The speeches of presidential candidate John Kennedy in Houston and President Barack Obama's at Notre Dame touch on how they believe religion should play a role in society and more importantly politics. They both agree religion is not the most important topic, that it can and does, but should not get in the way of coming to an agreement on the more important issues. Both Kennedy and Obama believe that everyone and church should be treated equally. No one church should be favored over another and that includes electing candidates. If people elect a candidate based on their religious views then they and their church/religion are not being treating fairly. Certain people will never be able to hold office because they were born/converted …show more content…
They should also not have a religion imposed upon them by their constituents, the nation or by a church. Our officials should be able to attend any religious event, no excuse should be given to avoid the event because it is not the same religion as their own. By attending these events they are able to interact with people of different religions and get more done than if they only dealt with people of the same religion. This is the way all politicians should operate in his opinion. The best way to keep religions from getting involved in politics and keep officials from allowing religion to dictate their decisions while in office, is to have an absolute separation of church and state. If religions and politics are completely separate then more things be accomplished, because their views will not get in the way of finding common ground. Religious tolerance means that one religion is prevalent but accepts other religions. Kennedy believes that religious tolerance should end and that all religions should be considered equal, and a private matter. He also believes that religious liberty should be indivisible. President Barack Obama believes that religion should be public, but should not get in the way of reaching common ground. Everyone has the same core beliefs, but disagree on the right way to fix the problems. He believes that since all religions believes in the Golden Rule, it binds them together, and that people should use that to put ourselves in each
Church and State seem to be two words which are entirely inseparable from each other. Religion in politics and the government has been present since the federal government was first put into place. The issue of
Does everyone deserve civil rights? John F. Kennedy believed so during the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Right Movement began around 1950 and ended around 1970. A few of the major leaders were Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and John F. Kennedy. The purpose of the Civil Rights Movement was to end discrimination and prejudice among whites and blacks. Many African Americans did not have the same rights as Caucasians mainly due to their skin being a different color. A famous speech delivered by John F. Kennedy was “The Nation Faces a Moral Crisis Regarding Race” on June 11, 1963 at Washington D.C.. A major theme of John F. Kennedy's speech was racism. In “The Nation Faces a Moral Crisis in Regard to Race”, John F. Kennedy inspires his intended audience during the Civil Rights Movement by using the rhetorical devices of tone and repetition.
During Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s speech, “Faith, Truth, and Tolerance in America,” he attempts to bring Americans together by helping them understand different viewpoints and recognize when to input religion into debate. Kennedy concentrates on this topic because during that October of 1983, tensions were rising in the country due to conflicting opinions on the nuclear freeze. Kennedy, a Democrat, delivers this speech at Liberty Baptist University, a largely Republican college, so he repeatedly demonstrates his ability to relate to the audience in an effort to fill the space between their differing political parties and religions. Additionally, he makes references to ethos to prove his authority to speak on the subject at hand. He portrays
On June 26, 1963, the famous words “Ich bin ein Berliner” changed the world. These words, which in English mean “I am a Berliner,” were delivered by John F. Kennedy in West Berlin. His speech was viewed worldwide and brought national attention to the Berlin Crisis and the Cold War. Today, most people have heard about the speech, but may not know a whole lot about it. They may ask themselves the following questions:
My seventh quote is, “…His message came across clear and appealing ... He described America as a country 'where no Catholic prelate would tell the President -- should he be a Catholic - how to act and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote. This is a country where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one Church is treated as an act against all.” That was said by Kennedy. Kennedy was a Roman Catholic, and many believed that it would affect his loyalty between his nation and his church. Kennedy used a great maxim called hang a lantern on your problem. He brought went to many meeting of groups of Protestant and even toured Texas in order to be judged by his most skeptical voters. He gave his speech on television which included
In the following speech, Kennedy expands on his views regarding his Catholicism affecting his changes to win presidency. He emphasizes his strong beliefs in the separation of church and state and his own personal independence in the decision making process. The general theme of the speech in that religious intolerance has no place in a modern society, and no place in making a determination about who is qualified to lead the nation.
Peace is defined as the cessation of war or violence. During important historical times, Franklin D. Roosevelt shares his “Four Freedoms” speech and John F. Kennedy shares his “Inaugural Address”, one was during the Great Depression, millions of Americans were affected by it. The other speech was during the Cold War, which had influenced the entire world. They are both considered effective political speeches of all time and are particularly remarkable on our American ethnic antiquity. These speeches share many common cultural themes. As these speeches take place during important historical times, they use charged language and rhetorical features to persuade the audience. They both were during two complete different times but both share how we can achieve peace with nations although they have different ideas on how to achieve it.
In “Barack Obama’s First Inaugural Address” and in “John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address”, there is quite a few similarities between the two. In J.F.K’s, he was describing that we need to work together to overcome many challenges as a country, while maintaining peace within our alliances. Barack’s speech had the same idea that all should be free and that the United States would help their allies in any way they could. Another similar idea is that God gave men and women their freedom, with the fact that either they could either destroy, or renew their civilization. They spoke about furthering the science field, but it could become either a disaster or a great success. Both articles also used events from the past to strengthen Americans.
I attended an event held by the Veritas Forum, “‘In ___ We Trust’ Finding where division ends and unity begins” on January 26th. Conversation ensued between Professor Gillespie and Professor Smith who shared their insight into government and their faith. They spoke about where they saw the government headed and the deep-seated religious ties that America has. Professor Gillespie said she had to have hope and believe that the right things would be done, while Professor Smith said he looked to the future to see how President Trump would handle his obligations and how he would respond to threats to national security. At the end of the discussion, Professor Smith stated that discussion between people from both parties was needed in order to move forward and work together.
Freedom is something that every American citizen is entitled to. It is one of the attributes that our country was founded on. John F. Kennedy’s “Inaugural Address” and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms” speech focuses around the concern of maintaining America’s freedom. However, while both speeches speak of making sure that America is still the free, safe nation is was meant to be, the two former presidents had different ideas on how to do so.
John F. Kennedy once said, “I am not the Catholic candidate for President. I am the Democratic Party's candidate for President, who happens also to be a Catholic.” In this single sentence, he uses a method of Aristotle’s persuasive speech making. One of the greatest examples of using rhetorical strategies is indeed John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address of 1961. John F. Kennedy uses diction, syntax, and Aristotle’s method of persuasion in his inaugural address that not only made it uniquely his own, but made it undoubtedly one of the best, emotion tugging, speeches ever.
Throughout Kennedy’s campaign, most of the opposition he received came from evangelical groups like the National Association of Evangelicals and the Southern Baptist Convention (site)14. The perceived threat against the American Protestant dream seemed very real and the anti-Catholic propaganda came back with a vengeance. Perceived wrong-doings by Catholic politicians were hyped, such as the California Catholic Attorney General who made into law that prayer or the reading of the bible were not allowed in public schools (46)15.
Accommodationist liberals feel as though the government should be able to help with religious goals. Catholics became more like Accommodationists and believed that Libertarians were biased against the Catholic religion (581). Kennedy was thought to be a proud Christian by Author Theodore H. White. He, like other people, believed Kennedy’s religious beliefs were not in great detail (583). Organizations were created in the Catholic religion like the Knights of Columbus. Leading this would be Archbishop Spellman, who attempted to stop prejudice between the church and the government (581-582). It is said that Kennedy’s wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, commented on the religious side of the presidency, with her husband saying, “I think it is unfair for Jack (John) to be opposed because he is a Catholic. After all, he’s such a poor Catholic.” (583). Jacqueline Kennedy is right that it is unfair to judge John about his presidency just because of his religion. Michener recalled saying, “I’ve fought to defend every civil right that has come under attack in my lifetime… I’ve tried to write as if all men were my brothers. In Hawaii I’ve stood for absolute equality, and it would be ridiculous for a man like me to be against a Catholic for President.” (Carty 577). This comment by Michener tells us he has all the respect for President Kennedy. Michener saw Catholics as a minority group that was discriminated. A presidential candidate that is Catholic should have equal treatment, due to religious affiliation (Carty 577-578). One of Kennedy’s advisors Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. spoke from his Accommodationist point of view
“My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” This is a famous quote said by President John Fitzgerald Kennedy when he was getting to take the oath of holding the potential position during the Inaugural address. This quote has been an inspiration of an unaccountable number of American lives.
Being the only Catholic President, John F. Kennedy shares his strong faith in God, saying “And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe, the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.” John F. Kennedy bases a lot of speech on his faith in God, implying that it placed in the hands of God and no longer up to us, implying God helps those who help themselves. He demonstrates power when he states, “In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course.” Meaning, we are in charge of what is to come. He symbolizes an end, as well as a new beginning. Each American has the chance to make the change, and it lies within the hands of generations to come. He uses his most famous quote to demonstrate freedom by saying, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” John F. Kennedy signals renewal, as well as change. This famous quote is also paired with a quote about freedom, it states, “My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.” It was paired with a line about freedom, intentionally. These two lines, taken