I have to share a conversation I just had with a coworker.

[Rainbowreflect]

She is conservative, very conservative, has been all her life.
She knows my politics, but we still get along.
Today she came up to me to tell me she is very impressed with Obama.
Trying to hide my shock, I ask her what impressed her.
She tells me she has seen some of McCain's "stupid" (her word, not mine) ads and Obama's responses. She thinks McCain is an ass and said that Obama has a lot of class. She was impressed with how he said they were wrong, false, etc. and then changed the subject to real issues.
She won't vote for Obama due to her rapid anti-abortion stance, but she now won't vote for McCain. Said she might right in a vote.

[Hestia]

1. I also just had a conversation with a co-worker and she said just

because Obama prays, just exactly what god does Obama pray to, Allah? I told her if that is christianity, I want none of it. How dare anyone question anyone's elses god! I mean if he had satanist tattooed on his forehead, maybe then, but jeez, who gave these people the right to question anyone else's god? I am really really pissed and I told her she really hurt my soul when she said that. I thought better of her than this. Now I am questioning my judgment of people. :cry:

[Indenturedebtor]

2. Rather than think for themselves alot of people just parrot what they percieve to be

the popular consensus. She's probably not evil, just very stupid, uninformed, and insecure.

Or maybe she's evil, who knows :shrug:

[Hestia]

16. No, she's just a simple country girl who is being led around by

someone she trusts, don't know who. She absolutely hates Bush, never voted for him. But the Black Militant Seperatist Muslim, who has been jumping down McCain's throat, spreading lies about everything, up to and including the sky is blue. This a deeper ignorance that can't be reasoned with. Like I said, it really hurt my soul to think that she thinks of me as a Muslim Messiah Worshipper who will Be The Worst Thing Since Bush. {sigh}

[uppityperson]

4. To reply to the simple minded, just remind her he is a christian

and if she is also, they pray to the same god.

[Hestia]

15. She says no, church is his cover, and that when he is in church it's allah

that he praying too. I just don't get it - when did we, as a country, figure it okay to start questioning people prayers and faith, and their patriotism? How do answer to this? I started asking her when she quit beating her children, it's the same type of question. Prove that you aren't, you know?

[uppityperson]

21. sound like her mind is made up and nothing will change it.

That is sad.

Even if he goes to a UU church, and prays to "god", even if "allah" means "the one" meaning "god" (there is no god but god, meaning monotheism), even if Islam believes in "Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. Islamic tradition holds that Jews and Christians distorted the revelations God gave to these prophets by either altering the text, introducing a false interpretation, or both.", even if Obama is a good person and it really doesn't matter what words he thinks when he prays, still, she can read Obama's mind and know what he is thinking and meaning. Poor woman.

[Hestia]

24. Funny thing, I asked her about that. Since she just knows

that he is going to be worse than *, I told her the bible specifically says no divination, and if is suppose to be that good, I want the next power ball numbers.

There was a guy where my DH worked who is Muslim, and they really got into some really neat
conversations. He knew my DH is Pagan, but liked his philosophical outlook in life. We were
to go visit his mosque in Richardson, but moved before we could.

[Tesha]

6. Remind her that "Allah" is just the Arabic word for "God" and the god that those...

...nasty Muslims are praying to is exactly the same
god that she prays to and the Jews pray to.

Then duck, because her head might explode and you
wouldn't want to get hit with Spraying Spatter of
Stupid.

Tesha

[bean fidhleir]

9. Also that Jesus is revered by Muslims and that Muhammad taught

that a proper Muslim must respect all people of good will whether Muslim, Jew, or Christian.

[Hestia]

14. I really thought I was friends with this woman, but now, I am really soul sick

about it all. I mean, you do have to say stuff out loud just because you think 'em you know?
There is absolutely no reasoning with this stuff - she thinks McCain is full of truthiness
and everything every Democrat ever says is a bald face lie. But she loved and voted for
Hillary in the primary. Correlation - who knows...

[bean fidhleir]

18. There are a lot of people who really *need* to believe in something

They just can't deal with uncertainty. Look at all the people here who get upset at any questioning of Obama's bona fides. They want to believe he's just one stop short of the Messiah. There's no basis for their belief, but they cling fiercely to it. Your friend is likely the same, just clinging to a different rock.

[NoGOPZone]

3. Tell her to vote for Bob Barr

if he does well it should help Obama

[helderheid]

7. good suggestion

[loveable liberal]

5. You could maybe point out in a kind way that

you understand and respect her views on abortion. However, that a vote for a republican candidate is a vote for abortion at every stage of life not just in the womb. How many families have to suffer the loss of a child for $2.00 a gallon?

No one, including Obama is 'for' abortion. Abortion is a tragedy for everyone involved. Tell her to her face that she must be allowed to make decisions regarding her own body. And that IMO most abortions could be avoided by a healthy dose of sex education beginning in elementary school.

Sex Ed has been thwarted by her own party because of 'moral' issues. They cannot have it both ways.

[DCKit]

8. Well stated. But they are awfully ascared of *SEX*. n/t

[Disturbed]

10. Bob Barr is an excellent choice for those Rethugs that

know that McLame is an Asshole that will devastate the non-wealthy of Amerika.

[awoke_in_2003]

11. Make her question her abortion stance...

mention most women that have them are due to financial reasons. Would you rather have her have a legal abortion, or pay for 18 years of food stamps. The dilemma may make her head explode.

[Rainbowreflect]

12. I have discussed the issue with her and she can be reasonable

about some things, but due to her mother (a very sick women) telling her over and over that if abortion had been legal, when she was pregnant with my coworker, she would have had one. I guess I can understand her strong feelings.

[awoke_in_2003]

13. Wow, that is a sick thing to tell your child. nt

[pipi_k]

17. I can understand her feelings too, but

they should be directed toward her mom, who very cruelly threw that in her face...not at the issue itself.

What she doesn't realize is that if her mom had had an abortion, your coworker would never even have known about it. Or anything else, for that matter. Same with embryos/fetuses that have been aborted. They're none the wiser for it, are they....they just don't exist.

If we really want to get technical about it, had your coworker's mom fallen down a flight of stairs or got into a car accident or had some other thing happened during the pregnancy, she would also not be here. Any one of a number of things could have happened...

What do we do...lock up pregnant women so they don't endanger the babies they're carrying?

Personally, I think the issue your coworker has with abortion is just anger at her mom that she can't, or won't, deal with. But whatever....maybe the only way she'll figure it out is through therapy...

:shrug:

[B Calm]

19. I would ask her what does the abortion issue have to do with this election?

The CONServatives have control of the Supreme Court and it is still legal to have one!

[Rainbowreflect]

23. We have had numerous discussions, but she just feels like

if she votes for someone who is pro-choice she is saying abortion is okay. She had come around enough to agree that someone is not really pro-life if they support the death penalty or the war in Iraq they are just pro-birth. And she finally admitted that pro-choice is not pro-abortion. That was a big step.

[Catherine Vincent]

20. "Said she might right in a vote."

Did she say it incorrectly or did you just use the wrong word? :)

[Rainbowreflect]

22. Sorry, brain fart!