Obama’s idol. No, not FOX TV’s David Cook

More trouble ahead for Democratic presidential standard bearer Barack Obama?

We need to be careful as we drive down the road towards 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. There are new potholes that show up every so often, today being a good example.

The Times of India is reporting that Senator Obama is being presented with a two foot high gold plated idol of Lord Hanuman.
As a practicing and active church going Christian Obama accepting this token of good luck creates some problems. See the First and Second Commandment which follow:

“And God spoke all these words, saying: ‘I am the LORD your God…

ONE: ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.’

TWO: ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image–any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.’  

While we don’t wish to offend people from other Nations I am reminded of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani when he refused to accept a $10 million dollar disaster relief check from Saudi Arabia Prince Alwaleed Bib Talal (who said our foreign policy may have been responsible for the 9-11 attack). A stretch, perhaps. Being a practicing Christian and accepting a two foot gold plated (monkey God) idol is surely a bad judgment call.


“NEW DELHI: With Democrat senator Barack Obama busy in the run-up to the US presidential polls, a group of well-wishers in the capital have decided to send him a symbol of his lucky charm, Lord Hanuman, to help him emerge victorious.

Obama’s representative Carolyn Sauvage-Mar on Tuesday received a gold-plated two-feet-high idol which she will pass it on to the Obama after it is sanctified.

The idol is being presented to Obama as he is reported to be a Lord Hanuman devotee and carries with him a locket of the monkey god along with other good luck charms.

An hour-long prayer meeting to sanctify the idol was earlier organised at Sankat Mochan Dham and by Congress leader Brijmohan Bhama, Balmiki Samaj and the temple’s priests.

“Obama has deep faith in Lord Hanuman and that is why we are presenting an idol of Hanuman to him,” said Bhama.

Accepting the souvenir, Sauvage-Mar, who is chairperson of Democrats Abroad-India, said, “Obama has extended his thanks for the support.”

However, questions on Obama’s religious beliefs elicited just a smile from Sauvage-Mar, apparently to avoid controversy back home where the Democrat senator is pitted against the Republican Party’s John McCain in the Presidential polls.

The idol will be kept at the temple for 11 more days and then sent to US.

“We will perform the prayers for 11 days and then hand the idol to Carolyn who will send it to Obama,” said the temple priest.”

This story can also be found at the following link:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Hanuman_idol_for_Obama/articleshow/3160730.cms

As always your comments are truly welcome!


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