Fellow San Diego examiner Anna Cheuvront recently published an article entitled "President Obama talks about his faith at the National Prayer Breakfast." Within the article, President Obama is quoted as saying:
"My Christian faith has been sustaining for me over the last couple of years and even more so when Michelle and I hear our faith questioned from time to time. We are reminded that ultimately what matters is not what other people say about us but that we are true to our conscience and true to our God."
President Obama claims to be a Christian, yet that claim has been challenged, questioned, and disputed by others who do not believe President Obama really is a Christian. According to a recent poll, the majority of U.S. citizens do not believe President Obama is a Christian.
So who is to say that President Obama is or is not a Christian? Anna and I began to debate this in her comments section, thus giving birth to this article as thoughts of how to respond occurred to me.
If there is not some clear understanding or consensus on who or what someone or something is, then confusion will naturally ensue.
When Obama says "we are true to our conscience and true to our God", one could, and I believe should, ask "who is their God?" They are true to their conscience, but what does that mean, and is that enough?
Now, imagine Barack Obama said something different, like "I believe in evolution. It is my faith in evolution that sustains me even when others doubt that I am really the offspring of the great ape. I am true to my conscience and ultimately that is what matters. My personal belief and how I view myself."
Would you tell the President he is wrong? He is created in the image of God, evolution is not in harmony with his Christian beliefs, and he is so much more than Darwin made the black man out to be? (discover more in this book)
What if President Obama had said: "I believe I am a potato. I know that there are those who do not share in my belief, yet I hold fast to the conviction which lies within me. I have studied potatoes for years, and I am certain that I am indeed a potato. I am completely covered in brown skin, like a potato. Potatoes have eyes, and so do I. I have noticed Michelle's body has become more potato-like with each passing year, and I am now more certain than ever, that should a national emergency arise, I too, like the humble potato, could sustain the nation in a time of wide-spread famine."
Would you dare tell the President he is wrong?
If we do not have a consensus, or a definition, which we can apply to words and their meanings, then we can basically say anything we want and our proclamations can never be thought wrong because there is no actual standard for right and wrong, or what is true or untrue.
The basis of the Christian faith is Jesus the Christ. That is the starting point. The best basis we have for knowing Jesus and what he taught is the Bible. If Barack Obama can not be clear on who Jesus is, and what the Bible teaches on becoming a follower of Jesus, then he will be confused on who God is, and what it means to actually be a Christian.
In the meantime, let us hope that President Obama, and others who claim to be Christians, do not think they are an advanced species of ape or potato.
Comments
All too often, "Christianity" is distorted, imagined and made to seem complex, unrealistic, and unfair. But, as you mentioned -my friend - the message is quite clear and simple. Jesus is our redeemer. He died on that cross to cleanse us of our sins. Do we accept his gift? And, when we do, do we proclaim his mercy, love, and glory to others? If our president is, in deed, Christian, his open proclamation of Jesus as Lord and Savior would go a loooong way in clearing up all of the public uncertainty. Right on Mr. Rene!! On a personal note - I need to work on that myself, being more vocal about my love for the Lord. God bless!!
You're awesome AC - thanks!
This is an idiotic article and I wonder what's your point? Christianity has been distorted since it's inception. It's all in the belief of the individual so what gives you or anyone else the right to even suggest he's not a Christian. This rumor has been debunked by almost all of the news media. Apparently you choose to believe otherwise. I say whatever helps you sleep at night!
It's not "all in the belief of the individual." Otherwise there would be no need for the Bible.
You can tell a Christian by the way they act and do things, not by what they say. And who of us, knows what a Christian is ===== I believe that President Obama is a lot more Christian than any President soince President Carter in that he does not keep talking about how much he prays, but shows us ways to get along and perhaps truly get something done. We all need to stop thinking of ourselves and TRULY LISTEN to what others are saying. And it starts with us. So stop making up junk about our President and do something useful.
Vi Howrie
Well actually you can tell a Christian by what they say - a Christian professes Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. A Christian will share the gospel and admit they are a sinner saved by grace through faith in Jesus who lived a perfect life, yet took the punishment for their sins, then rose from the dead and now lives to make intercession for all those who now place their faith in Him. That is why the early apostles and disciples became known as Christians. They couldn't stop telling others what Jesus had done for them.
The disciples were all gathered in Caesarea Philippi; When Jesus ask them who He was, this was their reply:
Some said Elijah, some John the Baptist, some said a prophet from of old. Then Jesus turned to Peter and looked him in the eye; the question He did ask of him and this was his reply. Thou art the Christ, Son of the Living God, You came down from heaven; You came straight from God, You are the Father; the Great Three In One. You are our Redeemer, God's anointed Son. So now, let someone, anyone....go up to Barack Obama and ask him the simple question: Who is Jesus. If he answers anything other than, "Jesus is Lord, or King of Kings, My Redeemer, Son of the Living God, or the like, I would say he is a Christian, One can only say that by the help of the Holy Spirit. If he gives some obscure answer, then you know he is not genuine about his relationship with Jesus. No one will say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. If you don't believe in Jesus, you will skirt around that question and come up with something ambiguous.
Try it, you'll see.
S.M.H. Mississauga, Ontario, Canada -
Jesus is Lord; the same today, yesterday and tomorrow. Amen!
In my last blog, I left out a word. The sentence should have read. If anyone shoudl ask Barack Obama if he is a Christian, and he answers anything other than Jesus is Lord, or Lord of Lords, or my Reedmer, or Son of the Living God, etc. then he is NOT a Christian. I left out the word 'not'. Then the rest of the comment will make sense.
Sorry about that!
Shar
I don't see why another person's personal life has suddenly become everyone else's concern. I'm pretty sure the Lord told us to be humble. Not to walk around acting like we are holier than thou. And its funny because it seems like Barack Obama has been doing a lot of the first one. So I don't see how you can be so insecure in your own faith that you NEED everyone else to be the same as you. Maybe you should strengthen your own faith before you question others. :)
You gotta be kidding me? Any self proclaimed "Christian" who cannot look in the Word of God and see that Obama, (and nearly the entire democrat party is NOT Christian, - does not know how to read.
But I also believe, it stops with judging for ourselves and stopping short of saying "this or that person - saved or not saved." I think it is very dangerous thing (no matter how screwy the person may be,) to "SAY" God is going to save or not save someone. For our hearts continually deceive us, and speaking for the ultimate and final act from God, is a dangerous pedestal to put yourself on.
Again - though, that is not to say, it is wrong to say they are are not "Christian," because for that judgement, we have the standards spelled out. And when someone believes and or says, - what matters is "that we are true to our conscience and true to our God," they are, knowingly or not, authoring a totally redundant statement. "Our conscious is evil, and Holy Spirit is who we use to keep it under subjection. Hence, if, what matters is being true to our conscious, they cannot possibly ALSO, be true to God?" COMPLETE REDUNDANCY! And, clearly, a total misconception of a changed heart, humbled before Christ!
OOPS! I always assume people know the Bible. Let me clarify, "a clear conscious" in other words, a conscious, affirmed by the fact Holy Spirit is not condemning us for something, is a good thing. My point then being, if Obama were Christian, given the fact he is literally sodomizing, e.g. promoting the glorification of sodomy, and hiring some, 180 plus, homosexuals to "be an example" in his own cabinet, AND, if Holy Spirit were truly leading him, (he being true to God) then there is no way, his conscious could possibly be clear. Hence, he, is a liar. Just like Paul said he would be. That is NOT to say, God isn't one day going to humble him and save him though?
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