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My parents shared not only an improbable love, they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. For human history has often been a record of nations and tribes subjugating one another to serve their own interests. Now is the time for Palestinians to focus on what they can build. Rather than remain trapped in the past, I have made it clear to Iran's leaders and people that my country is prepared to move forward. Trade can bring new wealth and opportunities, but also huge disruptions and changing communities.
It's been several months now since I announced I was running for president. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality. So America will defend itself respectful of the sovereignty of nations and the rule of law.
Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America's improbable experiment in democracy. We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. The third source of tension is our shared interest in the rights and responsibilities of nations on nuclear weapons.
He was nominally a Muslim since there were a number of Muslims in the village where he was born. "People began to shout, to rise from their seats and clap and cry out, a forceful wind carrying the reverend's voice up into the rafters....And in that single note - hope! - I heard something else; at the foot of that cross, inside the thousands of churches across the city, I imagined the stories of ordinary black people merging with the stories of David and Goliath, Moses and Pharaoh, the Christians in the lion's den, Ezekiel's field of dry bones. Our government should work for us, not against us. No single speech can eradicate years of mistrust, nor can I answer in the time that I have all the complex questions that brought us to this point. They have killed people of different faiths - more than any other, they have killed Muslims. The Holy Koran tells us, "O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another."
But there's a story I want to share that takes place before Moses passed the mantle of leadership on to Joshua. He is a man who served his country as a U.S. Marine; who has studied and lectured at some of the finest universities and seminaries in the country, and who for over thirty years led a church that serves the community by doing God's work here on Earth - by housing the homeless, ministering to the needy, providing day care services and scholarships and prison ministries, and reaching out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS. But they have helped shape the political landscape for at least a generation. Let us keep that promise - that American promise - and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess. America does not presume to know what is best for everyone, just as we would not presume to pick the outcome of a peaceful election. This tolerance is essential for religion to thrive, but it is being challenged in many different ways.
Thank you.