Owen Strachan writes:
Christianity Today just published a point-counterpoint between Judd Birdsall and me [Strachan]. We were asked to answer, essentially, the question of whether Obama is a Christian or not. Judd made a good case in arguing that he is; I, sadly, concluded that he does not seem to be. I’ll leave you to read both and form your own judgment.
Here’s a snatch from Judd’s piece:
Conversionism: Barack Obama has a conversion story, if not an entirely traditional one. In his bestseller, The Audacity of Hope, Obama recounts how he warmed to Christianity, and the black church tradition in particular, while attending Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. One Sunday, Obama writes, “I felt God’s spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth.” Obama’s eventual decision to be baptized “came about as a choice and not an epiphany; the questions I had did not magically disappear.”
And here’s a bit from mine [Strachan]:
The culture, not Scripture, is the primary driver of President Obama’s views. With abortion, his own values matter, not Psalm 139; with homosexuality and marriage, his daughters’ opinions matter, not Genesis 2 and Romans 1. But it is not merely President Obama’s isolated policies, troubling as they may be, that give many Christians like me pause. It is the whole worldview. As seen above, there are deeply unbiblical ideas running beneath the surface of the President’s orthodox declarations. The President’s oratory sometimes smacks of Billy Graham, but those who listen carefully will also hear the dulcet tones of Harry Emerson Fosdick. His is a no-injury Protestantism, liberal Christianity enrobed in a revivalist shell.
Owen’s post, and his CT piece.
It was Jesus who said this: “You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matt 7:16, cf. 7:15–23).
Does this not seem like dangerous ground we’re treading here? Namely, public discourse on whether someone is saved?
Abortion is unbiblical and unchristian. But so is bombing people and the unquestioned Christianity of President Bush didn’t seem to have an issue with that (And I don’t agree with the status quo Romans 13 argument since it ignores all of Romans 12). Care for the poor and sick seems to be important to Jesus, and Obama is doing something about that.
My question for you, Dr. Hamilton, would be this: does every decision the president of a nation makes (US or not, as no nation is Christian) have to be a natural product of his/her religious faith?
I hope this hasn’t come off as a rant. I genuinely care about this issue and having grown up SBC and feeling like I attended Republican rallies for two decades every election season, I can’t help but think this conversation wouldn’t happen with a Republican president because he wouldn’t publicly support abortion or gay marriage, even if he supported it personally but couldn’t proclaim that due to funding and voting…that’s the problem–it’s all matters of the heart. Bush rarely attended church (unlike Obama) and yet I didn’t hear anyone damning him for forsaking the fellowship of believers.
My suspicion is that a good number of right-wing and left-wing folk alike are going to be gravely upset upon seeing just who God showed grace and allowed into his presence.
All I’m saying is that Jesus said there would be false professions of faith (Matt 7:21–23), and Jesus said we would know the tree by its fruit (Matt 7:15–20).
If you ask me what kind of tree quotes the golden rule to make a “faith-based” argument for same-sex marriage, and we throw in another question about what kind of tree votes AGAINST the born alive infant protection act (where was the golden rule on that one?), the answer is easy: not the Christian kind.
Certainly, I don’t question that some of his actions are not Christian and that his logic is faulty. I am pro-life across the board, from birth to death (more specifically, how people die and who has a right to kill them). I don’t see how anyone could condone killing babies–born or not.
My main point was that I’ve rarely heard attacks against Republican presidents, even though a portion of their attitude toward the poor, businesses (greed), and war are anti-Jesus. That’s all I’m sayin. But marriage is between a man and woman and killing babies is wrong.
I am only suggesting that our prophetic assessments of presidents and government officials be balanced.
I’m not prepared to indict all business on the basis of greed, nor would I declare all war “anti-Jesus”.
I hold to the just war theory, and I think the best kind of society is one where laws are upheld and people are free to pursue whatever business they feel led to pursue.
Observation: every place where Scripture (and thus the Lordship of Christ) crosses Obama’s feelings, prejudices, and expedience, Obama goes with the latter, often explicitly so.
Response: but I didn’t like George Bush.
Surrejoinder: …?!
Patrick, did you read Strachan’s article? The issue is not just Obama’s views on certain topics, it’s what he himself says about Christianity. Here’s the smoking gun (in response to a question about the afterlife): “What I believe in is that if I live my life as well as I can, that I will be rewarded. I don’t presume to have knowledge of what happens after I die.” Does that sound like someone who has embraced the Gospel?
Unfortunately Obama is no Christian; he is hell-bound for his testimony.
Don’t know if he (Obama) is a Christian or not. No one can make that call but the Lord Himself (others here have said as much).
But I hope he is. I pray that if he’s not that someday he will hear that Word that brings life.
Matthew, I did read the article. I would encourage you to listen to Obama talk about his faith http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4Xu9cAk_yc
Even Billy Graham has been accused of soft-footing his answers at times. I’m not suggesting he and the President are of the same spiritual clout (except that being saved by grace makes us all equals), but Obama handles the question with clarity in my opinion. Judge him for yourself, as it seems you already have.
Well, I’ve read the article and…I am led to believe I should re-read. I am not seeing in the article where the question is answered on whether or not Obama is a Christian. Interestingly, the very question itself is fair (we can ask this of anyone we choose) but it is comes with an undercurrent that is unparallel to this question being asked of any American President in times past. As Christians and expositors we clearly know the basic tenants of our faith and creed. All of this being said, while I don’t know the apparent answer to whether or not the President is saved or not, I do know that he says that he is. Is this enough? Certainly not! However, George W. Bush (along with many previous POTUSes) have also acknowledged themselves as Christian; end of story!
Since the early days of the Moral Majority, the evangelical vote has somehow cast it’s vote for the ‘right-wing’ and ‘conservative’ movement; while there has been a clear demonization of the ‘left’ and ‘liberal’ agenda. Most will fail to acknowledge in an objective way that there are fallacies and flaws on both sides. Mistreatment of the poor and disenfranchised is just as heinous and unChristian as the abortion of life or same-sex marriage. But what has taken place, is a marginal view that anyone on the ‘left’ is automatically ‘non-Christian’. This was the case with Clinton and others. With Obama it is much more extreme in that he clearly has a Muslim name, with which he had no control at birth.
One thing is clear. Obama, as with many within our church, doesn’t seem to (nor has he professed) be an every Sunday, midweek attendee, front seat church attender. That being said, neither has Bush (father or son). At the end of the day, Christians are tragically becoming as political as the politicians we quickly judge as non-christian, etc.
Case in point – Romney is clearly not a Christian. Those in Protestantism have acknowledged for years that Mormonism is a cult in a purest form. In addition polygemy (which is coming back to the Mormon church) is just as incorrect as same-sex marriage.
All in all, I believe Patrick has made some good, very unbiased points regarding both sides of the equation; and we should take heed.