Prayer video that sought a Barack Obama drenching gets yanked

Political lesson of the day: Be careful what you ask people to pray for; you may find yourself embroiled in a public relations flap.

The political arm of the socially conservative Focus on the Family religious group today yanked from its website a video that called on folks to ask God to open the heavens and let precipitation pour on Barack Obama just before his nomination acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 28.

Stuart Shepard, director of digital media at Focus Action (and a meteorologist to boot), wrote and appeared in the video (see below) that he posted in late July.

In it, he rhetorically asked if it would be wrong to ask people to join him in praying for rain two minutes before Obama takes the stage for his big moment at Invesco Field in Denver. And not just a drizzle -- in friendly, conversational fashion, Shepard said he had in mind "abundant rain, torrential rain, urban-and-small-stream flood-advisory rain."

He added: "Not flood-people-out-of-their-houses rain, just good old swamp-the-intersection rain."

Responding to initial questions raised about his message, Shepard said he was aiming to be "mildly humorous."

But, as he made clear at one point in the video, his bid for bad weather stemmed from his concern about the possible fallout of an Obama presidency on issues such as abortion.

“Well, I’m still pro-life," he told his listeners, "And I’m still in favor of marriage being only between one man and one woman. And I'd like the next president, who'll select justices for the U.S. Supreme Court, to agree."

As the video attracted more and more views, those questioning its propriety included some members of Focus on the Family, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported. The video was then pulled from the website of the group's political unit.

"If people took it seriously, we regret it," Tom Minnery, Focus Action vice president of public policy told the newspaper.

Focus on the Family, of course, is headed by James Dobson, who has had his issues with John McCain. But, as Dobson spelled out in a recent radio address, he really has problems with Obama.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[Maritza]

Instead of "praying for rain" to rain out on a Presidential candidate's speech, Focus on the Family should pay to get rid of POVERTY throughout the world.

What a selfish prayer. There are so many more dire things going on in the world than whether or not it rains on a candidate's speech.

[A righteous Man]

I ask myself,
"What would Jesus do?"
I know the answer.
Jesus would rain down hellfire and brimstone on George Bush's evil administration. He would cause plagues and pestilence to sicken the lives of those who elected Bush to office and to those who would elect the embodiment of Bush, John McCain to office.
That is what Jesus would do.

[Joe]

Well, we can see whether or not they have as much faith as Elijah now, right?

There's a Bible verse that says something like: "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and he prayed that it would not rain and it did not rain..."

[Concerned citizen]

Well I am pro-life too, but voting for Obama. I am pro-life not just for unborn babies, but grown ups too who are being killed in wars by Bush/Republican policies.

[Dee]

Where do these anti-Christian organizations get their support? Do they believe in the Bible, or do they have their own extremist and fanatic code of conduct? Do they really believe that God is at their deposal, and is capable of turning away from what he died for and believed in? How can these anti-Christians condemn other religious that are as radical as they are? Are such organizations capable of doing harm to Americans that do not share their beliefs? What type of hatred are they teaching their children????

[J. P.]

Childish and pathetic. If this is the kind of god that would listen to such a prayer, then perhaps we're better off without his blessing.

[Almost Angeleno]

Oh how Christian-ilke they are.
These people are evil personified and should have ANY tax-exempt status revoked.

[Dave Wells]

Stuart Shepard. What an idiot. So you're really the director of digital media at Focus Action? Yikes. Get a grip. Maybe we do need 4 (or 8) more years of the crap that's going on now.
Who knows??? Maybe by then people will be finally say enough to the so-called "moral" gestapo trying to impose their will upon the rest of our society (or what's left of it).
Pray for rain?? Really.

[Nudel]

Would it be wrong to ask for people to pray that God would strike the modern pharisees like Steward Sharpard and James Dobson with lightning? Not the electrocute dead lighting, but burn your nose off lightning?

[Sterling Johnson]

OK, the prayer for rain was a bit retarded. But if any of you think that the muslim extremist would pray for it to rain on you instead of just sawing your head off, you are wrong.
Oh and please remember that the Iraq war would not be possible without the democrat controlled congress financing it .

[malach hamovess]

these clowns reflect quite poorly on Christians. Hell, they reflect poorly on Jesus Christ himself!!

[Continuum]

Like all other bad 3 year olds who get caught doing stupid things, Stuart says that he was just joking.

Here's my prayer . . . O dear Lord, please make these crazy neocon religious fanatics just go away. Hell, let's give'em Utah or Alabama or some other God forsaken place where sane people don't want to live.

[Promotors of chocking vice]

All the moraly bankrupt advocates of homosexual marriage,atheists,and late term abortionists are the back
bone of the Obama moovement.Add other misfits,such as
Wright,Ayers,Hanoi Jane,Farrakhan,gov. Judas and you
get the surest recipee for dislocating moral and family
values and the true American spirit.We must go Back to
Joseph Stalin and Hitler for an equivalent peril.

[rosalynneus]

I do pray for the amercan people to have the wisdom, common sense and praid to elect a real american man to be the american president. We need somebody who feels american, you shows that is american and acts like american. We do not need a president with not adentity, no american values and no love for our country. We do not need a make believe prince from Africa, that hides his religion and true colors. You know who I am talking about!

[Mia]

Oh dear. I just feel embarrassment for these sad pathetic losers. If only they put so much energy into things that actually matter... Actually a rainy thunder/lightning convention would kind of be cool. With 75,000 cheering supporters, you can't really go wrong however the weather goes.

[matt]

Well-stated, Maritza! Hypocrisy and misuse of the Word are nothing new to groups like Focus on the Family, who give money and awards to people like Pete Sessions who turns around and holds fundraisers at vegas burlesque clubs. Groups like FotF are the reason why we Christians are still unfairly seen as intolerant, petty witch burners. Our religion IS under attack - from within.

[John Quimby]

These are JOKES ladies and gentlemen.
Focus on the Family did the right thing and took it down.

I can't help but think of all the, "Bush choking on a pretzel" jokes that were made after the current occupant of the White House demonstrated his inability to eat snack food.

Ironic too, since the rest of us are gagging on his policies.

So how many bags of pretzels got delivered to the Executive after that? I can only guess.

Lighten up. God clearly has a sense of humor.

[Mark Bohannon]

There is NOTHING right about George Bush, Dick Cheney and their Repub cohorts. These are the most morally bankrupt people ever to creep the face of the earth. Jesus would NOT be pleased with ANY of them. Any Christian that supports these people are hypocrites of the most disgusting degree and should never be trusted.

[Obama Prey!!!]

Will this nation become the prey of Obama's socialistic
boondogling ?Will America become the next nanny-state?
The Pelosi-Reid-Obama axis sure hope so. But you cant
keep a good nation down and the heartland will save us
one more time from the odious apparatus of socialist
bungling. May the fleas of a 1000 camels infest the armpits 0f the Chicago wort.

[oregon4obama]

UNREAL!!!!!!

Thats like Pat Robertson asking people to vote for certain supreme court justices.......Listen if you are a person of faith you shouldn't bank on a human based system to secure your faith.....read the bible, go to church, love your god with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself........Not pray for rain on an opposing candidate....oh and what about the people who dont believe, let the real judge deal with them, God

and here's a mistep in logic

And I'd like the next president, who'll select justices for the U.S. Supreme Court, to agree."

they are not suppose to agree, disagreements should be welcomed so there is fairness, not closed-mindedness...

McCain wants yesmen and women just like Bush Does......Obama has stated multiple times that he wants people who agree and disagree so he can get all the facts and make a more educated decision........that kind of thinking might have helped us not get involved in Iraq, it also proved obama right when he talked about sending diplomats to rogue nations.......Iran

Vote intelligence and wisdom.......not the past and overemotional

Obama08

[Shana McCarthy]

I know what i will do: I'm going to light candels, pray like hell and keep my fingers crossed that it rains like hell on the Democratic Convention, lightning streaks everywhere cutting off all electricity and TV camera, thunders so loud that no one can hear Obama, then the people will run home and a hugh tornado comes down (but does not injury anyone).

[mateo]

Just the kind of thing we've come to expect from these mental midgets.

But thanks for the daily reminders, folks.

[Rayetta Jenkins]

If Obama is elected (God forbid), you stupid people will wish that you had Bush back.

[Sonia Kermaz]

The Focus on the Family branch of hominids are proof of devolution----if you're not smart enough to go forward, you might as well go backwards.

[chris]

Very Christlike to wish ill on others because they have differing political views. Talk about hypocrisy!