AmericanPapist Comments
Excellent, Thomas. You put into words what I have been feeling for the last month. I think many of the people supporting Obama are trying to fill that "God-shaped hole in their hearts" with a human being.
The phenomenon that you describe so well, Thomas, was beautifully illustrated in the novel, "Lord of the World" by Msgr. Robert Hugh Benson (penned way back in 1907). It is an incredibly prophetic book and does a marvelous job through its characters of portraying the messianic impulse. I'm recommending it to all and sundry these days - it's a book for our times. It's available to read online (or you can get a hard copy from Amazon): http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog...106761&
pageno=2
Hillary CLINTON'S wins in TX and OH take nothing away from your insights. The phenomenon your describe is real, and scary.
Funny...I happened to stumble on "the Lord of the world" a few months ago. It was gathering dust on my mom's bookshelf so I borrowed it. What a shockingly prescient tale in many ways.
I've known many "liberal" or "progressive" Catholics and they seem genuinely taken by either Hillary or Obama because both are "true believers" in the so-called 'progressive' drive towards an all powerful and all providential state *(run by smart, nice people like themselves of course).
Folk who spontaneously combust or grow agitated over talk of love for the Pope (JP2 or B16) wax poetically for their political heroes who they're just so sure "really care" about "the little guy" (not including the unborn little guys).
When asked to give an account as to why these politicians will further Catholic goals they tend to look startled and taken aback as though that shouldn't even be considered. They're political first, religious only as an afterthought.
GK Chesterton was so right: when people stop believing in God they don't believe in nothing, they believe in anything.
Thomas,
well written. I wonder if it is worth pointing out that August Comte's expressed goal for the modern secular state was precisely that the state be the secular religion. The concept of secular messianism can even be found in the views of George Washington's contemporaries regarding him (Cincinnatus is he not?), as well as in our own revised history of his life, what with cherry tree stories and all. The difference, of course, between "Obamamania" and overblown reverence for GW is that GW was a self-consistent true believer, or at least his correspondences and public addresses seem to indicate as much. Obama seems to be a more consistent Comtean man, the sign of the saving grace of the state, rather than one who brings a specific understanding of executive order to the office from outside of it.
That may explain his pull with the liberals, but Hillary is not one to let anyone stand in her way! I also don't see him winning in November against McCain.
American Rapist is a completely inappropriate name, considering the subject matter of your blog! This is obviously inappropriate, and you will be flagged.
Perhaps you should take a closer look at the first letter of the second word in the name of the blog.
(I predict a V-8 moment).
Was that a joke, albeit sick?
i was planning on posting this later ... but you beat me to it! What's up with the Obama-craze. Our Bishop, Robert Morlino, has made several comment regarding the hype over Obama juxtaposed to our genuine excitement and reliance on Christ! Here is the link to his recent article in which he mentions what it should teach us:
http://www.madisoncatholicherald...ent/
bishop.html
i.e. to be THAT dedicated to our Lord during this Lenten season and to witness Christ to others in a life-changing way. They cannot worship Barak Obama "risen from the dead", but our hope is in Him! Laetare Jerusalem
Very well done, Thomas.
I lived in Illinois when the Republicans were looking for a Senatorial candidate to run against Obama. Of course, Alan Keyes was finally chosen. At the time, he seemed a wonderful choice - a highly intelligent and charismatic leader who could not merely match Obama point for point but actually beat him on arguments of principle. I remember saying to my husband at the time - the result of this race will determine the future of the nation, because the choice is being set before the people - life or death. Alan Keyes, with an appropriately run campaign, could have stopped Obama in his tracks and proved an incredible orator on the floor of the Senate. He would have said all the things that Hillary cannot say, and he finally could have garnered respect and added some beef to his resume other than "he was a Regan-era staffer". Instead, his campaign was a total embarrasment. Unfortunate, to be sure.
By the time Obama was speaking at the Democratic National Convention, even devout Catholic moms were talking about voting for him....
The German people are often blameed for the rise of Hitler. We have yet another charismatic leader advocating the slaughter of millions in our midst - actively advocating abortion, euthanasia, and even failing to protect babies from infanticide via the Born Alive act back in Illinois. His advocating the changing of the country from red and blue states to "purple" states will not bode well for us.
Re-read Michael O'Brien's "Father Elijah" and then go pray for God's mercy on our nation.
I think that the phenomenon which you are describing, the feeling which Obama wishes to inspire in people, is merely hope. Hope for change. Hope for a better economy. Etc. It does not matter if this hope is a real emotion or an orchestrated charade to make people feel hope through a concert of rhetoric and debate (or perhaps perceived emotion is real emotion...).
My point is that the inspiration of hope does not make Obama, or anyone else, messianic. I think that there must be something more profound for someone to be labelled as attempting to be messianic than merely attempting to give people hope, or a reasonable facsimile thereof.
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