Obama Now Says He Considered the Military, Regrets Abortion Answer

[John317]

Obama considered joining military, regrets abortion answer

Mike Allen

Sun Sep 7, 10:00 AM ET

Barack Obama says his answer about abortion at the Saddleback Church forum was “probably” too flip.

During separate televised interviews last month, Pastor Rick Warren asked the two presidential candidates when a baby gets human rights. Obama replied that the question is “above my pay grade,” while John McCain won love from the right by saying quickly, “At the moment of conception.”

Now, Obama tells ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in an interview taped for “This Week”: “What I intended to say is that, as a Christian, I have a lot of humility about understanding when does the soul enter into … It's a pretty tough question. And so, all I meant to communicate was that I don't presume to be able to answer these kinds of theological questions.”

In the ABC interview, Obama goes on to give the answer he wishes he’d given: “What I do know is that abortion is a moral issue, that it's one that families struggle with all the time. And that in wrestling with those issues, I don't think that the government criminalizing the choices that families make is the best answer for reducing abortions.

“I think the better answer — and this was reflected in the Democratic platform — is to figure out, how do we make sure the young mothers, or women who have a pregnancy that's unexpected or difficult, have the kind of support they need to make a whole range of choices, including adoption and keeping the child.

In an electric interview, Obama suggested again and again that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, McCain’s running mate, is unprepared for the job. At one point, he mocked her camp’s suggestion that Alaska’s proximity to Russia gives her foreign-policy credentials: “Well, look. You know, I actually knew that Russia was next to Alaska, as well. I saw it on a map.”

“It's not a qualification?” Stephanopoulos press.

“I don't think it is,” Obama replied.

But Obama’s team recognizes that picking a fight over experience isn’t necessarily in Obama’s interest, and he acknowledged as much in the interview: “You know, this whole résumé contest that's been going back and forth is not what the American people are looking for.”

Obama also accused the McCain campaign of cynicism by frequently attacking him and then denying it: “I mean, these guys love to throw a rock and hide their hand.”

However, Obama said he did not agree with the commentators who saw “racial code” in the Republicans’ mocking reference to his early work as a “community organizer” during their convention.

“You know, I didn't hear that,” Obama told Stephanopoulos. “I mean, I just think that there is a — for folks who suddenly have tried to grab the change banner, you know, they've got a very traditional view of what service means.

“You know, it means, running for office and being a politician, I guess. Or serving in the military. I mean, those are the two options that I think they've talked about. I think there are a whole lot of people — young people, in particular — who are teaching in underserved schools or working in a hospital in need, you know, volunteering for their community, that think that's part of the change that we need. That's part of the energy that we've been able to mobilize in this campaign.”

Obama disclosed that he had once considered serving in the military.

“You know, I actually did,” Obama said. “I had to sign up for Selective Service when I graduated from high school. And I was growing up in Hawaii. And I have friends whose parents were in the military. There are a lot of Army, military bases there.

“And I actually always thought of the military as an ennobling and, you know, honorable option. But keep in mind that I graduated in 1979. The Vietnam War had come to an end. We weren't engaged in an active military conflict at that point. And so, it's not an option that I ever decided to pursue.”

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20080907/pl_politico/13217

[olger]

[John317]

...In an electric interview, Obama suggested again and again that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, McCain’s running mate, is unprepared for the job. At one point, he mocked her camp’s suggestion that Alaska’s proximity to Russia gives her foreign-policy credentials: “Well, look. You know, I actually knew that Russia was next to Alaska, as well. I saw it on a map.”

“It's not a qualification?” Stephanopoulos press.

“I don't think it is,” Obama replied.

But Obama’s team recognizes that picking a fight over experience isn’t necessarily in Obama’s interest, and he acknowledged as much in the interview: “You know, this whole résumé contest that's been going back and forth is not what the American people are looking for.”

If I were Obama, I would forget attacking from that perspective. I think his handlers are right.

If he thought otherwise, you can bet he would not be saying the resume is not what the American people are looking for. He's hoping that's the case because even his supporters are hard put to say what Obama has done in the Senate which shows he should be our next president. Can anyone even name a significant (never mind major) piece of legislation that Obama has written and seen through the Senate?

Obama has been in the Senate for a very short time; McCain showed guts and leadership under crisis in the military and has served in the Senate for 26 years. McCain was right about Iraq; Obama was wrong.

Now he wants us to consider the fact that he says he considered joining the military, and that he wished he had answered differently about abortion. OK, it's considered. Considered like he considered the military and then forgot it.

Quote:

Just how much Senate experience does Barack Obama have

in terms of actual work days? Not much.

From the time Barack Obama was sworn in as a United State

Senator, to the time he announced he was forming a

Presidential exploratory committee, he logged 143 days of

experience in the Senate. That's how many days the Senate

was actually in session and working.

After 143 days of work experience, Obama believed he was

ready to be Commander In Chief, Leader of the Free World,

and fill the shoes of Abraham Lincoln, FDR, JFK and Ronald

Reagan.

143 days -- I keep leftovers in my refrigerator longer than

that

.

In contrast, John McCain's 26 years in Congress, 22 years of

military service including 1,966 days in captivity as a POW in

Hanoi now seem more impressive than ever. At 71, John

McCain may just be hitting his stride...!

[Woody]

You make some very valid points here John317.

Very Good.

[John317]

[Dr. Shane]

I understood what Obama was trying to say the moment he said it. I thought it sounded well but see how the other side has twisted it from his original intention. I disagree, somewhat, with Obama. While I think allow abortion to be legal and yet take measures to discourage it (like tobacco) I do believe that life begins at conception. If we found a frozen embryo just days old on Mars, I have little doubt NASA would claim to have found life on Mars.

[D. Allan]

Quote:

Mr. Obama conceded that he had given a flip answer when saying at an evangelical forum last month that the question of when life begins was “above my pay grade.”

“What I intended to say is that as a Christian, I have a lot of humility about understanding,” Mr. Obama said. He added, “All I meant to communicate was that I don’t presume to be able to answer these kinds of theological questions.”

when is the 'moment of conception?'

Quote:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has drafted a rule that would call it abortion when a contraceptive prevents a fertilized egg from embedding itself in the uterine wall. -Ann Woolner, "Millions Who Had Abortions Don't Know It"

[John317]

Quote:

Mr. Obama conceded that he had given a flip answer when saying at an evangelical forum last month that the question of when life begins was “above my pay grade.”

“What I intended to say is that as a Christian, I have a lot of humility about understanding,” Mr. Obama said. He added, “All I meant to communicate was that I don’t presume to be able to answer these kinds of theological questions.”

when is the 'moment of conception?'

Quote:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has drafted a rule that would call it abortion when a contraceptive prevents a fertilized egg from embedding itself in the uterine wall. -Ann Woolner, "Millions Who Had Abortions Don't Know It"

My position on abortion is probably strange to a lot of people. I favor a woman's right to choose, just like I favor the right of people to make a lot of mistakes and do a lot of stupid things. I don't think government should be involved in telling us what to do with our bodies. However, I realize that the state has an investment in human life and therefore has a right to regulate some aspects of our lives to prevent us from doing harm to each other. Personally I believe it is wrong to take the life of the unborn, which the Bible itself substantiates.

An early Christian writing, The Epistle of Barnabas (c. 130 AD), says, "Never do away with an unborn child, or destroy it after its birth."

I believe this, yet I accept people's freedom to choose this just as I accept their freedom to choose Satan or Jesus Christ. These issues shouldn't be imposed, as far as I'm concerned.

By the way, this view is also why I am opposed to socialism. Socialism puts the government in positions where it is forcing people to do things I do not believe government has a right to do. My bottom line is individual liberty to choose, even it is not a good choice in the view of the community at large.

[Jeannieb43]

Precisely, Jim.

God permits human beings to make mistakes, to decide for themselves what choices to make. Why can't we as Christians allow others that same freedom of choice?

I'm not pro-abortion. I'm pro-choice.

[Dr. Shane]

The issue comes down to if or when the fetus is a human life. That is the issue.

If it is human life that it has human rights and the mother shouldn't take those human rights away. In fact, the mother should be most concerned with protecting the human rights of the life growing inside of her.

The Bible says God knows us before we are conceived so I have no doubt that every unborn child has human rights and that the mother never has the right (as far as God is concerned) to take that life - except in self-defense when her own life is at stake. I don't believe in giving people freedom to kill other people. Freedom needs to have limits.

I then ask myself what is the best way to reduce the number of abortions. I believe it is to keep abortion legal and regulate it with restrictions. This has shown to be effective in states and countries that have done it.

[Neil D]

The issue comes down to if or when the fetus is a human life. That is the issue.

If it is human life that it has human rights and the mother shouldn't take those human rights away. In fact, the mother should be most concerned with protecting the human rights of the life growing inside of her.

I don't think that this is the case at all....

If you allow a person to make mistakes, then you also allow the goverment to keep it's nose out of your private areas...and I have enough of a problem with just the doctor doing a protology exam.

No, the issue is trust. Does the Goverment trust it's own people to make sound personal decisions ? If not, then the goverment becomes a communist state, and rules over it's own, and is able to make all the decisions from birth to death.

Some of you may not remember that we fought wars to keep communism away from us...Now, we seem to allow it in the form of taking away a woman's right to make decisions.. but who am I to remind some that being a pro-choice person also allows one to be a pro-lifer...where as a pro-lifer can only be one who insist that all life, regardless must be saved...that is, IF we were talking about continunuity....

[John317]

I was shocked when I went with my wife to a clinic to verify her pregnancy with our oldest daughter, and were asked nonchalantly immediately afterward by the doctor if we wanted this baby. It was like he was asking if we wanted to throw out the trash. I'm sure glad we said we wanted the baby, and so is our 20 year old daughter. And so is her boy friend and a lot of other people.

But how many say no?

And tell me, where do they then throw out that "trash"?

[John317]

.... Does the Goverment trust it's own people to make sound personal decisions ? If not, then the goverment becomes a communist state, and rules over it's own, and is able to make all the decisions from birth to death.

Some of you may not remember that we fought wars to keep communism away from us...Now, we seem to allow it in the form of taking away a woman's right to make decisions..

The big difference is that in a communist/Marxist/socialist state, they force you to have an abortion. They are never telling you not to get one. What does that tell you? I'd much rather have a government that won't let people destroy life than one that insists that you kill your baby or be punished.

But if you understand communism and know where it comes from, you won't be at all surprised to see it forcing people to have abortions.

If the communist party doesn't want a baby, they just think of it as a parasite. I know because that is what we called it when debating abortion rights at the universities in the 1970s. It's because communists are atheists and do not consider the baby as a creation of God. It is a piece of unwanted garbage, human flotsam. How else could they throw a human being into the trash can?

[Dr. Shane]

Originally Posted By: Shane

The issue comes down to if or when the fetus is a human life. That is the issue.

If it is human life that it has human rights and the mother shouldn't take those human rights away. In fact, the mother should be most concerned with protecting the human rights of the life growing inside of her.

I don't think that this is the case at all....

If you allow a person to make mistakes, then you also allow the goverment to keep it's nose out of your private areas...

If we, as a society, believe a fetus is human at conception or when it is viable outside the womb it then inherits its human rights. So the discussion then turns to a discussion about two people (mother & baby).

In that context, let's address the issue of the government allowing people to make mistakes. What mistakes should the government allow people to make?

• Physically abusing their children
• Abusing drugs
• Not mowing their lawn
• Not sending their children to school

All of these items are illegal. If a fetus which is viable outside the womb has human rights, its mother should not be allowed to murder it anymore than she is allowed to abuse her children already outside of the womb. That is just common sense.

Now I do believe a fetus is human at conception. I think the best way to reduce abortions is to keep it legal and restrict them. One restriction is to ban them after 12 weeks of pregnancy. Another is parental consent. Another is a mandatory 24-hour waiting period after mandatory counseling. The purpose of the counseling is to discourage the person from abortion by providing her support options and adoption information. Many women have abortions because they are scared, have no support and don't know what other options exist.

[Tom Wetmore]

...and I have enough of a problem with just the doctor doing a protology exam...

I'm with you on that... I think...

Ahem...

Quote:

protology

noun

the study of origins and first things; "To Christians, protology refers to God's fundamental purpose for humanity"

Yep, I'm sure now. I really would have a problem with a doctor doing an exam of that sort on me. :smile:

...Or was that what you really meant?

...just couldn't that one pass... teehe

Tom

[D. Allan]

What a difference one little letter can make.

great potential for jokes - but it'll have to pass /dAb

[carolaa]

...where as a pro-lifer can only be one who insist that all life, regardless must be saved...

No, that's not true. Pro-lifers do not insist that all life must be saved. It is only all womb life that must be saved. (I realize this thread is talking about abortion, but just want to be specific....)

[aldona]

Originally Posted By: Neil D

...where as a pro-lifer can only be one who insist that all life, regardless must be saved...

No, that's not true. Pro-lifers do not insist that all life must be saved. It is only all womb life that must be saved. (I realize this thread is talking about abortion, but just want to be specific....)

That's what I've noticed - whenever someone is identified in the media as "pro-life", they will be pro-guns, pro-hunting, pro-war, and pro-death penalty.

It is certainly not all life that is to be respected. It is only human life from the moment of conception to the moment of birth.

aldona

[Dr. Shane]

Pro-life is about protecting innocent life. Certainly when terrorists attack a nation there will be certain pro-life people that will want to hunt those terrorists down. But terrorists are not innocent life. Some pro-life people also support the death penalty but again, those receiving the death penalty are not innocent life. There is no human being on the planet as innocent as an unborn child.

I hope I cleared that up.

[carolaa]

those receiving the death penalty are not innocent life.

Wow, that's a big assumption.

[carolaa]

Pro-life is about protecting innocent life.

They really aren't too concerned about innocent Iraqi and Afghan civilians.

[carolaa]

Most of the animals slaughtered daily are innocent.

[olger]

here we go.......

[Woody]

Didn't you know Olger ... we are to treat animals as we do humans ... you know .... "humanely" . After all - animals DO have RIGHTS. Probably more rights than you and I have according to the ACLU.

[John317]

You should have been here in Loma Linda when Dr. Bailey the heart surgeon killed [murdered?] a couple of baboons in order to keep a child alive so she could receive a new human heart. The whole town was invaded by people who seemed angry enough to kill the doctor and anyone who got in their way, all over the deaths of those baboons. Then after throwing blood and making a big protest, they went out and had some steaks and hamburgers.