Jamie Foxx Calls Obama 'Lord and Savior' At Soul Train Awards

Jamie Foxx has sparked controversy in calling President Barack Obama ‘Lord and Savior’ at the 2012 Soul Train Awards, which aired last night on BET.

While the awards were broadcast last night, they were actually taped right after the presidential election, which possibly inspired Foxx’s comment.

“It’s like church over here. It’s like church in here. First of all, give an honor to God and our Lord and Savior Barack Obama. Barack Obama,” Foxx said to the audience.

When the audience then responded with cheers, Foxx urged them to  “stand up.”

While the comment may have merely been enthusiasm over the election results, Foxx is drawing criticism from several religious leaders, including Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights President William Anthony Donohue.   Donohue commented:

“Foxx’s epiphany is startling. It just goes to show that even though Obama did not succeed in stopping the oceans from rising [as he promised to do in 2008], he did succeed in convincing Jamie Foxx, and no doubt legions of others, that God exists. Whether God can survive an ACLU lawsuit accusing him of violating church and state grounds remains to be seen.”

The ‘Lord and Savior’ remark especially seemed to offend religious Americans who believe Obama as done little to honor Christianity.

John Hayward writes on the Human Events blog, “Practicing Christians are not amused by the portrayal of modern secular politicians as replacements for Jesus. But presumably their feelings don’t count, because they won’t burn anything down in outrage.”

Representatives for Foxx have yet to comment.

Here is a list of 2012 Soul Train winners:
Best New Artist– Elle Varner
Centric Award — Leah Labelle
Best Gospel/ Inspirational Performance — Whitney Houston & Jordin Sparks’  “Celebrate”
Best Hip Hop Song of the Year – Kanye West feat. Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz “Mercy”
Best R&B/ Soul Female Artist – Beyoncé
Best R&B/ Soul Male Artist — Miguel
Album of the Year — 
Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange
Song of the Year — 
Tyrese’s “Stay”
The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award –“Tonight (Best You Ever Had)”: John Legend feat. Ludacris
Best Dance Performance: Beyonce – “Love On Top”

 

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top