charvakan wrote:
Biblical references can be quite useful, especially with believers. I use them myself. As I said, I am disgusted with the pandering, but consider it par for the course. What did bother me about Bush was his referring to a "higher power" that guided his actions as President. I assume he didn't mean Cheney, which would have been scary enough, but his imaginary friend God. As Tomas Szasz said, when you talk to God, it's called praying, but when God talks to you, that's schizophrenia.
As to the usefulness of biblical references, yeah, I have no doubts that you find them politically useful. I thank you for affirming my earlier observation: Your overarching principle is that the end (in this case, political end) justifies the means. 

Most believers, and Obama counts himself among their number, regard the Christian scriptures as divinely inspired. That is, they believe them to originate with some 'higher power'. In invoking the Bible as justification for his policy preferences, Obama is plainly acknowledging that (in this case) the Old Testament provides him guidance in his actions as President. It's not clear why Bush's referring to a 'higher power' that guided his actions as president is bothersome to you, but Obama's referring to the Old Testament, something Christians like himself believe to have a 'higher power' as their source, as guiding his actions as President is not bothersome at all. 

And good for Tomas Szasz. I suppose you think what he thinks is important. It's not clear why. 

later. iowan15