"A Prayer For Obama" - Humorous or Sinister???
By anniepa
@anniepa (27955)
United States
November 20, 2009 11:08pm CST
I don't know how many here were aware of this but several companies had been selling merchandise - bumper stickers, hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts and other items - that read:
"A Prayer For Obama - Psalm 109:8 - May his days be few! May another take his job!
For those who are interested, I've copied more verses from Psalm 109 below:
109:1 For the music director, a psalm of David. O God whom I praise, do not ignore me!
2 For they say cruel and deceptive things to me; they lie to me.
3 They surround me and say hateful things; they attack me for no reason.
4 They repay my love with accusations, but I continue to pray.
5 They repay me evil for good, and hate for love.
6 Appoint an evil man to testify against him! May an accuser stand at his right side!
7 When he is judged, he will be found guilty! Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful.
8 May his days be few! May another take his job!
9 May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow!
10 May his children roam around begging, asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home!
11 May the creditor seize all he owns! May strangers loot his property!
12 May no one show him kindness! May no one have compassion on his fatherless children!
13 May his descendants be cut off! May the memory of them be wiped out by the time the next generation arrives!
14 May his ancestors’ sins be remembered by the Lord! May his mother’s sin not be forgotten!
15 May the Lord be constantly aware of them, and cut off the memory of his children from the earth!
16 For he never bothered to show kindness; he harassed the oppressed and needy, and killed the disheartened.
17 He loved to curse others, so those curses have come upon him. He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings.
18 He made cursing a way of life, so curses poured into his stomach like water and seeped into his bones like oil.
19 May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on, or a belt one wears continually!
Note the next few verses that immediately follow 109:8; is this also a prayer against the President's children and wife? I can accept, although I disagree, the wish for a President of whom one disapproves to be gone from office and another put in his place but is the rest of the Psalm meant to be implied by the wearers of these garments or owners of the vehicles on which the bumper stickers are?
Is it appropriate for anyone to be selling such items?
Thankfully it appears that CafePress and Zazzle have both removed these items from their websites. I don't know if anyone else is selling them or not.
Any comments?
Annie
2 people like this
10 responses
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
21 Nov 09
Hmm.
Does this constitute a threat to the President?
How about some prison time.
20: May you not dropeth the soap
2 people like this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
21 Nov 09
Where's the respect that liberals are suppose to show to presidents that doesn't represent their political views? I suppose putting this all into the conservative perspective liberals have the right to call these people UnAmerican. I haven't seen anything like this since I try to avoid that sort of crap.
2 people like this
@pastorkayte (2255)
• United States
4 Feb 10
How rude to use the bible to say these things about Obama, again I really think that some people are really crazy. How do you get angry at someone who was stuck with the job of cleaning up the mess that was left behind to him. Dont get me wrong but what I see is that people have absolutely nothing better to do and anyone who spends money on these items is crazy.
1 person likes this
@thegreatdebater (7316)
• United States
21 Nov 09
This reminds me of when terrorist kill people, and we expect EVERY Muslim leader to stand up and denounce every action. Why don't we ask religious leaders to do the same when some crazy right winger misuses scripture to preach hate, and threaten the life of our president?
Why do we expect more from one group than others?
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
21 Nov 09
So you're comparing some stupid misuse of scripture to MURDER? Are you serious? When Tiller was murdered you DID see Christian leaders and people from teh pro-life crowd denounce his murder despite the fact that they hated him. The issue with Muslim leaders is not that EVERY one of them fails to denounce the murders committed by terrorists, but that we often hear more cheering for the terrorists than we hear denouncing them.
Most people know absolutely nothing about what Annie is talking about whereas everyone in the country knows about Fort Hood and almost everyone in the WORLD knows about 9-11. This is such a small story that Annie couldn't even give a link to anything about it.
@scottcoleson (578)
• Pilot Mountain, North Carolina
22 Nov 09
"But, you are tying terrorist to a religion, and you are blurring the line between fact and fiction."
And how is that different from what you are doing? Who said that the person who came up with this bumper sticker about Obama was a Christian. Just because he used a passage from the Bible doesn't make him a Christian. You are saying that he is a crazy right winger. You are merely assuming things for one reason or another, but you are elevating your assumptions to facts, which is wrong!
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
22 Nov 09
Debater, you made some excellent points. Remember Randall Terry's reaction to Dr. Tiller's murder? He stopped short of condoning it but all of his minions got his message to be sure. This use of part of Psalm 109 can most definitely compared to those who would defend or justify murder.
Annie
1 person likes this
@trisha27 (3494)
• United States
21 Nov 09
Wow, I can't believe that people are selling items out there like this and then what really struck me is that they are calling his children fatherless and his wife a widow and they are saying that his office be few. Do people really hate Obama that much that they wish this on him and on his family. I am glad that those sites have removed those items from the list and I hope that others do the same as well, because that just isn't right for them to sell something like that and then on top of that calling it a prayer.
1 person likes this
@scottcoleson (578)
• Pilot Mountain, North Carolina
21 Nov 09
I honestly do not necessarily see this as hate speech, I see it as freedom of speech. We have the freedom to speak our minds without fear of retribution in this country, whether it is a member of government or in society. That freedom doesn't exist in many other countries, which is why I believe we live in the greatest country in the world. However, with that being said, I do not agree with the way free speech is being used in this situation to speak out against the President, especially using the Bible! I am a Christian. I don't necessarily agree with the President on many issues, but he is my President. I support and pray for him as my President. If you have a problem with the beliefs and political issues surrounding his presidency, then deal with those things. They don't have to make it personal as these individuals--and many others--have.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
22 Nov 09
When you say you don't see it as hate speech do you mean the part that is actually written on the items or the rest of the verse, the parts that explain it in detail? I can believe there could very well have been people who purchased these items taking them at face value if they weren't familiar with the rest of the Psalm but I feel sure the sellers knew exactly what they were doing.
I've been voting since 1972 and haven't missed a single Presidential election since then, nor have I missed voting for my Congressman, my state's Governor or either of our Senators. There have been those I've supported strongly and those I've disagree with and disapproved of in many ways but I'd be just as angry if something like this were marketed about one of them. We ARE a nation of freedoms and rights and as such we're a nation of many varying opinions and views on many issues. Obviously none of us are going to get our way in everything every time! THAT'S probably a good thing because I'd bet none of us are actually RIGHT all the time! That's the way it goes, we support our leaders even if we disagree and if we disagree strongly enough we work to have them replaced the right way when the time comes but we can still respect them as human beings and certainly have feelings for their children who have nothing to do with their parents' politics.
Annie
@scottcoleson (578)
• Pilot Mountain, North Carolina
22 Nov 09
When I said that I don't believe it is hate speech, I was referring to the actual words on the merchandise and not the other verses. And I honestly can't say that the individuals who created this merchandise meant it the way that many people are taking it. A lot of people take the Bible, pick and choose the verse(s) that fit their situation and that's good enough for them; they take the whole thing completely out of context.
1 person likes this
@missybal (4490)
• United States
23 Nov 09
Well Annie I agree with you for this one. I don't believe the bible verses should be used like this and although I do hope "May his days be few! May another take his job!" Meaning his days in office NOT HIS LIFE. The rest of the passage I doubt people look up and I don't think everyone who has these bumper stickers realize the rest of it...most likely they see it the same way as I do. I don't like Obama's policies or the direction he is taking this country, however I think he's a good father and husband from what I've seen and would not wish ill on him or his family.
1 person likes this
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
21 Nov 09
Hi, Annie!
I've been in a heated discussion of this on another site, and there are a couple of things about it that are both shocking and disheartening. First, several people seriously didn't get it when I said this is nothing but hate speech. Others said that calling anything in the Bible hate speech proves that I am a devil-worshipper who should be eliminated from this Earth immediately for the good of all mankind. This really frightens me, because I am not in any way attacking the Bible or anyone's religion, but these people actually can't see that at all! I am simply saying that wishing anyone to be struck from the world and have his progeny and everyone else forget he ever existed is a call to murder!
The same people don't see any parallels to any other form of terrorism!
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
21 Nov 09
I feel that it's hate speech as well! I'll concede that possibly some of those who may have purchased some of the merchandise may not have been aware of the rest of the Psalm and sincerely believed they were simply "praying" for a President they don't agree with to be out of office quickly in a non-violent way but I have NO doubt that those who sold it knew EXACTLY what the rest of the Psalm is all about and they meant it in the mostly vile and hateful way.
Annie
@Aingealicia (1905)
• United States
21 Nov 09
Annie,
I know you know where I stand on Mr. Obama. Sorry can't get that other word as of yet. This action of "A prayer for Obama" is sinister and an horrid abuse of our 1st Amendment rights. These people should be ashamed of what they are doing and what they are saying.
Even if I do not like the man, I would never wish this on him, or anyone for that matter, but especially Mr. Obama and his family. This is terrorfying that there would even be a horrible thing like that on him and his family, or anyone who is in the White House.
Sorry about any spelling mistakes. When is MyLot going to put a spell check up for us.
Ainge
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
22 Nov 09
I know, Ainge, you're right and it doesn't make any difference whether someone likes someone or doesn't. The very thought that that Psalm goes on after the passage they use to say "May his children be fatherless..." really makes me feel ill. I mean, when I hear talk about anyone wishing violence on ANYONE I always think of their children, spouses, parents, etc. whether I support or like the person or not. They're all humans just like the rest of us, after all. To have this verse spell it out is indefensible.
Annie
1 person likes this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
21 Nov 09
This is definitely in very poor taste and, yes, IMO constitutes hate speech because citing only one line in Psalms does not discount what came before or what followed. The intent is clear to anyone who is familiar with the Bible at all.
1 person likes this
