Obama effigy found hanging on Ore. campus

[sabra]

Source: AP

NEWBERG, Ore. (AP) — Officials of a Christian university say a life-size effigy of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was hung from a tree on the campus.

George Fox University President Robin Baker says a custodian discovered the effigy of Obama early Tuesday and removed it.

Baker says the cardboard cutout of Obama was accompanied by a message targeting participants of a minority student scholarship program called Act Six.

It read, "Act Six reject."

Baker says students in the program receive full scholarships.

Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-27/1222271341169900.xml&storylist=orlocal

[BlooInBloo]

1. Thank gawd for christians.

[Democrats_win]

Surprise. Losers who brought us dead-end wars and financial calamities, are racists too.

[Coventina]

14. I certainly hope you don't mean the Quakers.

The Quakers have been committed to social justice and pacifism ever since their founding.

I'd be willing to bet my house that it was not a Quaker who did this.

[NorthernSpy]

2. Wasn't George Fox the guy who founded the Quakers?

Sad.


I wonder who did it.

[Coventina]

4. Yes, and George Fox would NEVER have condoned such behavior

This is everything the Society of Friends is against.

On edit: Here's a snip from the university's beliefs page:

George Fox University is Christ-centered. Our heritage as a Quaker-founded institution gives us distinctives common to the Friends Church, such as a concern for social justice, a commitment to peace and nonviolence, and a belief in the equality of all people.

*********

Obviously the institution does NOT condone what was done, so I wish the posters in this thread indicating that all Christians are violent and bigoted would stop.

That's like saying all Muslims are terrorists.

[Castleman]

11. The institution doesn't condone this?

Then where's their outrage? Where's their vow to find out who did this and throw them out of the school forever?
Oh yeah....that's because they're actually cool with it. It's just an effigy of a black man, no big deal, right?

[Coventina]

16. You don't know what you are talking about

The college president is addressing the student body this morning to condemn the action!

The "Act Six" referred to in the effigy is a program RUN BY THE UNIVERSITY to give full-ride scholarships to students from inner-city Portland, mostly black students!

The school notified the participants of the program first, and included them in planning the institution's response to this act.

Here's a quote from the president:

“We will not tolerate such displays and condemn it in the strongest terms,” President Baker said. “George Fox University is committed to becoming a place that more broadly represents the Kingdom of God – a place where students from diverse backgrounds come together to live out the teachings of Jesus in our world. We are all created in the image of God and placed in this world to reflect the character of God.”

Your response is ignorant and bigoted.

[Castleman]

19. Yeah, we condemn it...but finding out who did it?

Nah, not so much of a priority.

[Coventina]

21. Now you are just being disruptive.

Your "opinions" have no basis in fact.

[intheflow]

24. Oh yeah, the Quakers are world renown racists.

:eyes:

The campus was likely targeted for being liberal. Some racist probably thought it was just the funniest place he could "hang" Obama. Your prejudice against all Christians is just as sickening as the racism displayed by this act.

[RedLetterRev]

28. As one who is Quaker-descended and the relative of many Friends

I thank you for your post. Absolutely, neither George Fox nor any Friend would stand for that sort of behavior. It goes against every one of the Advices, let alone the Gospels. The Friends have stood for every type of equality and social justice for women and people of color since the moment of their inception. Today is no different.

Period.

There are others who've co-opted the name "Christian" as a convenient way to wear robes at least once a week. Those are no more Christian than the man in the moon, it doesn't matter how much Leviticus they like to beat people over the head with. If they were really Christian, they'd be living Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and they wouldn't be mouthing Leviticus. Do not confuse them with Friends. Friends do not preach, do not proselytize, do not seek to convert, and frankly don't care what you believe. If you care to find out about the Quaker faith and decide that's for you, then "you convince yourself". But nobody's going to try to influence that. That sort of thing is for the "other" kind of Christians.

Just sayin'.

The person who made and displayed that effigy will not be welcomed back at that university. That sort of behavior is not tolerated.

I find a certain other poster's remarks to be uninformed and after having been admonished otherwise, offensive in his insistence.

[firedupdem]

3. That's real christian like...wow n/t

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[harmonicon]

12. I think it's just become a cover

That is, when the media, or people self-identify, as "conservative christian", what they're really saying is "racist". Certainly a large percentage of the black population in the US are devout Christians, but they vote democratic. However, everyone knows that a vote for the Republicans is a vote for racism. The KKK have come out of their sheets and into the churches and government under the new label of "conservative christian". These people could really care less about Christianity. Look at the two major candidates: Obama is a devout Christian, which is well publicized, while McCain only claims to be a Christian - he doesn't belong to, or attend, any church, and has even given different answers as to what denomination he is. I would wager that he knows almost nothing about scripture or the history of Christianity, both good and bad. Still, it's assumed that he has the "conservative christian" vote locked up.

[kirby]

6. How Christian of them n/t

[LanternWaste]

22. How collegiate of them.

How collegiate of them.

(Six of one, half a dozen of the other, I s'pose...)

[liberal1973]

27. How un-American of them.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ejbr]

8. The vicious circle

people hang effigies for attention, the news media gives them attention, success. Peopl hang effigies for attention, the news media gives them attention, success.

[trashcanistanista]

9. Typical.

Christians spreading their jeebus love. Fuck'em.

[Downtown Hound]

10. Not surprising

Look to see a lot more of this when Obama wins. I seriously hope he's got great Secret Service agents looking out for him. Right wingers are the filthiest scum on the planet.

[glinda]

15. He will have to be in a

life size bullet proof bell-jar. I worry.

[Marrah_G]

13. I hope the college actually persues the perps of this outrageous act.

[sakabatou]

17. *sigh* I hate it when racism shows it's ugly face

[Frisbee]

18. And that folks, is in a nut shell...

why I can't stand Christianity (or any other religion). Give me a Godless world any day. Less war, less bigotry and hatred and more science instead of ridiculous superstitions.

[LanternWaste]

23. And that's why I can't stand college students.

And that's why I can't stand college students.

(Six of one, half a dozen of the other...)

[Bluenorthwest]

31. I know!

I mean, after those college students staged the Inquistion, burned all those 'witches' who wouldn't see what they were up to! And the way college students hound GLBT people each and every day, always in the name of college, so clearly shows that they are terrible people.
Not to mention all of those college students who said 9-11 was the fault of feminists and again, gay folk.
Those awful students. But of course they are not all like that.
( I get your point, but it sure aint' 6 of one. Churchs are actively opposed to my civil rights, friend. There's you half dozen.)

[intheflow]

26. This is a Quaker college.

They are among the best, progressive Christians. You know, the ones who stand up against the war, who are strongly supportive of worker and immigration rights, who were the most consistent whites to work on the Underground Railroad and the Sanctuary Movement, and among the first whites to work for civil rights with King. This kind of broadbrush assumption about all Christians is what give atheists a bad name.

[Alcibiades]

20. This will backfire on the repig who did it

Many white Americans are looking for non-racist reasons to act out their racism by voting for McCain, who is an inferior candidate by any rational standard. The last line of defense of the Republican Party is naked, overt racism, which will actually force many of those same white Americans to reevaluate their own subtle racism, reject the naked, overt racism, and vote for Obama.

If the conversation is about Republicans lynching black men, we win.

[Taverner]

25. Willing to bet a $50 spot it wasn't students that did this

I know Newberg - and its a conservative Oregon town (there are some) with a Quaker University (GFU) in the center.

[Downtown Hound]

29. You are probably correct

This type of act goes against everything the Quakers have stood for for over a hundred years. Completely out of character for a Quaker school.

[Taverner]

30. And the fact that they targetted a specific program that helps minorities

Tells me something...

[quakerboy]

32. As a Fox Grad

I would take that bet in a heartbeat. Unfortunately. The student body is way more conservative(and racist) than I would care to admit.

It is a quaker owned school. As opposed to being a quaker school. I learned the difference when I went there. Its like how Pennsylvania was a Quaker named state. Not a quaker state. Lotta stuff happens both places that I would not want to condone as a quaker.

I put in my call to the Alumni office and the presidents office. Fox is a small school, in reality, and if they want to, they WILL find out who did it. Given how much time and effort they put into tracking down every student who dared go to a party with (gasp) alcohol back when I was there, this should be small potatoes.

My money is on a Sophomore. 90% that it was instigated by a boy(plus a couple conspirator/helpers likely from the same residence area), living in the Suites(as opposed to the dorms), from a moderately wealthy family with 3+ children who regularly attend an evangelical fundie church. Good money says that he can give you a 10 minute exposition on why Homosexuality is evil, but couldn't for the life of him think of any reason why his actions might be considered wrong.

[quakerboy]

33. 4 students suspended.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/09/four_george_fox_students_confe.html

4 students suspended for "up to" a year. I am glad they moved quickly and didn't let this sit, though I wonder what "up to" means and what the real impact will be in the community. I was honestly a bit concerned that they would cop out on dealing with the situation.