gay people - I've met non-religious people (some whose families are also non-religious) who are prejudiced against them. I remember telling some friends of mine that Dumbledore was gay only for one of them to remark (with a repulsed expression) "But all that time he spent with Harry!". I quickly corrected her ON HER GIANT MISTAKE OF EQUATING HOMOSEXUALITY WITH PEDOPHILIA. And she's never practiced a religion in her life. It makes me sad, it really does.

Coming out of the closet? Well that would require me to like someone first.

keilexandra January 28 2009, 18:07:43 UTC

Interesting article. Two openly gay members, hooray! (Out of...432.)

XD You could come out of the closet as asexual!

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