Covering up the Real Rock at Georgetown (What Obama was really communicating in his speech)

Insight Scoop ^ | April 16, 2009 | Carl Olson

[NYer]

This news about President Obama's speech at Georgetown, reported by Catholic News Service, is causing a bit of a stir:

Georgetown University says it covered over the monogram “IHS”--symbolizing the name of Jesus Christ—because it was inscribed on a pediment on the stage where President Obama spoke at the university on Tuesday and the White House had asked Georgetown to cover up all signs and symbols there.
 
As of Wednesday afternoon, the “IHS” monogram that had previously adorned the stage at Georgetown’s Gaston Hall was still covered up--when the pediment where it had appeared was photographed by CNSNews.com.

“In coordinating the logistical arrangements for yesterday’s event, Georgetown honored the White House staff’s request to cover all of the Georgetown University signage and symbols behind Gaston Hall stage,” Julie Green Bataille, associate vice president for communications at Georgetown, told CNSNews.com.

More of the story, along with photos, are available on the CNS site.

Julia Dunn of The Washington Times' Belief Blog provides some helpful quotes:

Julie Bataille from the university's press office e-mailed me that the White House had asked that all university signage and symbols behind the stage in Gaston Hall be covered.

"The White House wanted a simple backdrop of flags and pipe and drape for the speech, consistent with what they've done for other policy speeches," she wrote. "Frankly, the pipe and drape wasn't high enough by itself to fully cover the IHS and cross above the GU seal and it seemed most respectful to have them covered so as not to be seen out of context."

<snip>

Not every Catholic institution would have caved to quite this extent. Victor Nakas, spokesman for Catholic University, e-mailed me to say several presidents have visited CUA and the most recent administration official to speak there was then-Vice President Dick Cheney.

"I can’t imagine, as the bishops’ university and the national university of the Catholic Church, that we would ever cover up our religious art or signage for any reason," Mr. Nakas wrote. "Our Catholic faith is integral to our identity as an institution of higher education.

But, of course, the prize for Obamaccommodation, goes to a usual suspect:

I called the Rev. Thomas Reese, a senior fellow at the Woodstock Institute at Georgetown University, who was at the speech, as to what he thought.

"It is more for camera quality than anything else," he surmised. "They don't want distractions that would make the eye wander. I don't think this is motivated by theology, but by communications strategy."

Students "were dying to get into the hall," he added. "There is this great enthusiasm for Obama especially among Catholic young people. The conservatives don't know how to deal with this. 

"The audience wanted to cheer and cheer this very professorial address. He played Professor Obama. He's a damn good professor but not even he could make economics a barnraiser."

And what, exactly, was being communicated? As Daniel Pulliam of the Get Religion blog points out, it was a message about economic policy based, in part, on a biblical metaphor—and not just any metaphor, but the metaphor of "The House Upon a Rock":

Most news stories I have surveyed on President Obama’s speech Tuesday on the economy (among other things) have mentioned his use of the biblical metaphor of the nation’s economy being built on a rock, but few have gone beyond the message’s surface. (See here, here, here, here, here, and here.) For starters, none of the stories I read mentioned that President George W. Bush used a lot of religious metaphors and was at times criticized for using such language.

Obama has used the Sermon on the Mount before in his political rhetoric, (namely to express his support for civil unions), but this is one of the first times that I remember where biblical passages have been used for an area outside the social issues:

Here is the pertinent part of the speech:

Now, there's a parable at the end of the Sermon on the Mount that tells the story of two men.  The first built his house on a pile of sand, and it was soon destroyed when a storm hit.  But the second is known as the wise man, for when "the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, it fell not:  for it was founded upon a rock.

It was founded upon a rock.  We cannot rebuild this economy on the same pile of sand.  We must build our house upon a rock.  We must lay a new foundation for growth and prosperity -- a foundation that will move us from an era of borrow and spend to one where we save and invest; where we consume less at home and send more exports abroad.

It's a foundation built upon five pillars that will grow our economy and make this new century another American century:  Number one, new rules for Wall Street that will reward drive and innovation, not reckless risk-taking -- (applause); number two, new investments in education that will make our workforce more skilled and competitive -- (applause); number three, new investments in renewable energy and technology that will create new jobs and new industries -- (applause); number four, new investments in health care that will cut costs for families and businesses; and number five, new savings in our federal budget that will bring down the debt for future generations.  (Applause.)
 
That's the new foundation we must build.  That's our house built upon a rock.  That must be our future -- and my administration's policies are designed to achieve that future.

It's worth looking at the larger context of the passage used, from Matthew 7:

"Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.' "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it." And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. (Matt 7:21-29)

All of this, I think, is quite ripe with ironic, even surreal, qualities: The President of the United States goes to the oldest Catholic university in the U.S., has the university cover up the monogram of the name of Jesus Christ, then gives a speech in which he prominently uses (or misuses) a biblical passage about the necessity of building one's house on Christ and His teachings in making his case for "the new [economic] foundation we must build" in the United States. And then a prominent Jesuit crows about the "great enthusiasm ... especially among Catholic young people" for a man who appears to be purposefully subverting the words of Scripture for his political ends. Audacity, indeed.

All of which begs a simple question: upon what, exactly, is Georgetown built? And who, exactly, does it serve? And for what end?

[Jim Robinson]

Obama is a moron.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

"Georgetown University says it covered over the monogram “IHS”--symbolizing the name of Jesus Christ—because it was inscribed on a pediment on the stage where President Obama spoke at the university on Tuesday and the White House had asked Georgetown to cover up all signs and symbols there. As of Wednesday afternoon, the “IHS” monogram that had previously adorned the stage at Georgetown’s Gaston Hall was still covered up--when the pediment where it had appeared was photographed by CNSNews.com. “In coordinating the logistical arrangements for yesterday’s event, Georgetown honored the White House staff’s request to cover all of the Georgetown University signage and symbols behind Gaston Hall stage,” Julie Green Bataille, associate vice president for communications at Georgetown, told CNSNews.com. "

The agenda is becoming clearer.

Why is it still covered up? You can hardly see it in the photos where Laura Bush was speaking.

[fishtank]

Someone did that yesterday on on of the FR threads.

[Hatteras]

I think the idea is to minimize any subliminal content in subsequent news photos...

[massgopguy]

“Jesus said “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and render unto God that which is God. For your convenience I will serve as both.” - Barack Obama/sarc

[shibumi]

"I don’t mean to imply he is currently a Muslim, but more and more I wonder when he pulls these stunts."

Let's see now,

Muslim father?

Muslim step-father?

Educated in a Madrassa?

Changed his name to a Muslim name as an adult?

Attended a church (for 20 years) that welcomes Muslims?

Can (and does) recite the Shahada in perfect Arabic?

Has stated that in times of political turmoil he would side with the Muslims?

Has stated that the USA is no longer a Christian nation?

Bowed in fealty to a Muslim king?

No, I don't think that you have to imply anything.

[trisham]

"It is more for camera quality than anything else," he surmised. "They don't want distractions that would make the eye wander. I don't think this is motivated by theology, but by communications strategy."

*******************

Of course, one might hesitate to call this man a liar, but the alternative would be to accept this clearly ridiculous statement as fact.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

"All of which begs a simple question: upon what, exactly, is Georgetown built? And who, exactly, does it serve? And for what end?"

That's becoming clearer too.

You can read Prof. Carroll Quigley's 1967 autopsy and account of the liberal Harvard secularization model for Catholic colleges published in The Hoya here:

"Is Georgetown University Committing Suicide?" by Prof. Carroll Quigley, 1967

[stop_fascism]

He wants to divide the Catholic church between real catholics and those who claim to be catholic but follow few of the church’s teachings. He is using social justice to drive a wedge into the church. So far, he was been very successful. Several of my priests, who are very good men, are willing to give Obama a pass on abortion because they believe he will further the cause of social justice.

[PghBaldy]

I only found about the Five Pillars comment from reading this thread... was doing taxes and other stuff during Georgetown speech (plus cant stand to listen to him). It may be as another site has said, it is just a sly wink to Islam, that the left believes we must cater to them and so he does so. It is incredibly bizarre though after his 1st interview with Arab station, bowing to Saudi King now this...

[shibumi]

"Several of my priests, who are very good men, are willing to give Obama a pass on abortion..."

You wanna think about that statement again?

[Campion]

Catholic universities

"CINO universities" would be more like it. The real Catholic schools -- Dallas, Steubenville, TAC, Benedictine, etc. -- want nothing to do with him.

[PghBaldy]

I know secularists that say things about Islam just to prove how wonderful they are- it is especially funny considering most of my friends are gay and or liberal... There is a madness in this country (and Europe) where the left caters to Islam and condemns Christianity. The only thing comparable is the left’s siding with commie dictators over the years- much of it is a ploy to diss Western Civilization.

[Campion]

You might ask them what kind of “social justice” permits or excuses killing healthy babies in the third trimester of pregnancy ... because Obama’s HHS secretary got a lot of her political clout by defending a man who does exactly that.

[PghBaldy]

Oh- 1st interview as Prez was with an Muslim news service (Al Arabiya).

[the invisib1e hand]

Obama is a moron.

On his good days.

[shibumi]

I only had time to point out a few of the feathers on the duck.

[navyblue]

If they stiffed Jesus in favor of the O, doesn’t that say something about the First Commandment? Just wonderin.

[tioga]

you nailed that one.....and it’s very telling what they did do....deny the Lord their God before the world.

[Antoninus]

Georgetown must know that removing the name of Christ for expediency bodes badly for them. Too many martyrs have died for their right to display His name.

Jesuits like have been martyred for making the sign of the cross.

The Jesuits are Georgetown aren't even Catholics.