There. I said it. A simple declarative sentence.
He says he is.
He speaks of "accepting Christ."
He gives a credible testimony.
If he strolled, incognito, down the aisle of almost any Southern Baptist Church with such a testimony, he would be heartily welcomed into the fellowship, especially if he had on an expensive suit and shoes.
Prior to the 2008 election He provided a pretty religiously stark contrast with John McCain who plainly declared he (McCain) had not been born again. So, did we evangelicals vote for the Christian candidate witha record of monogamy and fidelity, rather than the non-born again candidate with the record of adultery and infidelity? Nope.
Ah, but the public is wondering. There is confusion over Obama's religion.
When this topic is raised among my friends the conversation quickly slides to certain political behaviors of the president, as if those abrogate his clear declaration of faith in Christ.
Nope. Sorry. You can be a Christian and support abortion (I've had people in my church, the ones who weren't afraid to tell me, so confess their support of some abortion).
You can be a Christian and run up the deficit. Bush certainly did it.
Dare I sarcastically declare, wonder of wonders, that one can be a Christian and even be a Democrat.? Sure.
No, he didn't come close to receiving my vote in 2008 and will not in 2012. Our politics are light years apart. But, best I can tell, he is a Christian brother of mine. He might not be comfortable in my church. I doubt I would be comfortable in his longtime church.
I am unwilling to recalibrate what it means to be a follower of Christ to suit anyone's political expedience.
Heck, on a bad Monday I sometimes question my own faith in a mild way.
18 comments:
William - can you point me to an article where Obama claims to be "born again"? I've read stories of his religous journey and his baptism in Chicago, but never a quote that he is a "born again" Christian. Just wondered if you can point to an article on that. Thanks.
No, I cannot and I don't know whether he uses or refuses to use the phrase, though I'd guess you could search it out.
I'm merely making the point that he describes himself as being a Christian (I believe he has used the term "devoted") and has offered a credible Christian conversion experience. The rest of us cannot make a judgment from our distance and certainly cannot settle the matter on the basis of public policy, which seems to be the basis for not a few of those who say he is not a Christian.
Thanks for the comment.
Thanks, William. I really like your article about Obama. I'm like you, I am a mile from his politics, but I don't have a problem considering him a Christian brother. You are so right about how the right (myself included) was quick to jump on McCain's bandwagon vs. Obama - when if we look at their lives, Obama seems to be the more moral of the two men, and who is not ashamed to profess Jesus Christ. I sure would not change my vote, but it is something for us on the right to think about.
I also find very interesting the contrast between Caner and Obama.
Obama says "Hey, I never was Muslim and am a Christian."
Caner says: "Hey, I really was a Muslim, who is now a Christian"
We believed Caner, but refuse to believe Obama. We WANT Caner to be a former Muslim, but we criticize Obama that his father was a Muslim, and some go so far to say he is a closet Muslim!
We on the right can be very strange.
God Bless You. I feel like you have come to the Front and gotten right with Jesus on this matter.
I am proud of you.
I did not know you had said this before I let loose on you in the Bailey Smith thing at bl.com
Dan Vestal was down the street in Midland when Bush 43 got saved.
Page 905 of that Diarmand MacCulloch book I've been telling you about. Soon we'll talk about my third degree of separation through Richard Marius; who is in the larger universe of the Ken Chafin remark, if Esquire magazine and Al Gore are a larger universe.
No, you cannot be a christian and support abortion. That is, if you are a christian in the biblical sense- a genuine christian. You are simply wrong friend.
JS Houston
How about this: "You cannot be a christian and support _____." Fill in the blank. It is an endless exercise.
JS, I know a biblical, genuine Christian who supports abortion. That destroys your argument.
But thanks for the comment.
God bless you, Sir. A Christian supersedes earthly politics.
"JS, I know a biblical genuine Christian who supports abortion. That destroys your argument."
Not so. No one who supports abortion is Christ like.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/08/now_why_would_20_of_americans.html
Anon (JS?), you've changed the terms.
"No one who supports abortion is Christ like" you say.
The discussion was about being a Christian, not being Christ like.
Paula, I don't buy the secret Muslim approach to Obama, but plenty of others do. Count me out of the fringe stuff.
William, did you read the article and comments? This is hardly "fringe".
Dwight McKissic
Great Post! It is refreshing to read an Anglo Southern Baptist, who thinks soberly, biblical, and consistently about this issue.
Thanks for the kind comment Dwight. God bless you. You are aware that this anglo SBCer has offered some degree of criticism of you in the past? :)
Yeah, Paula, I read it. I reread it. It's fringe stuff, that Obama's a secret Muslim. Based on some stuff I have written I might be a secret liberal if you collect all the factoids on me.
It's no secret, William. To deny what he has said, and others have said, and he has done... well, you know the old saying: If it quacks like a duck...
The facts are open and numerous. Denying them takes quite a bit of effort, which the lamestream media take care of.
William.
Christian means Christ like.
Anon 24th 11:11
Well, thanks for the comments guy...
Anon, you need to tighten your thinking here. Do you know any Christians who are not always Christ like? Sure you do. That destroys your point, again.
Paula, you buy the secret Muslim stuff. I don't. I did not deny any facts offered (neither did I chase all of them down to verify). I do deny the conclusion. This is fringe stuff worthy of another audience. Sorry.
William, once again, this isn't "secret" or "fringe"; BO has said openly that he is Muslim, showed by his actions that he is Muslim, and practices the Muslim teaching that encourages lying to further Muslim goals. You admit that you didn't verify the facts but you have denied them repeatedly. There is no point in trying to convince you of that which you refuse to see. So we at least agree that the audience worthy of these facts is one that doesn't bury its head in the sand.
Paula, I didn't insult you. Don't insult me. You are welcome to comment here but not if you insult me or others and not if your comments reveal that you don't even read what I say.
Last time: Without denying any of the "facts" listed on the link you gave above, I draw a conclusion. You draw a different conclusion one shared by few others, and then complain that others aren't convinced. I get the pattern on this.
Goodbye.
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