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Letters, 6/28: Obama lives his faith

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Saturday, Jun 28, 2008 - 12:20:44 am CDT

Do you believe everything that comes across the Internet? I don’t. Barack Obama is neither a Muslim extremist nor the anti-Christ. I have received two slanderous e-mails recently accusing Obama of being a Muslim extremist and the anti-Christ, quoting many “statistics” about Muslim terrorists in an effort to lead me to that conclusion. One author even misuses the Bible book of Revelation.

You can see for yourself at www.snopes.com/politics/obama/antichrist.asp, an urban legend Web site created to check out the validity of e-mails such as these.

 As I have watched politics, I have learned you can make statistics say about anything you want by manipulating the data to include or exclude certain things. Something that was clearly excluded in these e-mails is the fact that Obama is a Christian man who lives his faith. After graduating from Harvard Law School near the top of his class, he chose to work with people in the projects of Chicago.

It is sad that so many are willing to believe lies rather than investigate and spread the truth. Obama is continuing to work in love to help his neighbors as Jesus has called all of us Christians to do.  

Cindy Goeller, Wisner

Great cartoon idea

Man, I almost fell out of my chair laughing when I saw Neal Obermeyer’s cartoon spoof of Jesus throwing bugs out of a sack, down on Nebraska (LJS, June 22).

Say, you know what would be great? Obermeyer could do a cartoon spoof of the prophet Mohammed doing something silly! Oh, come on. It would be fun.

Please, Mr. Obermeyer, do a cartoon spoof of the prophet Mohammed. Pretty please with a cherry on top! Think of the belly laughs that will get!

People will love you for it. Oh, don’t be shy. Do a cartoon spoof of the prophet Mohammed. Pleeease!

Mark Scheetz, Lincoln

Game, Parks not to blame

In response to Robert L. (Bob) Clark (“State’s deer policy is absurd,” letter, June 22) regarding the Game and Parks Commission being at fault for the large number of deer in eastern Nebraska:

Clark failed to see the 2007 state deer harvests were the highest on record and the 2008 deer seasons are as liberal as ever with many permits having two antlerless (female) harvest tags per permit.

The number of permits issued and the management of the deer herd by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is not the issue.  The Game and Parks Commission probably could issue an unlimited number of tags, and it still wouldn’t solve the problem. There are only so many hunters, and most people are not going to harvest more than they can eat.

If people want to start controlling the herd the way it should be, access to huntable ground and hunter recruitment should be the topics of discussion.

Instead of Clark blaming state government for the number of deer on his route, he should ask the very people to whom he delivers to carry most of the blame.

Rod Madsen, Lincoln


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DR wrote on June 28, 2008 1:37 am:
" The deer population which is managed and mismanaged by the Game and Parks are the problem. They are pests which take a huge economic toll like any bug or rodent. However, bugs and rodents are not involved in many car crashes. Game and Parks is moving in the right direction but hunters should have the opportunity to harvest as many as they want and consume. Kind of like rabbits. "

 Thanks Cindy wrote on June 28, 2008 6:19 am:
" Due to Obama's name and background, it should be no surprise that some in this country would use it against him. Despite our claims in enlightenment, many in the US are still significantly affected by racist beliefs and that is seen as a benefit by some in the Republican party. Others are susceptible to the fear mongering that certain factions of the Republican party employ to try and scare people into voting Republican.
The big problems is not that some in the Republican party are willing to publicly lie to try and discredit their opponents. The know that what people are willing to believe is more important than what is true. The real problem is how they succeed using these tactics when people don't follow up to see if it is the truth or not. Thank you Cindy for making public the web site which can set the story straight. Lets hope people check out to see what is lie and what is truth before they decide what to believe. I think many are getting tired of this kind of dirty politics and may be willing to check it for themselves "

 Not so fast Cindy wrote on June 28, 2008 9:14 am:
" "Obama is continuing to work in love to help his neighbors as Jesus has called all of us Christians to do", states Cindy in her letter today. Are you kidding me? I guess she forgot, or is looking the other way in her endorsement of Obama, because he believes in abortion. True Christians DO NOT believe God endorses abortion, so Cindy's point is flawed in many people's eyes. The only thing Obama is continuing to do is be a politicain, and saying anything to he can to get elected. For all the talk about change, he is just one of the same. "

 Zoomie wrote on June 28, 2008 10:02 am:
" Not So Fast - let's see...70% of Americans believe in a woman's right to choose (which isn't, except to the extremists on the right, NOT the same thing as beliving in abortion), so I guess you are saying that 70% of America is NOT Christian, huh? You're saying it clearly - REAL Christians don't accept abortion, but most Americans DO accept abortion, hence most Americans are NOT Christians! So then why are you trying to impose a minority religious view onto a majority of Americans? Don't you believe in democracy? Or do you believe in a theocracy? "

 Sue F. wrote on June 28, 2008 10:13 am:
" It must be nice to be able to decide who is a "True Christian" and who is not. Where in the teaching of Jesus did he say anthing about abortion? "

 One-issue voters are SO over. wrote on June 28, 2008 10:35 am:
" What a life it must be to live as a one-issue voter, by myopically attempting to lay one's own narrow, reactionary version of Christianity on others, declaring it absolute truth, and then smiting from one's own personal little pulpit. In this odd and selfish version of the world, warmongers and profiteers with the blood of tens of thousands of men, women and children are worthy of your vote because they and deranged special-interest groups label themselves, cynically, as 'Pro-Life.'

This election -- in its breadth, complexity, and its focus on a multitude of issues relevant to the American people -- has to be a one-issue voter's worst nightmare. Yes, they are legion in the vast reaches of our tiny, remote state, but rest assured that they are the exception; they and their singular obsessions are SO over. The antitode to those types of people, pragmatism and logic, have returned to the national discourse. Guess which party wins when that happens. "

 deer wrote on June 28, 2008 10:38 am:
" are not pests, they are part of the enviroment and WE have to learn how to live with them. I have never once hit a deer on the road, probably because I keep deer whistles on my car, since you know, I drive in areas inhabited by deer. Also, I stay very vigilant when driving at night, keeping my eyes on the road in search of the faint reflection of light bouncing off their eye. I've come close to hitting them, but because I was paying attention I was able to slow down in plenty of time to avoid an accident. Granted, not all accidents are preventable, but you just have to learn to live with the possibility that yes, you may hit a deer, and since you know this in advance, why not carry car insurance that covers it, problem solved. "

 Deer wrote on June 28, 2008 10:58 am:
" are pests! Because they have no natural predator to keep the numbers within reasonable limits, they breed with no constraint. The next step is for the deer population to become so large that deer either starve to death or move into the cities to survive. If you look at information from Iowa some of the larger towns are actually allowing bowhunting in city parks to reduce the deer populations within the cities. Of course, animal rights organizations would have us believe we should all get along, but life isn't a Disney movie and deer when hungry or in rut can be quite deadly--and not just to drivers. "

 Mackdaddy wrote on June 28, 2008 10:59 am:
" I noticed that it's alright for Democrats to tout their religious beliefs but when Republicans do it, the MSM and ACLU types have fits over it. Obama invokes the name of Jesus and people swoon over it, but when Bush back in 2000 says that Jesus has influenced him the to most, you would have thought he had just committed an unpardonable sin. "

 Mackdaddy wrote on June 28, 2008 11:04 am:
" Of course you won't see a cartoon that makes fun of the prophet Mohammed since it would violate a code of liberal political correctness and doctrine of infallibility. Islam is one of their sacred cows that they dare not offend. Plus they don't want groups like CAIR to pitch a fit over it. "

 RW wrote on June 28, 2008 11:27 am:
" Did Jesus call us to kill innocent human beings? Don't think so. And no, I'm not a one issue voter. I have a an entire list of Obama policies that I disagree with and am not going to list here. But, I will defend what Jesus taught when folks try to make a politician "appear" as though he's following scripture. Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves. What does this mean? Would we kill ourselves out of convenience? Jesus demonstrated what love truly is in laying down His life for ours. Now, is that what Obama supports? Don't think so. "

 TS wrote on June 28, 2008 11:40 am:
" 6i510

To Mark Sheetz: Good Lord, how clueless can you get? Obermeyer wasn't spoofing Jesus. He was spoofing the morons who can't (or refuse to) understand the natural causes of global warming. The image of Jesus was in their imagination -- you did notice the enclosing balloon, didn't you? Since this country is about 95% Christian, it is natural to put an image of Jesus in their understanding of the effects of global warming as somehow supernatural if anything. If Obermeyer had put an image of Mohammed in the cartoon, what sense would that have made in this country?

Next time you criticize, first try to understand what you're talking about. "

 Cyclonic Logic wrote on June 28, 2008 11:46 am:
" Facts might be stubborn things, like John Adams said. But they tend to get caught in the rhetorical whirlwind of the one-issue crowd and come out looking kinda silly: "I believe it because it's right ... uh, because it's what I believe." It's not worth the energy debating someone here in the 21st century when they're way back in the 19th.

Cindy, don't worry about the cynical Obama e-mails you'll get from your provincial, frightened, hateful acquaintances. The provincialists here in Nebraska make up a fraction of the nation's population. Take comfort in the fact that those of us -- and that's definitely most of us by any reputable account -- who see "FW: FW: FW: FW: FW:" before in the subject line of a political e-mail know that the content is merely desperate, right-wing garbage. "

 Self-fulfilling prophet wrote on June 28, 2008 12:03 pm:
" You haven't "noticed" anything. What you've actually done is take a set of facts (in this case, "both Democrats and Republicans often speak of their faiths") and forced them to your narrow frame of the world. And so, wow, what a shock ... you've reached the only possible conclusion that your frame allows: "It's a conspiracy against the Republicans! I can see the bias right THERE! It's all around! Aaagh!"

Reason. It's all the rage. "

 Mackdaddy wrote on June 28, 2008 12:50 pm:
" Look what happens to Mitt Romney whenever he speaks about his faith, he is branded as a kook. Besides it doesn't take much to figure out that MSM is in the tank for Obama. "

 Actaully wrote on June 28, 2008 2:54 pm:
" Deer do have a natural enemy. In fact two. Man and coyotes. The problem you are seeing with deer is that man keeps building houses in and near the rural areas and destroying the natural habitat of deer. That forces the deer out into areas where they get hit.

Have any of you driven on interstates to the west of us? All the fences along the interstates are twice the height of a usual fence. They also have cattle guard gates at many of the exits and on ramps. All this is to keep deer off the roads. Maybe if land owners along the roads here would do this, we would have less accidents with deer. Or, we could be more responsible and alert when driving and avoid the deer in the first place. "

 rac wrote on June 28, 2008 3:15 pm:
" "70% of Americans believe in a woman's right to choose (which isn't, except to the extremists on the right, NOT the same thing as beliving in abortion), ..."

Really? Show me a reference or link to this please, because I'm sure you wouldn't be making this statistic up now, would you? "Right to choose"? Choose what? Having a baby or killing it? I don't believe in abortion (other than in extreme conditions of medical necessity), but neither am I an anti-abortion nutcase (or wingnut), but when the liberals have to muddy the waters with there PC doublespeak, I'm going to call them out on it every time. "

 Enought wrote on June 28, 2008 5:36 pm:
" According to some of you, I, as a rural landowner, either need to allow any idiot to hunt on my property or install extra high fences to keep deer off the road. First, I refuse to allow anyone that I don't know to hunt on my property because of all the liability in case you shoot yourself. Second, why should I have to pay thousands of dollars to put up fences, maintain them, farm and mow around them, just to keep someone who is driving too fast on the road from hitting a deer and bending their fender. DRIVE a little slower, be a little more alert. You may still hit a deer, but it won't do near the damage at 40 than at 60. Oh, and by the way, when you start contributing to my property tax, you can help decide what I do on my property. "

 TWP wrote on June 28, 2008 6:01 pm:
" Cindy, I was going to check out the site you referenced, but then I remembered your advice that you can't believe everything you see on the Internet. So, I didn't bother. "

 Re macdaddy wrote on June 28, 2008 6:38 pm:
" Bush is such a liar who would believe anything he says. His new faith he said he found after a bout with alcohol. Anyone can say born again, it's something convicted killers do all the time. Bushie needed to get elected and reelected so he is all of a sudden found jesus. "

 Maya wrote on June 28, 2008 7:04 pm:
" Yes and Obama is pro-choice for killing innocent babies our neighbors in the woumb, very family oriented isn't he? Jesus would do this right? Obama has 100% pro-choice rating from NARAL, they chose him as thier canidate to support. I know Jesus would not vote for Obama. I will not either. I guess 70% of americans are sadly misinformed about when life begins! How can you be christian and be pro choice? What about the choice of the unborn? Do some reading people, watch an ultra sound it isn't going to be a rock, it is a baby! "

 happygael wrote on June 28, 2008 8:16 pm:
" people who practice the faith do not support abortion or gay marriage. Maybe he should tell us what faith he is practicing "

 Christian wrote on June 28, 2008 8:48 pm:
" I hope all of those that tell me Obama is not a Christian because he's not following scripture actively support killing adulterers and homosexuals. If not, then you're not following scripture either. And please stop telling us who is a True Christian, or you can't be Christian and be pro-choice. It's not up to you. You are not in charge. If we Christians who are pro-choice are wrong, we will pay. You may pray for us, you may attempt to sway us. Once you tell us we are not Christian, you have, once again, gone against scripture yourself. "

 JR wrote on June 28, 2008 10:44 pm:
" Maya, is abortion your only deciding factor? If so, then if Obama decided tomorrow to be anti choice, you would vote for him? Just curious what thought process goes through the mind when you decide to vote for someone who is anti choice, yet in favor of the death penalty, is in favor of sending innocents to their grave over an unnecessary war, and is willing to bankrupt thousands while rewarding his millionaire buddies. Hopefully God is more interested in the body of ones work, rather then one issue. "

 Southpointe wrote on June 29, 2008 12:34 pm:
" Hell yes, I'm a REAL Christian, and I'm not going to apologize for my beliefs! They've been finely honed over generations and handed down to me in back rooms and board rooms so they can march lock-step with the Republican party's most hard-line ideologies. You think I'm gonna give those up just because some lady from Wisner writes a letter to the editor suggesting we might consider some "other" factors that challenge what we say is REAL Christianity? Ha!

Let me tell you this: I don't think like Barack Obama does, that government should be telling people what's best for everyone. I think *I* should be telling people what's best for everyone. That's right, me. See, I use this ancient, esoteric, edited-through-the-centuries text as my living, breathing guide to modern life, and then pick and choose how to apply its convoluted passages to fit the issues of the day. This is a vital way to demonize Democrats as ungodly and dangerous, because the ultimate goal is to elect as many Republican politicians as we can to Congress and the White House. That eventually will lead to a nation where prayer will thrive in schools (and thus end all these Columbine-type problems); gun laws will be rolled back to 18th-century levels; the interests of the entrenched ruling class will be preserved; and, YES!, abortion end once and for all (well, legal abortions, anyway). We can finally get back to the good old days when men were men and other people knew their place, and the Constitution wasn't interpreted for the times, unlike my Bible.

The most spiritually fulfilling part of being a REAL Christian is being able to win every argument! If anyone tries to challenge any of my Bible-based conclusions, no matter how strained or stretched those conclusions may be, I can play the "It's the Word of God!" card and shame the questioner into silence. "

 Josh wrote on June 30, 2008 10:06 am:
" Geez, people- let me get this straight- Obama is not a true Christian because he is pro-choice (supporting the abortion of unborn babies), but yet George Bush is somehow more of a true Christian even though he is responsible for the unprovoked attack on a nation killing thousands of men, women, and children? Pardon me for not wearing my blinders today, but to me if you were to be very strict in those definitions then you'd admit that neither is clean, and in fact the guy you claim is such a good Christian is directly responsible for terrible un-Christian acts with his little war in Iraq. And with the current Republican candidate- sure, he is anti abortion, but he supports the war in Iraq and even wants to attack Iran- how Christian is that? "

 unl wrote on June 30, 2008 2:54 pm:
" Enought ....

I don't think anybody wants to tell anyone what to do with their property but many farmers who complain about deer eating their crops are the same ones who continually say no when someone is willing to help rid them of part of their problem. Most hunters aren't idiots and it is not that hard to filter the good from the bad... "

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