In Rev. Dr. Susan K. Smith’s article, Inauguration Prayerful, Not Religious, Dr. Smith addresses her opinions on religion in President Obama’s inauguration day ceremony. Dr. Smith did not think Rick Warren was the appropriate person to give the prayer, however, she was able to forget who was doing the prayer and appreciate the prayer itself. The prayer was for President Obama and his family, as well as for the nation, and she felt that was the important point to look at. She thought that while the prayer was at times not exclusive, it was for the most part focused on Christianity, especially with the inclusion of the Lord’s Prayer. Dr. Smith admits that even though she could accept Rick Warren’s prayer, she does not trust that his interests lie in creating the “Beloved Community,” and she believes that Warren tends to alienate people rather than welcome them. Dr. Smith feels that no religious person fits a specific mold that society wants them to fill.
Dr. Smith was pleased that Obama’s speech did not focus on religion, but rather on the obstacles the country is facing. She felt heartened by the fact that Obama placed all people, regardless of race or religion, on an equal level. In her eyes, Obama stands behind what she thinks true religion should produce – community, cooperation, and commitment.Dr. Smith is hopeful that God will take the place of religion. Reverend Joseph Lowery was compelling to Dr. Smith, because she felt that Lowery left religion out of his benediction.
I see choosing Rick Warren to give the inauguration prayer as an admirable decision on President Obama’s part. As we discussed in class, Obama is clearly trying to break down religious and political barriers. His emphasis on diversity is supported in choosing Warren, because he is showing that he will accept others, even if they do not have the same political or religious views that he has. As for Dr. Smith’s claim that no religious person is what society thinks they should be, I have to say that the question of their popularity is not what is important. Religious figures should help individuals learn how to get what they need personally from religion. Obama’s inauguration speech was filled with inspiration and an appropriate amount of religion, as was Reverend Lowery’s benediction. They both stressed the importance of diversity and the acceptance of all people. While God can usually be more inclusive of many faiths than religion, I still see no need to separate the two. Without religion, diversity would be diminished, as well as individual freedom.
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I generally agree with Mallory's conclusions regarding this article. However, I would add further that not only do I feel that Obama's decision of having Rick Warren give the prayer was a courageous one, but that unlike the author, Dr Smith, I also think that the content of the prayer itself was appropriate. Though I may not agree with some of Reverend Warrens’s sectarian political and moral opinions, nor do I feel religion should have such pervasive influence on politics as it does in America, I still recognize this influence as an integral part of American identity, and believe that, as such, it is a factor to be reckoned with, especially on an occasion of such importance in the nation’s history. Therefore, when a Protestant Reverend gives a prayer at the inauguration of a President that the country’s constitution requires to take an oath in which he must ask for “God’s help” in his future mandate, I do not feel that his prayer should be anything but focused on Christianity (though I myself am Jewish). Whatever one may say about political correctness and equality between different faiths, to address any other God in his prayer would have been to deny an obvious fact: that America’s identity was shaped above all by Christianity, sometimes for the better (as was for instance the civil rights movement) and sometimes for the worst…
I think Mallory's post on Dr. Smith's review of the inauguration was very enlightening. She gave a brief summary of the article that explained what Smith was aiming to argue without simply restating the entire text. In response to content, I agree with Dr. Smith that Barack Obama’s decision to have Rick Warren deliver the inauguration prayer might have been a poor one, considering Warren’s alienating history. The recitation of “Our Father” may have been overstepping the line between church and state, however I do agree with Mallory that religion and faith still remain an integral part of politics because they do spark “individual freedom” and “diversity” which are crucial to American society.
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