Faithful Word Baptist Church's Pastor Steve Anderson has been preaching an unusual message to his Phoeniz, Arizona congregation: Why he hates Barak Obama and why he prays the President will die.
Anderson told his congregation, "I'm gonna pray that he dies and goes to hell when I go to bed tonight. That's what I'm gonna pray."
The message, which you can listen to online, focuses on God's treatment of the wicked. It's long, and I haven't been able to get through the entire thing yet, but from what I've been able to get through so far, Pastor Anderson likens his prayer for President Obama's death to David's prayers for the deaths of his enemies in the Bible, referencing passages that say God hates His enemies and wants them destroyed.
(Anderson, by the way, holds no college degree, according to his biography on the church's website, but has "well over 100 chapters of the Bible committed to memory, including almost half of the New Testament." I'm not sure what memorizing Scripture qualifies you to do, except recite Scripture. But I digress.)
I think it might be a bit of a stretch to compare President Obama to a literal, warring enemy in the Old Testament, regardless of how you feel about the current administration's policies. And the messages that God had specifically for Israel and her leaders in the Old Testament don't always translate to America in 2009. Just because God said it to Israel, doesn't always mean He said it to you.
Jesus taught us to pray for our enemies; I think He meant to pray for their salvation, redemption, repentance - not their horrific deaths and eternal burning in hell. That's completely contrary to the reason why Christ came and died.
I think Anderson might be one of those pastors who live for conflict.
Back in April, he was involved in an altercation with Arizona police after refusing to get out of his car at an immigration checkpoint, citing his 4th amendment right to refuse to admit to a search without a warrant. That's fine but when officials asserted that a police dog had alerted to possible drugs or a body in the car, they had reasonable cause to search the car. Right?
Anderson still refused, and after at least an hour of sitting in his car and being warned by police to comply, he was eventually tazed, pulled from the car, and handcuffed. He needed stitches to close a wound on his head and claims the police treated him brutally. (Maybe he's never seen "Cops"? When they warn that they're going to taze, they really mean it.)
I understand Anderson's desire to stand up for his right not to be searched; at the same time if the border patrol is doing its job, looking for drugs coming over the border (in an area of the country, I might add, rife with crime from drug trafficking), why not just get out of the car when the police say the dog alerts?
Unless you have something to hide. Or you're just a nutter looking for a fight.
It sounds like Anderson was being difficult just to be difficult, and then turning around and crying victim. At one point in his video recapping the incident, he says he asked the police for mercy.
Mercy, however, is a two way street. We can't beg for mercy one minute and refuse to grant it the next.
I agree with Anderson; we do need to pray for President Obama.
We need to pray that God would guide him as he leads our country, that his and his family would be safe and well as he executes his duties as our leader for another three years. That he would lead America according to the principles of freedom and democracy our country was founded on, and that America might continue to be a beacon on the night for the poor, downtrodden and captives of the world, and that they might find freedom on our shores.
For more information: Audio of Pastor Anderson's sermon "Why I Hate Barak Obama"
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Comments
Joanne as usual uses her wry wit and probative analysis to hit the nail right on the head. As far as Anderson, if I were in his congregation, I'd get the board or Elders or whomever to warn him - once - to knock it off.
It's wrong-thinking, judgemental Evangelical Christians like this that give the vast majority of right-thinking Evangelicals a bad name.
May we all not be tarred with that nut-job's brush!
Does he realize that if Obama dies, another Democrat will take over? Is it Obama he wants dead, or every Democrat?
This coming from a spiritual but not religious person:
This man's church is supposed to be a Christian religion right?
Well, WWJD? I hardly think Jesus as he is presented in the bible would publicly call for the DEATH of someone, anyone. If I were inclined to follow a particular religion, this guy's religion would most definitely not be on my list.
I am calling for all those who go to this man's church to wake up and realize that you are not following any message of love and spirituality if you are following a man spouting venom like this about ANYONE.
Where are the Elders of the Baptist church? When 911 happened Muslims all over the world were saying that Islam was a Religion of Peace. That not all Muslims were bad. The Religious Right in this country were demanding that the Imans do something to control these extremist. DEJAVU. Where are the Baptist Elders? Why are they and the Baptist community allowing this nut case to continue doing what he is doing? The answer is that all Religions are the same. Christians are no better than Muslims or any other Religion. Religion is very dangerous, it can do more harm than a Nuclear weapon. History has proven that there are serious consequences when Religions become political. I hope these Right Wing Christians wake up! Right now they are nothing more than Hypocrits. They are as guilty as the people they malign. What is scary is that at some point someone may act on what this man preaches. Make these churches pay taxes and teach them all a lesson.
How on earth is this guy a pastor? And what's more how on earth would anyone listen to this man? The problem with this is media gives attention to crazies like him. If he wasn't getting the attention this would be a non-issue.
The problem is the public loves conflict even when it's so far out of the realm of logic and common sense.
So while I hold him responsible for his words I hold the morons on the church board and who listen to this equally as capable.
SueBee,
Jesus ran from politics.. Religionist today, especially so-called Christians today, seem to Run to it. If they really are following Christ, they would remain neutral as he did. And even if they have great attributes, they would run when the people ;try to make him king.' (John 6:14,15)
Though I concur that religion is as dangerous as any major weapon- especially the way it has been weilded since the death of Christ apostles: True Christianity- is nothing like what is being displayed by these major churches. If a person can so easily refute a "pastors" sermon, via a clear principle in the bible- what are the motives of this pastor and how credible is he? (Not speaking of schooling, because neither Jesus nor his apostles "went to school" in order to be qualified to teach- they teached what they learned from Christ, in accordance with the scriptures-nothing more-nothing less.)
My point:
If any Christian gets involved in government- they have forfeited their Christianit
i was ashamed after hearing this pastors rants and was wondering why the parishoners didnt walk to the pulpit and take this clown by the shirt collar and escort him out of thier church, how dare he pray for the death of anyone, you may nor like the president, i didnt vote for him but every nifght i pray fopr him and his family notonly for thier safety but to grsnt him the wisdom of solomon to leads this great nation during these very hard times, respect the man and office i pray for the soul of this idiot and pray he realizes what being a christian really means
This pastor is amazingly stupid. Even if you follow his logic, then Joe Biden would be President, and if anything, Obama keeps him in check. If would be like praying for George W. to die (if you were a democrat) but then Dick Cheney would have taken over. Yeah, that's a great idea. Wonder who ordained this idiot.
Wow... just wow!
Just plain Wow...I don't feel for this man only for the lost souls in his congregation...those are the ones I pray for...When Jesus prayed he prayed for his enimes...forgive them father for they know not what they do...not strike them down and destroy them...all I can say is that This is why people turn from God and the Church...anyone knows you can't grow banans on an apple tree...God bless you Pastor Anderson and may God have mercy on your soul..Peace, Joy, and the Holy Ghost...I send you and your family...
You shall know the tree by the fruit it bears...
WhatDavid was speaking about was GOD's enemies. We realize as people that it's not people bu the spirits that reside in them that are wicked. So yes we should pray, for Pres. Obama because the Bible tells us to and also to pray for one another.
I don't agree with some of the things our President believes in but I have not seen anything that he has done that called for his Death. If this guy was preaching while Bush was in office while I would not agree with his death, at least you could see where the anger is coming from. But Barack Obama did not cause any of the mess he is trying to clean up. We may not all agree with the choices he is making on how to clean things up, but no one who is trying to help people from their hearts deserves death. Maybe he needs to read the story of the good samaritan. Pray for those people he is called to be Pastor over that they listen to God and not may.
This guy is obviously mentally deranged. Are there actually people who attend that church and listen to his rantings? Does he really believe he is a Christian? Can anybody who attends that church really believe their pastor is a Christian? There's lots wrong with him and even more wrong with them for not throwing him out on his ear,and shutting his venomous mouth .
We nee to pray for our president, this pastor, and all the lives each of us influence in our day to day choices.
It is always easier to pick at the splinter in another's eye than to work on the beam in our own.
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