Bush's 'Comma': Courtesy of Gracie Allen?

[donsu]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/pressingissues_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003157235


Bush's 'Comma': Courtesy of Gracie Allen?
The mystery of what President Bush meant when he likened the Iraq war to "just a comma" may be solved. It seems to have been inspired by current Christian teaching --and a quote from batty comedienne Gracie Allen.


-snip-

This is it: He likely meant to finish it off by suggesting that, looking back, the Iraq war will be viewed as "just a comma, not a period."

Not surprisingly, this is rooted in current Christian teaching, often in reference to Jesus's death, or more generally as "Don't put a period where God puts a comma."

Where does this come from? Not directly from the scripture, apparently. A quote by comedienne Gracie Allen is cited on many religious Web sites: "Never place a period where God has placed a comma." United Church of Christ parishes in Massachusetts were recently urged to put that quote on banners during Lent and color in the words as the weeks went by.

-snip-

Rev. Philip Blackwell of a First United Methodist Church in Chicago opened a sermon last year with this: "I am wearing a comma lapel pin that was given to me by my good friend and United Church of Christ minister, Chuck Wildman. The comma is part of the most recent advertising campaign of the UCC. The punch line is, 'Don't put a period where God has put a comma.' That's a good line. I asked Chuck who said that, which famous theologian. And he replied, 'Gracie Allen.' Some of us remember Burns and Allen. Gracie Allen at her theological best, 'Don't put a period where God has put a comma.'"

An article in the St. Petersburg Times in November 2005, described a new TV commercial by the UCC which featured a large comma. "Weighing in on the commercial," the article concluded, "evangelist Pat Robertson is said to have remarked, 'Never place a comma where God has placed a period. God has spoken!'"

And so has the president. Did he fail to finish his thought -- linking the comma to the period -- for fear of invoking his Christianity in discussing a murderous war? Or did he want to avoid being linked to Gracie Allen?
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let's put the comma up theirs

the religiously insane are dangerous

[liberal N proud]

1. Some fundamentalist teaching is the reason a sitting president dismisses

the casualties of WAR?
:wtf:

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. UCC and United Methodist tend to be very liberal.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Pat's just mad cauze some of us don't interpret the Bible literally. Get

over it, Pat. Gays CAN be Christians too.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

4. Nope. Idiot tried to say "just an asterisk" but was too stupid n/t

nt

[lpbk2713]

5. F**k him

He's surrounded by stooges whose job it is to make excuses for his stupidity.



We don't need to take up the slack.

[BrotherBuzz]

6. Gracie Allen for President 1940: Vote With the Surprise Party

Reporter: Miss Allen, my newspaper wants to know just what your platform is.
Gracie: Well, it's nutty pine trimmed with oak and inlaid with California redwood.

Reporter: So what do you think of the neutrality bill?
Gracie: Well, if we owe it, let's pay it.

Reporter: Miss Allen, would you recognize Russia?
Gracie: That's hard to say. You see, I meet so many people.

Reporter: Miss Allen, what do you think of our national debt?
Gracie: Well, we ought to be proud of it. It's the biggest in the world.

Reporter: Miss Allen, how would you keep our gold reserve from shrinking.
Gracie: I'd wash it in Lux.

Reporter: Miss Allen, is there anything that you can actually promise the voters?
Gracie: Oh sure, I can promise the voters that if I can't find a way to reduce the high cost of living, then we'll just have to do without it.