As far as I know (which admittedly is not saying all that much) for the first time in American history, a President of the United States has referred to an individual other than Jesus Christ as the "Lord".
On Saturday, October 17th, 2009, in a message commemorating the Hindu festival of Diwali Diwali - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
President Barack Obama referred to both the Hindu Avatar Rama
Rama - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, as well as the Indian sage Mahavira Mahavira - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia as "Lord".
President Obama may have done so out of respect, without appreciating the significance of what he was saying.
Or, perhaps he was using the term in an archaic sense, as Americans have used it in earlier times, to refer to the "lord of the manor, household, etc" (although I doubt it).
I am not saying that Barack Obama personally worships either Rama or Mahivira as his own chosen deity. But I don't believe that the significance of the fact that he seems to have formally acknowledged them both in the same way Christians refer to Lord Jesus, or Christ the Lord, should be overlooked.
I also suspect thatit will leave some Christians (and others) scratching their heads, at best...
In any event, in the broader historical sense, future generations would have to point to this address as a milestonein terms of global/religious unity, if indeed it is ever achieved.
Here is the address. Decide for yourself:YouTube - President Obama's Diwali Message
