While there may be a belief that President Barack Obama removed the mention of “God” on his own while reciting the Gettysburg Address on the 150th anniversary of the address, this is not the case. President Obama was asked to read a specific version, the “Nicolay Version,” which does not mention God.
TheBlaze reported on the incident, with an updated version believing that such an explanation may have been added after word got out and anger ensued that the president did not mention God in his address:
But it seems that explanation has been either added in response to the budding controversy or moved so as to appear more prominently. A cached version of the page from Friday afternoon shows no such explanation[…]
The updated section of the article also provides screen shots to highlight more about the Ken Burns website, learntheaddress.org, which features President Obama as well as other politicians and figures reading versions of the address.
The commonly accepted Associated Press version does reference God. And, the address signed by Lincoln does as well. It is curious then that Obama was asked to read the “Nicolay Version.” While all the blame cannot be placed on the president, it is also worth wondering why he went along with reading such a version. Examining “mistakes” the president has made while quoting the Declaration of Independence may give us some indication.
Obama has made it a habit to leave mention of the “Creator”out when quoting the Declaration of Independence. Our current president is not the only one to have made such an omission, but he has done so repeatedly.
Days before Constitution Day in 2010, President Obama spoke at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, on September 15. Towards the end of his speech, he began to speak from the Declaration of Independence, but omitted mention of the “Creator.” Reporting from TheBlaze included an updated version of a piece with an explanation:
If you look at President Obama’s prepared remarks before the speech was delivered, the Declaration of Independence line was not in there so clearly President Obama ad-libbed the line…and gets it wrong.White House Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest talked to Brody about the incident, and said that “The President is in full agreement with the Declaration of Independence. Any suggestion to the contrary is just silly.
Just one month later, TheBlaze reported that the president once again omitted mentioning the “Creator,” while speaking at a fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. A similar excuse was given:
…But just a week later, the President made the exact same “mistake” speaking during another fundraiser, this time in New York City.
When asked why the president did not use the words “endowed by their Creator” in his Monday speech, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Tuesday, “I can assure you the president believes in the Declaration of Independence.”
TheBlaze also says that “[t]he sole mention of man’s Creator in Obama’s remarks came at the end when he thanked the audience and said, “God bless you.” The president has uttered these words in many speeches, yet he does not seem to have a full grasp as to whom or what God should actually bless. At a Planned Parenthood fundraiser gala, President Obama not only was the first sitting president to address the abortion giant, but also infamously closed his speech with the following words: “Thank you, Planned Parenthood. God bless you.”
While reporting on President Obama’s speeches directly quoting the Declaration of Independence for 2011, cnsnews.com mentions that in a June 17 statement responding to a U.N resolution, the president omitted mention of the “Creator” while speaking on rights of LGBT persons. He also made the same move during an April 14 speech at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) at Navy Pier, Chicago and on May 19, while speaking at the White House about Middle East and North Africa.
Perhaps the most out of place and bizarre omission of all took place on Independence Day 2012, when the president once again failed to acknowledge who has endowed us with our “unalienable rights.” LifeSiteNews.com also noted that Thanksgiving 2012 marked the fourth year in which Obama failed to credit God in his holiday address.
LifeSiteNews.com reported on a poll released in July 2012 that showed only 49% of Americans believed Obama was a Christian, down from 2008, while the number believing he was a Muslim went up. Obama may claim to be a Christian, but one could say that he seems to have trouble living up to his faith. His views on social policies, including his strong support for same-sex marriage and abortion, may be a clear indication.
That there is a version of the Gettsyburg Address that fails to acknowledge God is indisputable, as is that Obama was asked to read this version, if we are to believe the explanation on the website. There is a way to acknowledge history as well as our Creator at the same time, however. The president’s track record also does not help him. A lack of surprise, yet still a sense of concern is to be expected.
Comment by Dave Gingrich on November 26, 2013 at 2:24 pm
It is hard to believe that any serious Christian would believe that Barack Obama is a serious Christian.
Comment by Rebecca Downs on November 26, 2013 at 5:21 pm
I certainly agree with you there…
Comment by John S on November 27, 2013 at 8:37 am
You can be serious and a Christian without being serious about Christianity. How many in the pews know very little about the Bible, hold strange, if any theological views (start Peligian v. Arminian v. Calvinism or Orthodox v RC v Methodist v Baptist argument now) are they Christians?
I do love this line: “Obama may claim to be a Christian, but one could say that he seems to have trouble living up to his faith.” Isn’t that a description of every Christian? I know it fits me.
Comment by Rebecca Downs on November 27, 2013 at 9:49 am
While I understand and thank you for your point, John, I’m not sure if that entirely relates here. I think you should be, or should at least want to/try to be serious about your faith. Granted, we all fail at it. I was too lazy/upset to go to church on Sunday. But it seems to me that Obama doesn’t even bother trying to be a good Christian.
Perhaps I was not clear enough with the kind of trouble he has living up to his faith. For yes, we could say that about all of us. I do find that if one espouses to be a Christian, one cannot promote so much the killing of the unborn as Obama does.
Comment by John S on November 29, 2013 at 8:31 am
And yet many denominations, such as the UMC, claim to be christian and support abortion. What is a serious christian? What is a christian? We can no longer assume that when we say “Christian” everyone means the same thing.
Is Christianity a major guiding force in the Presidents life? As much as it is for many in the churches and no farther. Insofar as those portions dealing with “Love thy neighbor” I would say yes. I would also say he does this because its “the right thing to do” rather than any theological imperative and his definition of neighbor is a bit restrictive.
I don’t like the President’s politics. What little has been glimpsed of his theology doesn’t inspire me either. I think he minimizes references to God because he thinks it doesn’t matter to God and it does matter to those who support him rather to intentionally alienate those with whom he disagrees. I would rather spend the energy arguing the policies and their flaws than take him to task for not mentioning God and fight with his spin machine when someone takes him to task for it.
As for living up to his faith; I think he defines his faith differently than we. I say he would keep good company with those B.B. Warfield argued against. As he defines his faith and christianity he is probably being consistent.