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[Oersted]

Former US President Barack Obama will visit Germany in May to address the Protestant Church Assembly, or Kirchentag, the organizers confirmed on Tuesday. Obama will join Chancellor Angela Merkel and other dignitaries at the four-day festival.

He is believed to be making a speech at the closing event in Berlin to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. It would be his first public talk since his second term came to an end in January.

More here

http://m.dw.com/en/obama-to-give-speech-in-berlin-to-mark-reformation-anniversary/a-38376700

Lock if old

 

[ValkyrUser]

I miss Obama..

 

[GhostBed]

Hope he keeps doing appearances like this and does plenty of speeches. Just hearing such an intelligent, sane voice in these insane times will be extremely refreshing.

 

[SpaceWolf]

Come back to us, Obama.

Save us. Save us all.

 

[giga]

Nostalgic over the thought of hearing Obama speak again. Like the pain from an old wound. A twinge in my heart far more powerful than memory alone. I ache to go back there.

 

[JordanN]

Lol, is that photo in the article for real? B-rock showing off the goods.

 

[RustyNails]

After listening to this toddler in white house construct small sentences full of mistakes, it will be refreahing to hear Obama speak again.

 

[Squalor]

What if the rest of the world just ignored Trump and contact Obama for everything?

 

[Vlaphor]

Lol, is that photo in the article for real? B-rock showing off the goods.

I don't know why, but the first thing I though of when I saw that was

https://youtu.be/RL_3JEsg994?t=54

but just until the minute mark.

 

[vonStirlitz]

Lol, is that photo in the article for real? B-rock showing off the goods.

Barack > Jamaican President. Every time.

 

[Meus Renaissance]

I will bet you $100 the White House staffers will be tuning in.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

I can never believe american churches are technically protestant considering how nutty they appear from europe and that catholics are supposed to be the crazy ones.

 

[ramoisdead]

Waiting for someone to post a gif of SNL Merkel's "my sweet Barack" segment.

 

[Elandyll]

Incoming salty-as-fuck tweet from Dronald during the speech.

 

[PeskyToaster]

I can never believe american churches are technically protestant considering how nutty they appear from europe.

Well technically if you're not Catholic, you're protestant no matter how crazy you are.

 

[Hastati]

What if the rest of the world just ignored Trump and contact Obama for everything?

Dude must be so tired, but the US and the world needs him. Time for him to get back to work!

I feel like he needs a kick-ass suit though, one without a cape.

 

[Mimosa97]

I can never believe american churches are technically protestant considering how nutty they appear from europe and that catholics are supposed to be the crazy ones.

What ? The catholics are the least crazy and the most accepting ones. The puritans and their descendants have always been the crazy ones.

 

[BlazinSkatinAxel]

He should become mayor of Chicago.

 

[Mael]

Well technically if you're not Catholic, you're protestant no matter how crazy you are.

Please don't lump Orthodoxy with the heresies.

 

[Ragnar Blackmane]

I can never believe american churches are technically protestant considering how nutty they appear from europe and that catholics are supposed to be the crazy ones.

Elizabethanian era puritanism (that was an offspring of the Church of England to a large extend, which is inherently not all that related with "lutheranism" to begin with, especially not at the time the Mayflower happened) that American "protestantism" developed from is as far removed from European protestantism directly based on Luther and his teachings and reforms that it might as well be a completely different denomination.

What ? The catholics are the least crazy and the most accepting ones. The puritans and their descendants have always been the crazy ones.

Catholicism is actually far, far more archaic, conservative and traditionalist than lutheran protestantism is here in Europe. Heck, just consider the controversies past popes in the last 20 or so years spawned when they tried to decry condoms as bad or downright evil.

 

[1.21Gigawatts]

What ? The catholics are the least crazy and the most accepting ones. The puritans and their descendants have always been the crazy ones.

In Germany (maybe even across Europe), catholics are the more conservative and less accepting ones, while protestants (we call them "Evangelisch" in german, but don't mistake that for "evangelical" in the american sense) are the more tolerant and progressive ones who live a very moderate and secular form of christianity.
The differences aren't huge anymore, though. They isn't really any fundamentalist christian movement in Germany.

 

[NekoFever]

Well technically if you're not Catholic, you're protestant no matter how crazy you are.

Orthodox is neither. It pre-dates Protestantism by like a thousand years.

 

[WillyFive]

He should become mayor of Chicago.

He's a constitutional lawyer; if he takes up any job in government, it would be the Supreme Court.

 

[Ragnar Blackmane]

Orthodox is neither. It pre-dates Protestantism by like a thousand years.

Also the coptic church (strongest in Egypt) is a completely different branch of christianity as well and even pre-dates Orthodoxy AFAIR. They even have their own pope.

He's a constitutional lawyer; if he takes up any job in government, it would be the Supreme Court.

Last time I checked you don't need any sort of related qualification or exprience to fill in the highest administrative/executive posts in the US anymore, at least since the last half year or so.

 

[BY2K]

Bu-bu-but they told me he was in military custody in Japan!

 

[Jacce]

In Germany (maybe even across Europe), catholics are the more conservative and less accepting ones, while protestants (we call them "Evangelisch" in german, but don't mistake that for "evangelical" in the american sense) are the more tolerant and progressive ones who live a very moderate and secular form of christianity.

The differences aren't huge anymore, though. They isn't really any fundamentalist christian movement in Germany.

The Catholic Church is more liberal and accepting than most Evangelical churches. Especially the very conservative Lutheran Church, that one is not even debatable when it comes to official policy.

Catholic Church official policy coming from the Pope backs evolution and the big bang and sees the Genesis origin as not to be taken literally.

The Lutheran Church (and most Evangelical churches) treat it as a factual event and deny evolution. The Pope has publicly lambasted the Muslim ban of Trump. The Catholic Church backs the science of global warming. The Catholic Church says atheists (and members of all othe religions) will go to heaven if they are moral.

The Lutheran Church denies evolution and official policy is Genesis is factual. They keep their mouth shut on political issues like global warming and the Muslim ban. They refuse to claim other religions can go to heaven.

The Catholic Church is more liberal in 2017. Period.

 

[Ragnar Blackmane]

The Catholic Church is more liberal and accepting than most Protestant church (especially the very conservative Lutheran Church) that not even debatable. It is an absolute fact.

The Lutheran Church (and most protesetant churches) treat it as a factual event and deny evolution.

You should check out the protestant churches in mainland Europe then, you know, where the whole thing originally started. The European catholic church is extremely backwards and traditionalist compared to them.
Stop looking only at America and the radical offshoots there.

 

[Tylercrat]

Well technically if you're not Catholic, you're protestant no matter how crazy you are.

Well I think Protestants and Catholics are two completely separate branches of Christianity. With Protestants having like hundreds of separate churches within it following the reformation (like evangelicals, baptists, methodists etc.)

 

[Tecnniqe]

Come back to us, Obama.

Save us. Save us all.

We don't deserve Obama.

 

[Dahaka]

Lol, is that photo in the article for real? B-rock showing off the goods.

Years of hard training paying off

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

Well I think Protestants and Catholics are two completely separate branches of Christianity. With Protestants having like hundreds or separate churches within it following the reformation (like evangelicals, baptists, methodists etc.)

Don't forget the Calvinist and their off shoots.

 

[Jacce]

You should check out the protestant churches in mainland Europe then, you know, where the whole thing originally started. The European catholic church is extremely backwards and traditionalist compared to them.
Stop looking only at America and the radical offshoots there.

I am talking about the actual Pope and official Catholic policy. Not just in America. Yes in America if you are Catholic you are more likely to be liberal than if you are Evangelical but that was not my point.

Catholic policy when it comes to science with issues such as global warming, evolution, and so in is leagues better than virtually every Evangelical denomination on the planet.

I am not religious but as someone who has gone to both Catholic and Lutheran schools and services endlessly (and forced to learn the history of both against my will)....it is not even a close contest. Catholic policy is so so so so so much better when it comes to science and political affairs over the far more conservative Lutheran policies.

Catholic schools teach evolution. Lutheran science classes teach anti-evolution propaganda. It's not even close.

 

[EloKa]

The Lutheran Church (and most protestant churches) treat it as a factual event and deny evolution. The Pope has publicly lambasted the Muslim ban of Trump. The Catholic Church backs the science of global warming. The Catholic Church says atheists (and members of all othe religions) will go to heaven if they are moral.

The Lutheran Church denies evolution and official policy is Genesis is factual. They keep their mouth shut on political issues like global warming and the Muslim ban. They refuse to claim other religions can go to heaven.

I'm not a fan of religion in general but some of your facts are pretty much "alternative".

It's true that the (german) Protestant Church's Dogma says that the Genesis (not creationism) should be tought in relgion classes at schools but that it is nowhere ment to be taken as a fact and actually that evolution is the only fact based theory for the origin of mankind. Religion is nice but once it comes to historic accuracy: please stick to science.

They also speak out together WITH the catholic church against any kind of racismn and try to warn about global warming and other issues.

Also from a Protestant view everyone that is a believer will have the right ascend to heaven while from the Catholic view you have to be a believer and done good deeds to "deserve" to ascend into heaven.

The general opinion is actually that catholics are a little bit "more religios" that protestants

 

[Dubbedinenglish]

Lol, is that photo in the article for real? B-rock showing off the goods.

Giving Merkel hot flashes.

 

[His Majesty]

Catholic schools teach evolution. Lutheran science classes teach anti-evolution propaganda. It's not even close.

just quoting some stuff from Wikipedia here which reinforces my own impressions that most branches of Protestantism are not as dogmatic as you claim they are

All of the traditional mainline Protestant denominations support or accept theistic evolution. For example, on 12 February 2006, the 197th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth was commemorated by "Evolution Sunday" where the message that followers of Christ do not have to choose between biblical stories of creation and evolution was taught in classes and sermons at many Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Unitarian, Congregationalist, United Church of Christ, Baptist and community churches.

In an interview, the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams expressed his thought that "creationism is, in a sense, a kind of category mistake, as if the Bible were a theory like other theories. Whatever the biblical account of creation is, it's not a theory alongside theories... My worry is creationism can end up reducing the doctrine of creation rather than enhancing it." His view is that creationism should not be taught in schools.

As someone living in a mainly Catholic country (Belgium) I would even say that Catholicism is a lot more dogmatic and less receptible for liberal ideas than other branches of Christianity.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

Well technically if you're not Catholic, you're protestant no matter how crazy you are.

That's certainly not true because there's also Orthodoxy.

What ? The catholics are the least crazy and the most accepting ones. The puritans and their descendants have always been the crazy ones.

I am catholic and I can't share this sentiment. In middle and western europe catholics are the crazy ones.

Elizabethanian era puritanism (that was an offspring of the Church of England to a large extend, which is inherently not all that related with "lutheranism" to begin with, especially not at the time the Mayflower happened) that American "protestantism" developed from is as far removed from European protestantism directly based on Luther and his teachings and reforms that it might as well be a completely different denomination.

Yeah that's why I said technically. It's why it's a bit weird having Obama speak there.

 

[LegendofJoe]

I would kill to visit Germany to see this. Heck, I'd love to visit Germany period for any occasion.

 

[1.21Gigawatts]

The Catholic Church is more liberal and accepting than most Evangelical churches. Especially the very conservative Lutheran Church, that one is not even debatable when it comes to official policy.

Catholic Church official policy coming from the Pope backs evolution and the big bang and sees the Genesis origin as not to be taken literally.

The Lutheran Church (and most Evangelical churches) treat it as a factual event and deny evolution. The Pope has publicly lambasted the Muslim ban of Trump. The Catholic Church backs the science of global warming. The Catholic Church says atheists (and members of all othe religions) will go to heaven if they are moral.

The Lutheran Church denies evolution and official policy is Genesis is factual. They keep their mouth shut on political issues like global warming and the Muslim ban. They refuse to claim other religions can go to heaven.

The Catholic Church is more liberal in 2017. Period.

I said don't mistake "evangelisch" for "evangelical".
German protestants have literally nothing in common with evangelicals in the US.

I don't think there is any significant religious group preaching creation over Evolution in Germany.

The two significant christian groups in Germany are "katholisch" and "evangelisch" and of those two, the latter are certainly more progressive and secular.

They even accept openly homosexual pastors who live with their partners, while the catholic church doesn't even accept women or married men as pastors.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

while the catholic church doesn't even accept women or married men as pastors.

they do accept married men, sometimes they don't even have to be celibate. The catholic church is weird like that.

 

[ahoyhoy]

He's a constitutional lawyer; if he takes up any job in government, it would be the Supreme Court.

Would love for Obama to take some cases that end up before SCOTUS so he can address Gorsuch as "Garland" in arguments.

 

[Mimosa97]

Elizabethanian era puritanism (that was an offspring of the Church of England to a large extend, which is inherently not all that related with "lutheranism" to begin with, especially not at the time the Mayflower happened) that American "protestantism" developed from is as far removed from European protestantism directly based on Luther and his teachings and reforms that it might as well be a completely different denomination.


Catholicism is actually far, far more archaic, conservative and traditionalist than lutheran protestantism is here in Europe. Heck, just consider the controversies past popes in the last 20 or so years spawned when they tried to decry condoms as bad or downright evil.

In Germany (maybe even across Europe), catholics are the more conservative and less accepting ones, while protestants (we call them "Evangelisch" in german, but don't mistake that for "evangelical" in the american sense) are the more tolerant and progressive ones who live a very moderate and secular form of christianity.
The differences aren't huge anymore, though. They isn't really any fundamentalist christian movement in Germany.

My bad. I thought he was talking about America.

 

[Sickboy007]

Also from a Protestant view everyone that is a believer will have the right ascend to heaven while from the Catholic view you have to be a believer and done good deeds to "deserve" to ascend into heaven.

I don't see how this doctrinal point makes it more "liberal". If anything, predestination is inherently antihumanist.

 

[AndyD]

I miss Obama..

Hope he keeps doing appearances like this and does plenty of speeches. Just hearing such an intelligent, sane voice in these insane times will be extremely refreshing.

Come back to us, Obama.

Save us. Save us all.

Nostalgic over the thought of hearing Obama speak again. Like the pain from an old wound. A twinge in my heart far more powerful than memory alone. I ache to go back there.

So I am currently reading The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America which in part portrays a fit and beloved Roosevelt, followed by a largely innefectual, backstabbing and slovenly Taft who largely undid Roosevelt's legacy. After a year or so abroad to relax, Roosevelt is welcomed back with open arms by the Americans and he proceeds to hold giant rallies and essentially start his own progressive party.

It is highly similar to today's situation where an eloquent Obama was followed by Trump and people now miss Obama. I'm curious to see whether Obama's return to the campaign trail on behalf of someone and senators and reps will upturn the Republicans in 18 and 20.

 

[PdotMichael]

If only there is a wiki article which clearly describes the different protestant movements.

 

[Tacitus_]

I am talking about the actual Pope and official Catholic policy. Not just in America. Yes in America if you are Catholic you are more likely to be liberal than if you are Evangelical but that was not my point.

Catholic policy when it comes to science with issues such as global warming, evolution, and so in is leagues better than virtually every Evangelical denomination on the planet.

I am not religious but as someone who has gone to both Catholic and Lutheran schools and services endlessly (and forced to learn the history of both against my will)....it is not even a close contest. Catholic policy is so so so so so much better when it comes to science and political affairs over the far more conservative Lutheran policies.

Catholic schools teach evolution. Lutheran science classes teach anti-evolution propaganda. It's not even close.

Fun fact: the largest church in every Nordic country is Lutheran. And we aren't exactly known for creationism.

 

[PdotMichael]

Fun fact: the largest church in every Nordic country is Lutheran. And we aren't exactly known for creationism.

AmericaGaf discovers that there are different protestant branches with the only connection that they don't accept the Catholic pope.

 

[EloKa]

I don't see how this doctrinal point makes it more "liberal". If anything, predestination is inherently antihumanist.

the one side basically says "do nothing wrong and you'll get to heaven" versus "serve as a member of the church and then you can get to heaven"

 

[norm9]

Why didnot they ask trump? He knows words.

 

[Frankfurter]

Looking forward to Obama in Germany. Maybe we can all forget that Trump happened for a couple of hours.

 

[The Lamp]

the one side basically says "do nothing wrong and you'll get to heaven" versus "serve as a member of the church and then you can get to heaven"

That would be funny because neither Jesus nor the Bible say any of this.

People are a mess

Glad to see Obama making public appearances again.