You have to grant it to him, Obama is a most excellent orator. To put it in the words of a former pastor, now lecturer and faculty member of a seminary on the Copperbelt, "You can't just help but like the guy." It is very true, I heard a speech by him were he speaks to graduates at a University in Arizona, USA. I got really inspired. He was basically encouraging the "graduating class of 09" to seek to serve others in all their future endeavors, rather than themselves. He didn't quote a single verse in the bible and yet I walked away feeling like I had heard a moving sermon!
Anyway, great oration doesn't get you a spot in the Lambs book of life, so, is this man actually a Christian? My interest in discovering his state before God was inspired by a comment I got on an article I wrote about Obama, about 24 hours before his inauguration. It was a negative article. I wasn't necessarily shooting the man down, I was simply appealing to anyone who would read, especially Christians, not to envy Obama because of his achievement because firstly, what good is it for a man to gain the whole world but in the end, to lose his soul. Secondly, I sought to encourage believers to admire men who achieve much for God's kingdom rather than those who achieve much in this mortal world. That makes those men who have given their lives to serving God, the ones who must be admired and envied above all others because it is that kind of achievement that will count on the last day. You can read that article by clicking
here, and you can read the comment that inspired this article below that article.
Now then, is Obama a Christian? In this article I present to you nothing but actual quotes from Obama himself and leave it to you to decide. Each quotation has a link to its source indicated against the quote by a number in brackets. At the bottom you will find against the number the name of the source, simply click on the numbers to view the desired source. The quotes are taken from either videos of Obama or transcripts of interviews.
THE EVIDENCE FOR
Obama has publicly said that he is, infact, a Christian. He has been called a Muslim but says that while he respects Islam, he is not a Muslim (by the way, I do not respect Islam). Obama on being a Christian:
"I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life. But most importantly, I believe in the example that Jesus set by feeding the hungry and healing the sick and always prioritizing the least of these over the powerful. I didn't 'fall out in church' as they say, but there was a very strong awakening in me of the importance of these issues in my life. I didn't want to walk alone on this journey. Accepting Jesus Christ in my life has been a powerful guide for my conduct and my values and my ideals."(1)
Obama believes that America's greatest moral failure has been a failure to follow the fact that whatever is done for the least, is done for Jesus Christ as found in Matthew 25:40, he says:
"I think America’s greatest moral failure in my lifetime has been that we still don’t abide by that basic precept in Matthew that whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me, and that notion of — that basic principle applies to poverty. It applies to racism and sexism. It applies to, you know, not having — not thinking about providing ladders of opportunity for people to get into the middle class. There’s a pervasive sense, I think, that this country, as wealthy and powerful as we are, still don’t spend enough time thinking about the least of us."(2)
Obama says he became a Christian in 1985 when...well, why don't I just use his own words, here is President Obama's testimony:
"...So one Sunday, I put on one of the few clean jackets I had, and went over to Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th Street on the South Side of Chicago. And I heard Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright deliver a sermon called "The Audacity of Hope." And during the course of that sermon, he introduced me to someone named Jesus Christ. I learned that my sins could be redeemed. I learned that those things I was too weak to accomplish myself, He would accomplish with me if I placed my trust in Him. And in time, I came to see faith as more than just a comfort to the weary or a hedge against death, but rather as an active, palpable agent in the world and in my own life. It was because of these newfound understandings that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity one day and affirm my Christian faith. It came about as a choice, and not an epiphany. I didn't fall out in church, as folks sometimes do. The questions I had didn't magically disappear. The skeptical bent of my mind didn't suddenly vanish. But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side, I felt I heard God's spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth and carrying out His works..."(3)
Here are a few comments by people who've read this account. By the way, you can click on the link (number) above to read the full testimony.
"For Obama to stand up and talk about how Jesus changed his life, my friends that takes guts. You may disagree with everything he’s about, you may disagree with his policy goals but as Christians, shouldn’t we like it when someone talks about Christ being the missing ingredient in his life?"
-A Mr. David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network
"I found this statement breathtaking and refreshing in its straightforwardness."
-A Mr. D. Pulliam
THE EVIDENCE AGAINSTObama is pretty sure that his mother, who died a non-believer, is in heaven. He says his late mother was the kindest, most descent and generous person he ever knew. While she was not "A believer like I am", he says, "I'm sure she is in heaven".
(4)Obama, in response to those who thought that America's public policy should be guided by the bible, said:
*"Which passages of scripture, should guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus which suggests that slavery is ok?... Or, we could go with Deuteronomy which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the sermon on the mount, a passage that is so radical, that its doubtful that our own defence department would survive its application? So before we get carried away, lets read our bibles now. [Some] folks havn't been reading their bible."(5)
Obama feels that the standard of the bible, and of God therefore, cannot be used to govern a nation because not everyone in America, for example, is a believer. It is on that premise that he is pro-choice (supports making abortion legal) rather than pro-life (those who want to make abortion illegal). Although, he does clarify his position saying that while he is pro-choice, he is not pro-abortion
(6). Neither is he a supporter of homosexuality although he feels that homosexuals are born with their sexual orientation and that they too, like heterosexuals, have rights and should therefore be free to live normal lives
(7).
Obama feels that while he is a believer, he should not superimpose his beliefs on non-believers
(8). Also, he does not seem to believe in the inerrancy of scripture as he is quoted saying, that some evangelicals believe in the inerrancy of scripture, in a sorta negative tone and context
(8).
Link
(8) is a video, on youtube, with whose uploader's words I will end this article with, he writes:
"I usually don't upload other videos and post them (thanks YOISM.org), but
this video was too good to pass up. It reinforces why I love this candidate. Finally someone eloquent who really gets it!!! He admits some of the inanities in the bible and the illogic. He admits that faith is illogical and imperfect. He lays out why religion should stay out of government. He's for civil unions and not marriage, but... eh... criticizing that is like not driving the Lamborghini because it only gets 9 miles per gallon. It's my assertion that Obama is either a closet atheist only in religion for political reasons (Yeah hypocritical, the Lamborghini doesn't have any cup holders either) or he's one of the last and most sane Christian I could ever hope to meet. Enjoy. "
If Obama is a true believer, the words of this guy I've just quoted would cripple him. Its one thing for people to be unable to tell whether you are a believer or not but it is quite another for people to reject your faith because of what you, yourself, are saying about it.
Is Obama a Christian, you have the necessary information now-you decide. I rarely get any comments at all, but if you read this, do weigh the evidence for and the evidence against and based on them leave me a comment specifying whether or not you think Obama is saved.
________________________________________________
(1) Obama's interview with Christianity Today.
(2a) Obama, at the Presidential forum at Saddleback Church where both he and Maccain were interviewed, on Question 6. "What does it mean to be a follower of Christ?". (Transcript)(2b) Obama at the Presidential forum at Saddleback Church where both he and Maccain were interviewed. (Video)(3) A Politics of Conscience by Barack Obama.(4) 30 second video at youtube.com(5) Call to Renewal by Barack Obama. (Video)(6) In response to Question 7, third paragraph, "At what point is a baby entitled to human rights?"(7) In response to Question 8, "Define marriage."(8) "Religion Speech" at youtube.com
