Thursday, July 3, 2008

Is Obama a Christian?

Let me say up front that being a Christian is not the sole consideration when electing a person to public office. One could be a very strong Christian yet make a very bad president. On the other hand, one could feasibly be a non-Christian and still make a pretty good president. This post is not meant to be an endorsement for or against Barack Obama. It's simply a reporting of the facts.

Right now in this country, we have one of the two major presidential candidates making huge efforts to paint himself as an evangelical Christian. But his understanding of the gospel would suggest the contrary.
Obama says "I believe there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people." He has also allegedly said, "all people of faith -- Christians, Jews, Muslims, animists, everyone -- know the same God" (Read the whole article here).

Obama is between a rock and a hard place. He's trying hard to win over votes from the religious right, while remaining policitally expedient and creating an image of "tolerance" in an increasingly pluralistic society.

Please do not be confused about the gospel. If a person denies the unique person and work of Jesus Christ, he cannot be a Christian. Jesus demands our total, undivided trust and allegiance.

John 5:23 He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

1 John 2:23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.

4 comments:

David Squyres said...

Wow, I did't know he said that. I think it's pretty evident that he is not a believer in the One True God.

David Squyres said...

I came in the office this morning to discover on my desk a flyer asking people of faith to submit symbols of faith to a local art show in Joshua Tree, California.

Christians have not adaquately shown the world that we are a monotheistic people who believe tht there is one way to God.

I’ll just type the flyer out:

“In my fathers house are many mansions, John 14:2.

Randy Polumbo and Sheri Elf are happy to invite you to this summer’s Art Queen show, “Many Mansions.” this show is deliberately purposed towards sharing all the different types of religion, faith, spiritual or other personal practice folks live out in our diverse desert community. Our initial thought was to ask for actual portraits of people’s God or Spirit. We have broadened it to invite anyone from atheist, druids, anarchists, or more traditionally religious folk to share their work.

Like the colorful desert landscape and rich tapestry of the different people in it, we want this show to be all inclusive and to celebrate that there is room for all! This is how we came to “In my Father’s house there are Many Mansions” which we interpret to mean exactly that.

Love and blessings"

Stephen Jones said...

Wow. That makes me want to vomit. It's the most creative and yet destructive interpretation of John 14:2 I've ever heard. Did they bother to read four verses later?

I totally agree that "there is room for all" in God's mansion. Amen! But all must enter the house by the door of Jesus Christ (John 10:7).

David Squyres said...

Stephen,

I had the same thought: Why not read four more verses?

Also: Why is it okay to honor other gods by dishonoring our Scriptures? They aren't showing honor to our God by misquoting him.