A great day to be a humanist mom!
(The Humanist Association Ad, via pharyngula and friendly atheist.)
On a personal note, when reading both The Audacity of Hope and Obama’s earlier memoir Dreams from My Father, it meant a lot to me to read such an inspiring portrait of this amazing woman: Barack Obama’s mother. It seems you don’t hear much praise for humanist moms, but we’re out there. 
Julie Said,
January 21, 2009 @ 4:28 am
I feel such a sense of relief now that’s he’s actually in office.
The Rick Warren thing threw me a bit. That was a weird opening for a president from a non-religious household.
But I’ll take it.
stepan Said,
January 21, 2009 @ 8:16 am
Ann Dunham–Obama’s mother–is an inspiration to me. Let’s not forget that beside being a great secular example to her son, she also felt very strongly about the importance of exposing him to various religious traditions. In Audacity of Hope (p.203) he writes that she felt that a
“working knowledge of the world’s great religions was a necessary part of any well-rounded education. In our household the Bible, the Koran, and the Bhagavad Gita sat on the shelf alongside books of Greek and Norse and African mythology. On Easter or Christmas Day my mother might drag me to church, just as she dragged me to the Buddhist temple, the Chinese New Year celebration, the Shinto shrine, and ancient Hawaiian burial sites. But I was made to understand that such religious samplings required no sustained commitment on my part–no introspective exertion or self-flagellation. Religion was an expression of human culture, she would explain, not its wellspring, just one of the many ways — and not necessarily the best way — that man attempted to control the unknowable and understand the deeper truths about our lives”
So, what else is new? | Main Street Plaza Said,
January 21, 2009 @ 11:13 am
[...] Well, I posted positive inauguration stuff on my other blogs. [...]
Me Said,
January 22, 2009 @ 1:26 pm
I was so happy when I saw and heard this.
Annie @ PhD in Parenting Said,
January 23, 2009 @ 7:53 pm
That’s great! I have often heard Obama talk about praying and knew he went to church, but I didn’t realize he was raised in a non-religious household and hadn’t heard him speak these words before. The openness is refreshing.
Brandon M. Sergent Said,
January 24, 2009 @ 5:47 pm
He makes me want to be secret service. I have never envied those men and women until this moment.
Joe Said,
January 24, 2009 @ 6:58 pm
for all of you who think this man offers change, I hope you get what you’ve asked for.
Using my braind Said,
January 24, 2009 @ 8:30 pm
So Obama’s humanist upbringing is what has made him great. I’m sure his 20 years of listening to Jeremiah Wright preach the word of God (poorly, I’m afraid) most Sundays didn’t have anything to do with the shape of his character.
This is really grasping even for the secular crowd.
D.E.M. Said,
January 24, 2009 @ 9:27 pm
This just proves that religion is worthless, and in fact has negative effects. “He may even become President!”. Top that.
Zarko Said,
January 25, 2009 @ 7:34 pm
And what the fuck do you want? WASP? There are many people that are christians, but catholics.
A great man said -religion is the opium for the masses.
I don’t know – sympathy or anger I feel to all of you shoutin like mad dogs about religion. Some of you make living with this, but unfortunateli masses a the majority.
Cheryl Said,
January 25, 2009 @ 10:33 pm
I am a Canadian, and I can speak for many of my friends and members of my family, as well as myself when I say:
I am so relieved and excited that Obama made it!
And the statements printed above make it even more true. I just love that man.
Congratulations America!
Matt Said,
January 26, 2009 @ 8:42 am
HA HA HA HA! You people, I just don’t get it. The man has done NOTHING but has written 2 memoirs. His mother was a globe trotting tramp that ended up leaving him with his WHITE grandparents. Y’all are more delusional than EVER.
Thank God Bush is gone but if you think this man is going to be any different then you need to lay off the dope. He’s already attacked Pakistan, sent troops into Afghanistan, spent OUR money on KILLING MORE BLACK BABIES and is going to spend another 1 TRILLION Dollars on another b.s. “Stimulus Package”. I remember the uproar about the one Bush did, and rightfully so, but where’s the uproar for this one. If you people keep sitting back and telling yourself that everything’s okay because now we got the Messiah running things, you’re going to wake up and find that the Nation your fathers built has been stolen from you.
I saw the “Service Pledge” video with the “Celebrities”, “I pledge to serve my President”. ARE YOU KIDDING? Do y’all really have that little understanding of what a Government OF The People, By The People and For the People means? WE DON’T SERVE THEM!
chris Said,
January 26, 2009 @ 10:49 am
has anyone heard of skull and bones? it’s an elitest group of rich americans(bilderberg group is a big one) who own basically decide who gets to be the next presidant, who is in fact merely a figure-head, does democrat or republican really sound like a choice at all?
isnt it weird to note that every single presidant has been linked to one of these groups, be it the skulls or masons, and the exceptions? lincoln and j.f.k were not affiliated, they were assassinated.
chanson Said,
January 26, 2009 @ 11:00 am
Wow, a lot of positive comments, and a lot of hostile comments… I guess that’s to be expected when talking about a political figure in these highly-polarized culture-wars times.
Listen, folks: I read Obama’s memoir Dreams from My Father — which he wrote about his life before becoming a politician — and from that alone I was very impressed with his mother and the way she taught him. This is not about politics, it’s about seeing a positive example of what a humanist mom (like many of us here) can do.
Now, I’m not planning to waste my time on any troll comments. If you have an actual point to make, then please demonstrate that you’re capable of making it in a clear and rational manner.
Matt Said,
January 26, 2009 @ 12:38 pm
Well, just curious, if this “Humanist Mom” was so great and inspirational, why did his white grandparents raise him?
Maybe because his “Humanist Mom” cared more about her own shits and giggles than raising her son correctly to prevent him from becoming another Communist Totalitarian puppet of the Federal Reserve?
Just thinking here…..
Humanist mom – what a joke. Religion is horse dung, no quarrel here, but the acceptance or denouncement of it does not make you good or bad, stupid or smart etc. etc. etc. Maybe his “Humanist Upbringing” is what’s allowing him to bomb the piss out of Pakistan without regard to the people, maybe it’s what’s allowing him to back Israel bombing the piss out of Gaza without regard to the people there, maybe it’s what’s allowing him to spend billions of dollars funding the genocide of black babies in Africa and maybe it’s what’s allowing him to further destroy and shred our BILL OF RIGHTS and completely ignore the limitations of THE CONSTITUTION.
Maybe Bush’s “Christian Upbringing” is what allowed him to do the same damn thing (except the Black Baby genocide part, if you forget about his funding of local tribal chiefs who used to the money to wipe out smaller, weaker tribes).
So, again, maybe “Humanist” is bullshit just like “Christian” is. Maybe it’s the actual person and what they do WITH their upbringing that matters.
someone you don't like Said,
January 26, 2009 @ 12:44 pm
Ann Dunham was an unwed teenager when she got pregnant. She did eventually marry the guy who knocked her up, but what he didn’t tell her is that he already had one wife back in Africa. Daddy Barak (who had a religion, at least on paper) eventually dumped Ann and her son. Not Ann’s fault, but not inspirational either. Bristol Palin got herself a better husband. Ann did what she could considering the circumstances, but she herself sent her son off to live with grandparents. Perhaps that wasn’t a bad decision. Ann Durham and her parents brought up a politician son who first and foremost wants to be liked, probably as a consequence of being abandoned by all 3 of his parents. And lets not forget that Barak Obama is also a product of Chicago machine.
I’m glad he found nice words for his mom in his memoir, which is more then what he did for his “typical white person” ailing grandmother in a nationally televised speech.
chanson Said,
January 26, 2009 @ 12:46 pm
Did we get a new incoming link from a site promoting conspiracy theories or something? So Obama’s a Communist and a Mason. Hmmm. Well, thanks for the traffic, anyway…
Matt Said,
January 26, 2009 @ 1:18 pm
What Conspiracy – The man is espousing redistribution of wealth and ultimate government control – so….that’s not Communism?
anon Said,
January 26, 2009 @ 2:00 pm
@matt
No that is not Communism
Matt Said,
January 26, 2009 @ 2:42 pm
Now, as far as Marx is concerned, “Communism is a socioeconomic structure and political ideology that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property in general”
Now, that’s the “ideal” of communism, no matter what b.s. it may be. The reality is that Communism gives the control over the means of production to “The People” i.e. The Government, that is Representative of the People. So, instead of private ownership, it is owned and controlled by those who represent the people. Further into the reality, The Government (The State) NEVER represents the people but always themselves.
So, Obama wants the Government to be the only entity in possession of firearms (A monopoly of force), the Government to run Health Care, the Government to run the Financial Industry and it will soon own the last block of manufacturing in America, The Automobile Industry.
By taking from the Privately Owned wealth and “Redistributing” it to “The People” who didn’t earn it, he is ordaining one of the last ideals of Communism into American Culture. This has been around for awhile with the Entitlement and Nanny state that we’ve allowed to grow but it will be finalized by “The One”.
The Police State that has been instituted by his forebears and his being grown by him right now, is there to ensure that the efforts and control of “The State” are not threatened by anyone.
Now, explain how that’s not communism with a good dash of an Oligarchy thrown in.
Matt Said,
January 26, 2009 @ 2:43 pm
“Socialism is just an intermediate step between Capitalism and Communism” – That’s Marx as well, that Obama has been so well trained in.
Matt Said,
January 26, 2009 @ 2:47 pm
So, to bring it back around to the issue of the article – This ideology that, as I said, was started by his Forebears and is being continued by him is most certainly NOT AMERICAN. So, how did his “Humanist Mother” (who didn’t raise him) raise him to be a decent man when he is filled with ideals and intentions that will destroy a Nation that was once the bastion of freedom and liberty so needed in the world?
Bush’s Christian upbringing didn’t do us a lot of good and it doesn’t look like Obama’s “Humanist” upbringing is going to either.
Bruce Said,
January 26, 2009 @ 4:48 pm
Y’all? Really? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me! Matt, ever heard of cytoplasm? It’s an organism that has more intellect than you! Look it up fuck knuckle!
allan Said,
January 26, 2009 @ 5:27 pm
seems to me that obama might be a closet atheist. he probably only goes to church in order to advance his career. i don’t think one could do it with out the votes of religious people. is faith more important than race in the u.s. (and other countries, for that matter) political system?
i’m a bit ignorant of the u.s. political scene. can anyone name an open atheist in a high profile position? how about a leader of a country who is an open atheist?
someone you don't like Said,
January 26, 2009 @ 7:22 pm
test
chanson Said,
January 26, 2009 @ 10:05 pm
Mkay, I get it. Matt, you and your sock puppet think that Obama’s mother was a whore, therefore it’s shocking that I could find anything praiseworthy about her. Your opinion has been duly noted and logged, thanks for playing.
Now, if you’d like to have a reasonable discussion of “Is Obama a Communist? What is Communism? What are the roles that fear of Communism has played in American politics?” then I might be able to help you out. But I’m not going waste any electrons on the thrilling question of whether or not Ann Dunham was a “tramp”.
Allan — Some people have speculated that he’s a closet atheist. You’re right that there’s no way an atheist could get elected president of the U.S., at least in the current politico-religious climate. There’s one congressman who’s a non-theist Unitarian, but that’s it. I can’t say whether his Christian beliefs are real or not — I’m not in his head with him — but his kinship with the Christian community at least seems very sincere.
Matt Said,
January 27, 2009 @ 8:12 am
I’ve already stated the case that Obama espouses Marxist principles, is seeking a Communism based Government with a healthy dose of an Oligarchy to ensure the reigns of power remain where they want them. He cares no more about what once made America Great than he does about saving black people or honoring his mother. He is continuing the Police State Policies of Oppression and unchecked war that Bush started. Obama is neither a good man nor an American. Worship of him is as worthy as worship of “Bruce – Declarer of Fuck Knuckles”.
Obama’s mother was a tramp. So what? It doesn’t bother me in the least but seeing people praise her as “Humanist” is ridiculous.
“Y’all? Really? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me! Matt, ever heard of cytoplasm? It’s an organism that has more intellect than you! Look it up fuck knuckle!” – Seriously? That’s it? Nothing more? You mock a regional dialect that’s an accepted contraction by Merriam-Webster and then finish it up with “Fuck Knuckle” while offering no contradictions or counter points to what I’ve proposed? WOW. I bow before your intellect and debating prowess. By the way, Cytoplasm is not an organism, it’s the location inside of an eukaryotic cell where most cellular activities take place, Fuck Knuckle.
So, does the “Humanist” community have anything to say in refutation or is “Fuck Knuckle” the best ya got?
Matt Said,
January 27, 2009 @ 8:33 am
Fuck Knuckle – The more I think about that the funnier it gets.
Reminds me of that picture – Moose Knuckle – how about you look that up Bruce. Funny stuff.
Hortisimo Said,
January 27, 2009 @ 3:35 pm
Atheists do not have any biases and do not kill in the name of god.
gina94984 Said,
January 27, 2009 @ 9:25 pm
when i learned of barack obama’s election win, i let out a breath i didn’t know i was holding. what a relief. now the americans have freshness and liberty in a president. by the way – i am canadian.
Bart Said,
January 27, 2009 @ 9:47 pm
Matt, I just jumped here from stumble, but something I think you might be missing is: Capitalism, Socialism, and Communism are all part of a sliding scale. These ideals are not independent of each other. All have their faults and their strengths. Pure Capitalism, and Pure Communism have never been practiced, and are theoretical economic models. Socialism is the concept of using tax money to benefit society in general.
Public schools, roads, military, police, fire departments, these are all socialist projects. In the modern world, good policy makers need to find a balance between Capitalism and Communism, which always leads to a form of Socialism, which is what you live under today. On the grand scheme of things, the pendulum doesn’t swing very far from the Demopublicans to the Republocrats. The economic policy of the US tends to be fairly solidly near the middle. The best policy makers know that you use government influence when it works, and let market forces engage when the work. Its all fine tuning that won’t end, but it isn’t a war between Communism and Capitalism, both have failed as independent economic theories.
Lastly, as someone with close family ties to the south, your use of colloquial phrases does not shock or offend me in the slightest. Your constant reference to Obamas white parents (you know that Ann Dunham was Caucasian, right?) and genocide of ‘black babies’ is obtuse to me. We are all human, with so little drift in our DNA that we can all interbreed. I hope that your obvious racism was parody or sarcasm.
RJ Said,
January 27, 2009 @ 10:19 pm
In the end it doesn’t matter what Obama’s religious affiliation turns out to be and if we were truly a secular people we would not be brandishing him as a token of Humanism or any other belief. His beliefs are his own and should remain that way. His worth should be judged on his ability to perform the job at hand and if that job entails turning this country from its capitalist roots to socialism then so be it. He was elected by “the people” in a democratic election therefore they agree with what he is doing. In the end he will make decisions that he feels are in his best political interest.
On another note to the site owner I really like the title “Rational Moms” and find it oddly funny as well.
Thanks
Matt Said,
January 28, 2009 @ 8:09 am
Bart,
First off – there is no racism. My use of racially identifying words is simply to point out the hypocrisy of this campaign and “president”. His “message” was bringing people together while his campaign and the media coverage of it was more divisive and racially identified than anything I’ve seen in my years. “First Black President” yet they hide from the fact that he is as white as he is black. The majority of black votes he received were based solely on the fact that he is “Black”. Numerous interviews show that most had no knowledge or appreciation for most of his policies. So, with this basis of “He’s for Black People”, he immediately begins his administration by issuing an executive order assisting in the genocide of his “Black Brothers”. This is even more apt considering he himself is a Kenyan.
So no, there’s no racism. That’s a cop out. He wants to compare himself with MLK yet King’s dream of being judged by the quality of your character was most certainly not applied in Obama’s case.
Now that the ridiculous charges of racism are out of the way – let’s get to the meat. America is not currently run by Capitalism or Communism or Socialism. It is run by an Oligarchy. It has Socialism and, upon the purchasing of the Means of Production by the Government we see now, soon to be Communism applied to “The People” it is meant to serve but most certainly not to those in charge. This is the reality of any form of Government my which the Citizens are not in charge. The rules don’t apply to those who make them.
This Nation was set up EXACTLY to prevent that. Our Founding Documents reserve the Ultimate Power to the People, so far as to not only ALLOW but DEMAND that the People revolt if the Government no longer serves the job of protecting THE FREEDOM OF THE PEOPLE. What is it that Obama is, has or will do that will INCREASE Freedom. Is it using our Tax Money for all the wild and insane schemes he has? Maybe his Involuntary Servitude Civil Defense Corp, is that it?
The point here, is that people are praising Obama’s Mother because she’s a “Humanist” and has raised such a fine upstanding man. However, the man she raised is following the same Totalitarian Path that Bush followed, that Clinton followed and that all their forebears have followed since 1913 (Look it up if you don’t know what happened then). The praise and cult like following this man has got, a man who has done NOTHING except write 2 memoirs about doing nothing, is terrifying and will simply allow him (like it is already) to continue the same policies as Bush, destroy our Freedoms and Liberty even further and instigate war at will while the People say “Thank God it’s Obama doing it and not that Bush guy”. Well, the person doing it doesn’t matter – it’s the actions.
Dan Said,
January 28, 2009 @ 1:59 pm
Matt, if you honestly think Obama is a communist, even socialist then you are seriously misguided. You also seem to think that communism=totalitarianism, which is untrue, while a lot of it has been practised this way, communism doesn’t just have to be that way.
Overall, Obama pretty much falls dead centre on a world political scale. Yes he’s as white as he’s black, and black people only voted at about 5% more for him than they did Clinton, so don’t spew out that black people just voted for him because he had a black dad.
What is it that Obama will do to increase your freedoms, well maybe you should check out his policies, and what was actually happening under Bush, your phone could’ve been tapped whenever they wanted, they could listen to private conversations of anyone you know, whenever CIA wanted, a notable breach of human rights, Orwell big brother like.
He has admirably closed GITMO, instead of breaching the human rights of people you don’t even have evidence of being guilty of anything, he will actually talk and negotiate with supposed ‘enemies’. He’s only been President for a week and you’re already slandering him. All this blog said is that he has good values without having a heavy christian influence from family members, which a lot of right-wing christian americans seem to think that people can’t be good without believing in god.
What would you want doing if you were Obama, especially when your country, the world is in a crisis where there actually needs to be more government support than ever unless you want the world to crash and burn.
I personally hold socialist beliefs, and agree with many of Marx’s thoughts, and believe me when I say this, Obama is way, way right of my political ideology.
chanson Said,
January 28, 2009 @ 9:56 pm
Here’s a short program about the subject: It’s mostly about the inauguration and the oath, but with a few seconds about Obama’s upbringing at the end.
YogaforCynics Said,
January 30, 2009 @ 2:04 pm
That’s beautiful. One of these days, I really need to read that book….
Monday’s Link Roundup 2/2 | Dallas McLaughlin Said,
February 2, 2009 @ 8:55 am
[...] Family Values – From Barack himself. [...]
B Simmons Said,
February 3, 2009 @ 5:14 pm
Finally – someone in Washington who is REAL!
Isa Said,
February 4, 2009 @ 10:21 pm
I wouldn’t recommend arguing with Matt, y’all. It’s impossible to win a debate against someone who A) has a skewed understanding of their subject matter and B) is patently unwilling to listen to any kind of reason.
Bradley Kisia Said,
February 5, 2009 @ 3:46 am
I am happy Obama made it, but I believe religion helps because it is our end. I am a Catholic Christian and generally have a problem with some of his views in relation to abortion so from where I stand, he was raised well … no his grandmother raised him well, but there are a few nuts to sort out.
That is my opinion and I hear Americans value everyone’s opinion (I am Kenyan)
alex farguson Said,
February 10, 2009 @ 12:30 pm
excellent work…
Spiral115 Said,
February 23, 2009 @ 9:54 pm
Matt,
Wealth is and has been redistributed in this country, by Government for decades now. Different parties do it different ways, and I don’t see anyone marching you off to a work camp yet. Its about time t0 let the rich start pulling their weight instead of feeding off the masses like fat bloated ticks. The ticks have burst! Let everyone else have a chance to live a decent life.
Spiral115 Said,
February 23, 2009 @ 9:57 pm
I am an atheist and am amazed at the callousness of a lot of Christians that are happy to see the weak go hungry, the broken die, and the needy get no medicine. If something is a bother to them they just “turn the other cheek” and look away. Very sad.
Nattybug Said,
March 14, 2009 @ 10:11 pm
As a Canadian, I feel much better now that the neighbouring nation has a new and (much) improved president. I feel sorry for him, though. He has a hell of a mess to clean up after that nut job George W. Bush. Long live Obama!
Damian Said,
July 19, 2009 @ 12:47 am
I need to learn to stop reading comments people leave on things i find in Stumbleupon..It just ruins the whole article for me -_-