Obama Did Not Thanks God in His Thanksgiving Speech

It sounds like a fairly shallow piece, maybe meant for the broad audience of television viewers.

Personally I think Thanksgiving is about far more than thinking we are "lucky," as Obama said. "So lucky" is what I think when I find a convenient parking place. "Deeply grateful" is more accurate for how I feel about being an American, and being blessed to live here.

Thanksgiving is about counting our blessings, and giving thanks. For those of us who believe in God, it's about humbly acknowledging Him as the source of those blessings.

In Obama's official Thanksgiving proclamation, he DOES mention God.

President Obama's Thanksgiving Proclamation

Here are some excerpts from the official Proclamation:

"Though our traditions have evolved, the spirit of grace and humility at the heart of Thanksgiving has persisted through every chapter of our story. When President George Washington proclaimed our country's first Thanksgiving, he praised a generous and knowing God for shepherding our young republic through its uncertain beginnings. Decades later, President Abraham Lincoln looked to the divine to protect those who had known the worst of civil war, and to restore the nation "to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and union."

"In times of adversity and times of plenty, we have lifted our hearts by giving humble thanks for the blessings we have received and for those who bring meaning to our lives. Today, let us offer gratitude to our men and women in uniform for their many sacrifices, and keep in our thoughts the families who save an empty seat at the table for a loved one stationed in harm's way. And as members of our American family make do with less, let us rededicate ourselves to our friends and fellow citizens in need of a helping hand.

"As we gather in our communities and in our homes, around the table or near the hearth, we give thanks to each other and to God for the many kindnesses and comforts that grace our lives. Let us pause to recount the simple gifts that sustain us, and resolve to pay them forward in the year to come."
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(Bolding is mine.)

So the interesting thing is that if you went to church on Thanksgiving day, you probably heard that Proclamation read during the service. It's not as overtly religious as some have been, but seems to at least give a nod of respect to those who believe in a Divine Creator.

If you didn't go to church and only saw this TV interview, then that might be disappointing. But seems to me that church-goers would have heard the message that mentioned God, and TV watchers would have seen the more superficial comments about football and "being lucky."

Maybe that's about the right division of audiences.
 
BeachGirl, you hit the nail right on the head........Obama, the great divider.
 
Those of us who don't drink the Koolaid don't care.
 
Meaning....what, exactly??

There was a subtle point that I was trying to make there, that those who complained that the TV address "didn't mention God" would have known that the Proclamation DID mention God, had they been in church themselves.

Obama does like to present a different face to different audiences; maybe that's the politician in him. But I wonder if the complainers knew what he said in the official Proclamation, vs. the short TV piece.
 
Thanks God?

fact - God didn't save pilgrims from starvation and winter. Native Indians did.
 
Which Obama mentioned in the very first paragraph of the Proclamation, so good for him, eh?
 
I'd like, for just once, to hear a president say, "I am thankful for the strong and weak nuclear forces, electromagnetism, and gravity."
 
Thanks God?

fact - God didn't save pilgrims from starvation and winter. Native Indians did.
God led the Native Indians to the Pilgrims to help them.
 
Not in the God of Christianity, but they believed in a higher power, a Great Spirit, something divine beyond human understanding. They had a sense of the sacred that encompassed themselves and their environment. I would call that believing in God, myself.
 
The Native Americans didn't believe in god.
That doesn't mean He couldn't have led them to the Pilgrims. :)

God who controls the elements of the universe can easily guide the Native Americans to the Pilgrims.

Also, what about Squanto?
 
God led the Native Indians to the Pilgrims to help them.

Yes, they were led to the pilgrims only to become ill with European diseases and slaughtered too as well. Not to mention losing their sacred grounds to the European settlers.
 
Yes, they were led to the pilgrims only to become ill with European diseases and slaughtered too as well. Not to mention losing their sacred grounds to the European settlers.

I think at that point, god was like, "Peace out, dudes. You're on your own."

And the Native Americans were like, "Awwww shiiiiii"

And the pilgrims were like, "Guns, germs, and steel. Umad?"

And that, my friends, is the lesser told story of Thanksgiving.
 
Maybe it is time to remove all "God" words off from the laws and amendments, or something?? It probably look like we finally get a chance to reduce religious influences. So is that suppose a good thing, eh? :dunno:
 
Personally, I'm glad that the Native Americans that were present helped the Pilgrims make it thru those difficult years. If they hadn't survived, I wouldn't be here now. So, I thank God for sending them to the Pilgrims.

That doesn't in any way excuse or condone the bad things that were done to the native populations by evil men.
 
Should we remove the word, "God" from our currency?
 
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