Barack Obama could have been a preacher. But then, he couldn’t be a Democrat. Or could he?

 In Obama’s speech to Jim Wallis’ Call to Renewal Conference, Obama calls upon everyone- from Bible-wielding, front-and-center-pew Church-goers to well, everyone else, to consider political differences using "fair-minded words"- that is, not using one’s assumed religious or moral values to trump another’s views rather than using logic, reason and a thorough understanding of political or economic theory- for instance. Obama chides his Democratic/Progressive peers for creating an air that being Democratic/Progressive is incompatible with religiosity, which doesn’t just separate Democrats and Progressives from evangelicals like Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell, but from the majority of American people, who by and large consider themselves religious or spiritual to some degree.

 Obama shows through his speech that he is as comfortable in front of a religious audience as with a secular audience- because he, himself, is religious (though perhaps hasn’t been able to find a venue to make this known as of yet), and his speech, likewise, is deeply rooted in spiritual imagery.

Though this speech is perhaps more often being interpreted to mean that Democrats need to try to achieve a more "religious-friendly" reputation, I think the most important part of his speech was his call to everyone to "extend the same presumption of good faith to others" and " hope that we can live with one another in a way that reconciles the beliefs of each with the good of all." It’s a belief that we’re all searching for the truth and finding it in different places right now but that we’re all searching, or trying to search, honestly.  Obama closes by saying "It’s a prayer worth praying, and a conversation worth having in this country in the months and years to come". Hopefully we can continue to have this conversation, even here on this blog. And I hope people take the time to listen to my opinion as I also try to listen to theirs.