Politics Daily: The philosphies of two contemporary presidents

Politics Daily has an intresting article on Rienhold Niebuhr, the theologian who most clearly supplied that language is the American Protestant exponent of "Christian realism."

Rienhold Niebuhr, Christian realist philosopher

Niebuhr bases much of his philosophy on the concept of original sin which is a way of saying humans are guilty until proven innocent. Since the staff of Rightardia is  mostly secular humanist, we reject the concept of original sin and believe humans come into this world with a blank slate.

We also know there are genetic markers for aggression and violence and that some people are born with sociopath brains. But it is the environment that ultimately determines a person's behavior.

We don't know what happens when a person dies but we suspect people don't go to heaven or hell. That is a quaint belief in Middle Eastern religions and even all of the Tribes of Israel didn't believe in salvation in heaven. Rightardia thinks you make your own heaven or hell on Earth while you are living. Religions have used the heaven myth to assure conformity and the contributions of their 'sheeple."

Some scientists believe in a multi-dimensional universe where possibilities are endless. They  suggest we keep on living forever in alternate realities. Like the heaven concept, this idea is also unprovable.

President Obama and Bush have different religious concepts. This is clear in the Politics Daily article.

When New York Times columnist David Brooks was interviewing candidate Obama, Brooks asked Obama if he'd ever read Reinhold Niebuhr.

Obama suddenly grew animated, Brooks wrote: "I love him," Obama said. "He's one of my favorite philosophers."

A contrast, of course, to George W. Bush's response in 2000 when asked about his favorite political philosopher; Bush said, "Christ, because he changed my heart."

So Brooks asked Obama what he takes away from Niebuhr:

"I take away," Obama answered in a rush of words, "the compelling idea that there's serious evil in the world, and hardship and pain. And we should be humble and modest in our belief we can eliminate those things. But we shouldn't use that as an excuse for cynicism and inaction. I take away . . . the sense we have to make these efforts knowing they are hard, and not swinging from naïve idealism to bitter realism."

In a nutshell that was Obama's address in Oslo on Thursday and a good summary, as Brooks noted way back then, of one of Niebuhr's hallmark works, "The Irony of American History."  

In many respects you can get an idea between the complex thought process of a progressive president and simpler thoughts a of an anti-intellectual like Bush who Republicans would suggest has 'common sense. Rightardia prefers the uncommon sense of President Obama.


Rightardia recommends you read the complete article at http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/12/12/of-niebuhr-and-nobels-divining-obamas-theology/


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