So much for that separation of church and state stuff

By Michelle Malkin  •  January 3, 2009 02:58 PM

Hmmm. I wonder if Trinity United will participate in this Library of Congress project to gather Barack Obama-centered sermons for posterity. Also: Imagine if McCain had won and the LoC proposed gathering sermons praising his inauguration. When churches say anything remotely positive about a Republican president, it’s an unconscionable violation of the separation of church and state. When churches extol a Democrat president, it’s “art:”

Inauguration-week sermons would be videotaped to highlight Barack Obama’s rise to power in an unprecedented quest by the Library of Congress to capture this transfer of power for future generations.

The folks at the library’s American Folklife Center are soliciting churches, synagogues, mosques and others for copies of sermons or passionate speeches that focus on the significance of the Jan. 20 inauguration of Obama as the country’s first black president.

The Folklife Center is looking for both video and audio clips, all to be preserved in a public collection that includes interviews after Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“If a historian asks ‘How did Americans react to Obama’s inauguration?’ we’ll have immediate responses to this powerful event,” said Dr. David A. Taylor, head of research and programs at the American Folklife Center.

The “Inauguration 2009 Sermons and Orations Project” marks the first time the library has gathered this sort of material from a U.S. presidential inauguration. Taylor says the project is especially timely — with the inauguration coming a day after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday — and as it ties into King’s reputation as a great orator.

Nearly 70 percent of the 4,000 collections at the center involve the spoken word, whether it’s on paper, audio or video.

Michael Taft, head archivist at the Folklife Center, says it was decided to collect inauguration-themed sermons because that speech form is poetic, dramatic — and at some churches, “an important art form.”

Posted in: Barack Obama

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  1. #582084
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:05 pm, Stillwaiting said:

    But of course they only want sermons praising the One. God forbid anyone might say something critical or skeptical.

  2. #582087
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:10 pm, WaterBoyz said:

    Michael Taft, head archivist at the Folklife Center, says it was decided to collect inauguration-themed sermons because that speech form is poetic, dramatic — and at some churches, “an important art form.”

    Gag me with a spoon.

    Except for anti-GOP related art from.

  3. #582088
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:12 pm, madchef said:

    Sounds good to me, since there is nowhere in the constitution that calls for a “seperation of Church and State”. Now the next time some liberal group goes spouting off about it we can say ” OK, lets begin by destroying the Obama Sermons” that might shut them up for a while.

  4. #582090
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:12 pm, Mar said:

    Darn, Stillwaiting beat me to it! Not that most pastors are brave enough to actually say anything negative about Obama…

  5. #582092
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:14 pm, richardbo said:

    ‘How did Americans react to Obama’s inauguration?’ Should be,”How did SOME…?” Winners write history–especially if they’re Dems.

  6. #582094
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:18 pm, Tennessee Dave said:

    This is getting beyond sickening. I don’t know what else to type.

  7. #582096
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:21 pm, SirKnob said:

    The more hype and expectation they put upon The One, the less likely he is to live up to it.

  8. #582099
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:23 pm, ITookTheRedPill said:

    The first amendment was designed to protect the church from the state.

    It is unconsitutional for Congress (the state, if you will) to restrict the activities of the church. The church, and “we the people” who make up the church, is to have complete freedom in speech, press, assembly, and petition for redress of grievances.

    I, for one, would LOVE to see every pastor in this country give a sermon that boldly and honestly explains EXACTLY how they feel about Obama.

    I am not a pastor, but if I were called to give a sermon, I would do as the founders did when they wrote the Declaration of Independence. They cited over thirty biblical violations by King George III. I would write about as many biblical violations by Barack Obama that I could think of. Some examples:

    – Support for abortion and infanticide (How would Jesus vote?)

    - Support for unbiblical approaches to poverty (Obama vs. Jesus)

    – Promotion of an unbiblical concept of salvation (On What Does Your Salvation Depend?)

  9. #582100
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:24 pm, single stack said:

    It isn’t surprising leftists would want to archive O-baa-ma sermons. After all, he IS their Messiah…and they are sheep.

  10. #582103
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:24 pm, bansharia said:

    seems to me this is okay as there aint no Church involved nor state.
    The delusion is endless hold your positions.. don’t save them from themselves!!!

  11. #582107
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:31 pm, graysonret said:

    Well, we can all thank Hugo Black, Supreme Court justice, for the decision of “separation of church and state”…once a senator from Alabama who was active in the anti-catholic and semitic KKK. Because of him, Jefferson’s remark is now law, because he decided that the “1st amendment establishment clause” also applied to state and local governments. States, at ratification, had their own state churches, which was allowed. That’s why it says “Congress…”. All this nonsense based on Hugo Black and a retired President’s private letter to a Baptist church.

  12. #582108
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:33 pm, ITookTheRedPill said:

    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:24 pm, single stack said:

    It isn’t surprising leftists would want to archive O-baa-ma sermons. After all, he IS their Messiah…and they are sheep.

    O-baa-ma” reminds me of the movie “Babe“, where the pig leads the sheep by saying “Baa-ra-mu“!

  13. #582125
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:54 pm, MarcoPolo said:

    Well, we can all thank Hugo Black, Supreme Court justice, for the decision of “separation of church and state”…

    Actually, there *was* a bit of a problem with state religion in the old country.

    Wouldn’t it be grand if the IRS subpoenaed all the tapes that are received? Sigh.

  14. #582128
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:58 pm, CWinNY said:

    Maybe they could add the Rev. Wright’s sermon about how AIDS was developed by the US government to kill black people. Wonder when president Obama will be given a tour of that facility? Maybe he could invite the good reverend along on that day.

  15. #582130
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 4:01 pm, pdigaudio said:

    “How did Americans react to Obama’s inauguration?”

    Well, I know how THIS American will. Not. My. President. My flag has flown upside down outside my house since the election, and I will tell anyone who will listen that this is the first I have ever been ashamed of America and ashamed to be an American. That includes the Nixon and Clinton eras.

  16. #582131
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 4:01 pm, Boomer said:

    Let me get this straight the 1st Amendment states: “Congress shall make no law the establishment of a religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” I have tried for decades to figure out how this has been interpeted by the thugs in black to mean separation of church and state. The ACLU has been on a Jihad to wipe religion from the public square (provided that religion only applies to Christians and Jews). I assume they will be all over this in 3, 2, 1…….(chrickets chripping)! Doppey me I keep forgeting they are too busy jockeying for a place in the front of the line to fall down on their knees, sing praises, worship, and make burnt offerings to their false profit to earn his favor.

    ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE (mo-lone lah-veh) Translation: Come and take them!

  17. #582135
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 4:05 pm, Helene said:

    This adoration of Obama thing is just really crazy. If he and his inner circle had any class, he/they would put a stop to it. This is really embarassing. The fanaticism reminds me of the Haley-Bop and Jonestown cults.

    This has nothing to do with the first “Africian-Caucasian” president, but it has a lot to do with marketing and money. How much do you think the LOC is planning on making on the sale of CDs, books, etc?

    Everytime I see one of the groupies with an Obama shirt, I wonder how much of the sale price goes into the pocket of promoters. This entire promotion reminds me of Care Bears, Barbies, My Little Ponies, and “collector” item Beanie Babies.

    I was in a bookstore in November and overheard a few older women talking about all of the Obama books they had purchased and read. Probably have the books memorized by now, the way some people memorize the Bible. (Thus spoke Obama on the first day of his presidency, page 47, paragraph 2, line 4).

    Creepy… creepy…creepy.

    Creepy. Creepy. Creepy.

  18. #582141
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 4:19 pm, FamilyMan said:

    I’m sure they don’t want my sermon.

  19. #582147
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 4:26 pm, MtsEdge said:

    I keep forgeting they are too busy jockeying for a place in the front of the line to fall down on their knees, sing praises, worship, and make burnt offerings to their false profit to earn his favor.

    Yes, it is a form of idol worship. Blasphemy.

    The fact that they are collecting sermons is especially troubling….why not collect secular speeches from various leaders? Why do they have to seek mention of Obama’s name from the pulpit? The fact that they are including mosques underscores the PC-ness of it all…this was and is a nation founded on JUDEO-CHRISTIAN principles, not Islam, Hinduism, Shintoism, or any other false religion. These “librarians” must have forgotten their history, or are attempting to wipe away the past and start over with a new “American history”. Again I say, blasphemy.

  20. #582148
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 4:27 pm, simcoe said:

    A sermon about B.O.?

    How dull and boring could that be?
    What would be the point of something like that?
    Why would anybody go to church to hear such a sermon?
    In what part of the Bible is he mentioned?

    What a waste of time!
    Sounds like someone is trying ‘extreme justification’ to keep his job.

  21. #582150
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 4:30 pm, Dandapani said:

    I read this quote somewhere:

    “If Democrats didn’t have double standards, they wouldn’t have any standards at all!”

  22. #582154
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 5:04 pm, englishqueen01 said:

    The first amendment was designed to protect the church from the state.

    But, as liberals are constantly reminding us, it’s us eeeeeevil religious churchgoers that hide under your beds, waiting to steal all your rights!

    We’re the source of all that’s bad in America, and the world.

    And – as I’ve argued here and elsewhere countless times before – only churches that agree with and praise Obama will be allowed to freely operate after Jan 20. The rest of us? The First Amendment means zippo, zilch, nada.

    “If Democrats didn’t have double standards, they wouldn’t have any standards at all!”

    B-I-N-G-O.

  23. #582162
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 5:16 pm, JamieD said:

    “If Democrats didn’t have double standards, they wouldn’t have any standards at all!”

    EXACTLY! Such absolute Hypocrites!

  24. #582164
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 5:23 pm, FruNobulux said:

    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:21 pm, SirKnob said:

    The more hype and expectation they put upon The One, the less likely he is to live up to it.

    He’s already in waaaaayyyy over is head. The Blago thing is going to prove to be too much for him; he’ll be paralyzed with fear and issue some tepid pap about honoring the constitution into which everyone can read what they may. But the real fireworks? Watch for his first major stumble on or about Jan 21: Israel/Gaza. He’ll issue a string of garbled non sequiturs that will rival his Berlin masturboration, hoping everybody will hear what they want to hear. Unfortunately, many people are going to hear what they don’t want to hear, and his flailing to extricate himself will only make things worse.

  25. #582166
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 5:29 pm, havok said:

    It’s interesting how the far left athiests have created a god to avert their eyes from and bow before.

    Strange….very strange.

  26. #582190
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 6:00 pm, ChicagoRobb said:

    There is a chance Obama is in the Bible. Check out Revelation.

  27. #582214
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 6:34 pm, Flyoverman said:

    Personally, I would read 1st Samuel 8:1-16 at Obama’s inaguration.

    It’s perfect scripture for that event.

  28. #582217
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 6:36 pm, Speakup said:

    Inauguration-week sermons would be videotaped to highlight Barack Obama’s rise to power in an unprecedented quest by the Library of Congress to capture this transfer of power for future generations.

    That does bring to mind certain question(s).

    Is the precedent now set that future Presidential hopefuls must emulate Obama’s path to the Whitehouse?

    Are Bill Ayers, Tony Rezko and Sheik Khalidi the new king makers?

    Is forcing banks to make bad loans, helping destroy the national economy and sitting a good long twenty years being sermonized with God Damn America now the official prerequisite for greatness?

  29. #582235
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 6:53 pm, Joy said:

    :roll:
    :roll:
    :roll:
    :roll:
    :roll:

  30. #582253
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 7:12 pm, Republicanvet said:

    When churches extol a Democrat president, it’s “art:”

    Well of course it is Michelle…it’s rare because they have so little to extol.

    /sarc

  31. #582255
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 7:17 pm, Republicanvet said:

    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:58 pm, CWinNY said:

    Maybe they could add the Rev. Wright’s sermon about how AIDS was developed by the US government to kill black people. Wonder when president Obama will be given a tour of that facility? Maybe he could invite the good reverend along on that day.

    Particularly since he claims to have missed all of Wrights other special little rants.

  32. #582258
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 7:23 pm, jangar said:

    Gag a maggot. Like I’ve said before, and will say again…

    Libs are a godless bunch and would worship a steaming pile of dung.

  33. #582262
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 7:26 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    “O-baa-ma” reminds me of the movie “Babe“, where the pig leads the sheep by saying “Baa-ra-mu“!

    Pigs are way smarter than sheep. Keep that in mind when sheep tell you Obama went to Harvard. It’s the sheep that will get shorn.

  34. #582268
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 7:33 pm, ITookTheRedPill said:

    On January 3rd, 2009 at 4:27 pm, simcoe said:

    A sermon about B.O.?

    In what part of the Bible is he mentioned?

    Answer: Matthew 7:15-18

    I’m not Obama’s judge.
    I just know bad fruit when I see it.

    Don’t Be A Judge, But Do Be A Fruit Inspector

  35. #582278
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 8:05 pm, Send_Me said:

    Michael Taft, head archivist at the Folklife Center, says it was decided to collect inauguration-themed sermons because that speech form is poetic, dramatic — and at some churches, “an important art form.”

    “An important art form”? “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” ~James 3:1

  36. #582283
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 8:22 pm, Speakup said:

    Looks like I’m under Joy’d.

  37. #582286
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 8:23 pm, hunter said:

    I am not a man of the cloth, but uh… the lord uh… said that uh…the one uh… should be uh…rev uh…

    Never.

    I am not going to be one of the sheep that gets to meet his maker and have to answer the question of worshiping false idols. Good luck to the people that have fallen for this joke.

    For the rest of us, my God bless us all.

  38. #582287
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 8:26 pm, madmonkphotog said:

    I certainly hope they work in his smoking and drug use.

    Idolators will burn in hell. Plain and simple.

    Idolator (ī-dŏl’ə-tər)

    1. One who worships idols.
    2. One who blindly or excessively admires or adores another.

  39. #582298
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 8:42 pm, TMoney said:

    The collecting of the revision of history?

    Michelle, we need your help with collecting the true thoughts of real Americans and placing them in a time-capsule, so freedom loving people of the future will know the truth.

  40. #582299
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 8:42 pm, shooter said:

    I wonder if Trinity United will participate in this Library of Congress project to gather Barack Obama-centered sermons for posterity.

    Oh good, they have a XXX (triple-x ) rated section?

    Just like mt neighborhood library.

  41. #582312
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 9:19 pm, ITookTheRedPill said:

    Remember the Obama votive candles?

    I kid you not.

  42. #582314
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 9:25 pm, ITookTheRedPill said:

    I suggest they add these three videos to their Sermons and Orations Project:

    It’s The Theology, Stupid – Part 1
    It’s The Theology, Stupid – Part 2
    It’s The Theology, Stupid – Part 3

    Obama seriously believes that…
    Moses : Joshua :: MalcomX&MLKJr : Obama

  43. #582329
    On January 3rd, 2009 at 10:18 pm, Paul Revere said:

    They’re making it a bigger deal than it is.

  44. #582378
    On January 4th, 2009 at 12:38 am, HeatherRadish said:

    Someone at the IRS should take a look at the archive to get a feel of which churches need their tax-exempt statuses reviewed. The St. Barack Day sermons probably won’t meet the standard of “political activity” but the IRS can get a list of congregations to watch in 2011-12.

  45. #582400
    On January 4th, 2009 at 3:26 am, Danceswithdachshunds said:

    The Bible, the Ten Commandments on the court house.. yep, all ‘art’.

    Those aren’t prayers in class – they’re poetry!

    This could work…

  46. #582421
    On January 4th, 2009 at 7:48 am, gunslingerpatriot said:

    Rumor has it that Trinity United’s XXX rated section will be located in the in President Bill Clinton Presidential Library, Porn Shop and Massage Parlor!

    For you trolls this is called humor… look it up using a dictionary before flaming or threats of banning.

    GSP 8)
    “This is Sparta!”

  47. #582455
    On January 4th, 2009 at 9:41 am, ArizonaNeanderthal said:

    We who are in Christ have been warned of these False Teachers, False Prophets, Sheep Stealers and those who sacrifice their children to False Idols and raise up other gods. They preach a gospel other than that given by the Holy Spirit.

    Luke 17:2
    It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.

    These “relevant” churches are indeed playing with fire. Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

  48. #582505
    On January 4th, 2009 at 11:08 am, traffic_robot said:

    All the the Library of Congress had to do was to keep tape running on The Word Network broadcasts for the past year. It could have been the seed for dozens of investigations by the IRS.

  49. #582546
    On January 4th, 2009 at 12:44 pm, rambler said:

    I’m already suffering from Obama overload. I can’t wait for Jan to be over.

  50. #582557
    On January 4th, 2009 at 1:14 pm, yohannbiimu said:

    This is a softball-type topic. If a pastor says anything about supporting a Republican, it’s because that pastor is an ignorant, Bible-thumping moron who’s words must be stifled because he’s bound to poison the minds of impressionable people who don’t know better.

    However, if a pastor speaks highly of Democrats, it’s because that pastor is an ENLIGHTENED person who knows that the Bible is a pile of crap, and when he speaks, people are also enlightened by his words because they are not clouded with silly superstition and nonsensical dribble. Therefore, he simply CANNOT be connected to the same standards with a pastor who is stuck on religion, because the Democrat-friendly pastor ISN’T RELIGIOUS.

    Simply put, a pastor such as those who preach at churches like the Trinity United Church where Obama went to are known far and wide as being secular, whose purpose in the liberal movement is to rehabilitate the ignorant and corrupted with notions of God and the Bible. They preach the light of social activism, Marxist philosophy, and racial superiority. They also preach the lie that Christ also taught these things so that they can connect with these poor saps who’ve been raised to believe that Jesus Christ even existed.

    So, really there isn’t a double-standard here at all, because a liberal, social/secular-minded church is something that is completely different from one that teaches that one should seek their own personal salvation through the propitiation of our sins by Christ’s death on the cross. They are called “churches,” but really they are Federally subsidized centers for liberal recruitment and rehabilitation.

  51. #582560
    On January 4th, 2009 at 1:22 pm, yohannbiimu said:

    Note: when I say that the liberal “churches” are centers for rehabilitation, I MEAN they are centers for brainwashing and political indoctrination.

  52. #582567
    On January 4th, 2009 at 1:28 pm, Jet Jaguar said:

    On January 4th, 2009 at 9:41 am, ArizonaNeanderthal said:

    Amen to that, AZN. In the next life, there will be separation of Church and leftists (a.k.a. “crispy critters”)

  53. #582596
    On January 4th, 2009 at 2:11 pm, bayou22 said:

    A pastor at a church I attended at Christmas made the connection between the birth of Christ and the incoming administration.

    We withheld our offering and will never return. If it were not for guests attending with us, I would have walked out during the middle of the sermon.

    Sickening that churches cannot teach the gospel and have been reduced to attracting church members by preaching politics that appeal to people.

    The true God will speak in due time…and he won’t be doing it on January 20th.

  54. #582704
    On January 4th, 2009 at 5:33 pm, misterbee241 said:

    On January 3rd, 2009 at 3:12 pm, madchef said:
    Sounds good to me, since there is nowhere in the constitution that calls for a “seperation of Church and State”.

    That’s true – but separation is the first thing liberals holler when a conservative prays in a public place. They’re pretty quiet about this. Then again, it’s a about the Obama-worship.

  55. #582893
    On January 5th, 2009 at 12:01 am, Micheleeroo said:

    Is it art when christian churches like Saddleback get attacked for supporting traditional marriage?
    I didn’t think so.

  56. #583052
    On January 5th, 2009 at 9:22 am, MtsEdge said:

    On January 4th, 2009 at 1:14 pm, yohannbiimu said:

    Well said.

    On January 4th, 2009 at 2:11 pm, bayou22 said:

    Good for you.

    We have been warned that in the latter times, men will not endure sound doctrine, instead seeking after their own lusts, having itching ears…and there will be plenty of “churches” that will accommodate them.

    2 Timothy 4:3

  57. #583831
    On January 5th, 2009 at 9:33 pm, huggybear said:

    Imagine if McCain had won and the LoC proposed gathering sermons praising his inauguration.

    While you’re at it, you should probably also imagine McCain is black. As the article clearly states, this request is being made because of the historical nature of this inauguration.

    When churches say anything remotely positive about a Republican president, it’s an unconscionable violation of the separation of church and state.

    I’m curious to know exactly who has gotten upset over a “church” (I presume you mean religious figure) saying something positive about a Republican president of any party, and why you have decided to attribute this person’s words to those of us who believe in respecting the establishment clause of the first ammendment. Please note (although I suspect you already know this), the separation of church and state has to do with keeping religious organizations from influencing American law, not with the content of a pastor’s sermon, nor with the archives of the LoC.

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