At a rally on the campus of North Carolina State in Raleigh, N.C. Wednesday where President Obama went to drum up support for his jobs bill, this happened.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: I love you, Barack!
THE PRESIDENT: I love you back. (Applause.) But first — but if you love me — if you love me, you got to help me pass this bill. (Applause.) If you love me, you got to help me pass this bill.
Here’s John 21:15, the New International Version, describing a scene between Jesus and his disciples:
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter,”Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” [Source]
Hmm, not sure if NPR is mocking Obama’s MESSiah-like status or just noting the comparison. Though this is not the verse I would have chosen to make a comparison with – but hey with NPR it is amazing they would have any verse in mind. Much more fitting I think is:
“If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15)
Surely this idea is more what the President has in mind. Though I think the cruelest thing that could be done to the President was to pass his jobs bill, not to mention the American people. It won’t be passed and the President can then blame the Congress for the worsening economy. The effects of passing the “More of the same – American Jobs Bill” would not give him this out. Though like most politicians he is quite apt at blaming someone else as usual.
I find the whole idea of this type of appeal to love for political reasons rather odd. For one the response for love is not always to acquiesce to what somebody wants. If an alcoholic tells you “If you love me, bye me a bottle”, giving him a bottle is not love. To love is to will the good for the other and there a prudential considerations to be dealt with when considering this. The only demands love can make is for love. To use it as a coercive demand is not love.
The prudential merits of the Presidents economic plans has nothing to do with supporting his plan. I would consider the President to be an enemy for his culture of death policies, yet I can still love him and will the good for him without supporting his plans.
5 comments
Actually, what came to mind was the image of the guy who tells the girl “if you really love me you’ll do this”.
Considering what “this” is and what Obama’s bill will do to the taxpayers looks like we are talking about the same thing.
Got to admit, I don’t understand the point of the NPR story, and I don’t understand the flap over the “if you love me” comment. It’s not as if it was something President Obama planned to say. He responded to someone who shouted, “I love you!” and his off the cuff response was, “if you love me, pass the bill!” Then he got some big applause so he said it again. There is enough at stake already to go off in a tizzy about a one-time, impromptu remark that anyone might have made. I don’t think it indicates a messiah complex — or anything else. Now, if he keeps saying it, that will be QUITE different…
@ Gail F: so you don’t think the amorous spectator was a plant?
I never liked this President, and I didn’t vote for him. He is one of the worst we’ve ever had.
God help our nation if the voters are stupid enough to re-elect him next year.
As one of my good Catholic friends often tells me, ‘Come, Lord….please come….’
Great contrast.