Obama Warns Against ‘High Horse’ on Religious Extremism

[Vyxn]

During remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast, President Barack Obama said that all religions had grappled with radical elements attempting to co-opt its spiritual messages, a rebuke to those who want him to more forcefully condemn what they consider a violent extremism inherent in Islam.

“From a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris, we have seen violence and terrorists perpetrated by those who professed to stand up for their faith, professed to stand up for Islam but in fact are betraying it,” Obama said, citing ISIS.

“Humanity has been grappling with these questions throughout history,” Obama continued, “and lest we get up on our high horse and think that this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ.”

Obama also named slavery and Jim Crow as examples in America, along with religious intolerance “that would have shocked Gandhi” in India.
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/obama-war...ame-of-christ/

do you not see what he is attempting to do? he is attempting to silence all critics any judgment placed upon these Islamic extremist terrorist being part of Islam and doing there evil acts in the name of their religion, because at one time in history Christians "committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ"

well if we use his reasoning his line of thinking his justification there isn't a democrat alive that can ever criticize put in judgment anyone for racism ever

[mrcoolguyry]

OR maybe he's just saying that any form of religious extremism committed in the name of said religion's god is unacceptable? This is why we can't have nice things and I'll be surprised if this post isn't taken down in the next fifteen minutes.

[NYC17]

How is there not a cap on the amount of bullshit you can spew per day? And I don't mean a post cap, I mean a natural aversion most people have to constantly being encapsulated in their own bullshit.

[mrpopos10]

Attempting to silence all critics? No.....

He is just pointing out a common thing among humans (at least as it is supported by history) that there have always been those that distort a given faith.

But this is good evidence to support the apparent fact that Obama can even be criticized for reporting a historical fact.

[Vyxn]

OR maybe he's just saying that any form of religious extremism committed in the name of said religion's god is unacceptable? This is why we can't have nice things and I'll be surprised if this post isn't taken down in the next fifteen minutes.

he is saying not to get up on your "high horse" and judge others because at one time your faith did the same
so the same needs to be said to democrats when the judge others on racism because at one time they was the party of slavery, KKK and jim crow

[Blur4stuff]

he's stating fact. christians do some horrible things even today that kill way more people than islamic terrorists.

[Vyxn]

Attempting to silence all critics? No.....

He is just pointing out a common thing among humans (at least as it is supported by history) that there have always been those that distort a given faith.

But this is good evidence to support the apparent fact that Obama can even be criticized for reporting a historical fact.

you ignoring the line of not getting up on your "high horse"

[Lenonis]

This is a stretch, even for you.

do you not see what he is attempting to do?

Yes. He's trying to stop the growing tide of Islamophobia and focus the discussion on the radical extremists that are the problem.

The US has had our share of our version of extremists over the last few years but that doesn't mean the entire religion is that way.

EDIT -- Why the heck are you injecting democrats into this? He talked about religion, not politics.

[Vyxn]

he's stating fact. christians do some horrible things even today that kill way more people than islamic terrorists.

I will admit in the past yes but what today is being done in the name of Christianity that even remotely resembles what the terrorist are doing under the name of Islam?

[Kraenen]

nothing in this implies trying to silence critics. it's an exercise in humility at best.

[Lenonis]

I will admit in the past yes but what today is being done in the name of Christianity that even remotely resembles what the terrorist are doing under the name of Islam?

We had some bombings of abortion clinics and murders of abortion doctors.

If you are going to try to make a false dichotomy here I'm not interested. Extremists are bad and you can't blame the entire religion on them.

[Reeve]

you ignoring the line of not getting up on your "high horse"

Yeah. He's basically saying, "Don't pound your chest about the "inherent goodness" of your religion vs. the "inherent evil" of Islam. Neither religion can say that all adherents have always been good. Nor can we say that all adherents are always evil." He's just saying recognize that extremism is extremism and that doesn't necessarily represent the religion itself.

[Vyxn]

This is a stretch, even for you.

Yes. He's trying to stop the growing tide of Islamophobia and focus the discussion on the radical extremists that are the problem.

The US has had our share of our version of extremists over the last few years but that doesn't mean the entire religion is that way.

the only major problem of extremism we are facing today is Islamic extremism he is just trying to divert attention away from Muslims and trying to spread the blame to groups that don't exists or not even remotely any kind of threat
so tell me what other extremist groups do we have that is using a religion any where near the threat as Islamic extremism

[Kraenen]

the only major problem of extremism we are facing today is Islamic extremism he is just trying to divert attention away from Muslims and trying to spread the blame to groups that don't exists or not even remotely any kind of threat
so tell me what other extremist groups do we have that is using a religion any where near the threat as Islamic extremism

why are you asking for a modern example when obama noted past historical ones?

[Vanyali]

he is saying not to get up on your "high horse" and judge others because at one time your faith did the same
so the same needs to be said to democrats when the judge others on racism because at one time they was the party of slavery, KKK and jim crow

i was worried you wouldn't be able to smear democrats for a minute.

but look up the history of the parties and wonder why all the democrats voting that way (in the south) now vote for republicans (still in the south) and still hold a pretty close view on things.

gee, it's almost like it was a political strategy.

what was it called again...


OH, the southern strategy. a big point in political history of republicans.

but i'm sure you knew that, what with your republican hardon.

[Lenonis]

the only major problem of extremism we are facing today is Islamic extremism he is just trying to divert attention away from Muslims and trying to spread the blame to groups that don't exists or not even remotely any kind of threat
so tell me what other extremist groups do we have that is using a religion any where near the threat as Islamic extremism

I'm not sure what your point is?

Islamic extremists are a problem. We are droning them to death.

Muslims in general are not the problem.

What is your problem?

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OH, the southern strategy. a big point in political history of republicans.

but i'm sure you knew that, what with your republican hardon.

I don't remember which ones but several of our dear GOP posters here claim the southern strategy is a lie.

[Vanyali]

I don't remember which ones but several of our dear GOP posters here claim the southern strategy is a lie.

probably vyxn, god and the republican party can do not wrong.

[ChaosWolf]

It's not just Islam that has extremists and wicked people using their twisting of sacred words to justify un-Godly acts. To think that we Christians who live in America are somehow exempt or immune from such behavior and thus can stand in blameless judgement against others who do such things, is nothing short of foolish and arrogant, when our very own history, both as a nation and as a religion, have repeatedly proven otherwise.

[Frozenbeef]

America doesn't deserve Obama :/

[Reeve]

I'm not sure what your point is?

Islamic extremists are a problem. We are droning them to death.

Muslims in general are not the problem.

What is your problem?

+1

We're fighting Muslim Extremism. We shouldn't extend that fight to Muslims in general.

Just like when the KKK were a major problem, we fought them and not Christians in general.

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America doesn't deserve Obama :/

The thing about the American President is that the whole world gets him/her, not just the US. Like the Pope.