According to a recently, widely touted poll, one out of five Americans believe that Obama is Muslim. And technically I think that’s true. In Islam, as I understand it, if your dad’s a Muslim, then you’re a Muslim–barring apostasy.
Technicalities aside, I myself am inclined to think that Obama is either a closet atheist or a religious pluralist.
Not surprisingly, the White House rankles at the suggestion that Obama is Muslim. After all, that’s a politically damaging rumor.
Yet this presents a dilemma for the White House. Why should they be so defensive? Do they think a Muslim ought not be president of the United States?
Doesn’t Obama lecture us on tolerance? He assures us that Islam is not the religion of our enemies. Surely he doesn’t think that Muslim-Americans can’t be loyal, patriotic Americans.
But in that event, what’s so wrong with suggesting that Obama might be Muslim?
I'd say it's interesting to point out that since Obama claims to be a Christian then he has joined Allah with other gods, committing the unforgivable sin of shirk. Muhammad was not allowed to pray for his parents since they were pagan polytheists who committed shirk. Likewise, no Muslims may pray for Obama. He is hell bound. Obama's father could not pray for Obama from heaven, just like Muhammad could not pray for his parents.
ReplyDeleteUnless that's just a cover story for his *true* identity as a spy or sleeper agent :-)
ReplyDeletewell, either he comes clean or the left will need to slam the intolerance of Islam for consigning Obama to hell with no chance of repentance; or, slam others for slamming Islam for consigning Obama to hell. Quite the conundrum.
ReplyDeleteOne *small* point. 1 out of 5 Americans could believe he's Chinese. That doesn't make it true.
ReplyDeleteFood for thought:
http://blog.beliefnet.com/bibleandculture/2010/08/the-faith-of-barack-obama.html
http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2008/11/obamas-interview-with-cathleen.html
I definitely wouldn't call him a Muslim. C.I.N.O. is probably more accurate. Keep up the good work guys!
"..a religious pluralist", who really, really, really, seems to, dig Ramadan.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R4KfYuDrvU
When's the last time we've had a serious Christian as a president?
ReplyDeleteI would be delighted to see "W" in Heaven one day.
ReplyDeleteWhen's the last time we've had a serious Christian as a president?
ReplyDeleteMadison?
Have you guys forgot about "bearing false witness".
ReplyDeleteWhat does it matter what faith Obama is?
ReplyDeleteNo nation is a Christian nation! Christianity is, was and always will be a subset of society. America is not, nor can it be a Christian nation.
Rather the Christian nation (if you will) is made up of all believers who have lived, live and will live accross the world.
Christianity is never about demanding society change, rather to impact society through love....
What disturbs me about much of what I read in the guise of Christianity is how Pauls injunction to practice honor to all in authority is not practiced by the church...
Paul was telling the early church to pray for the authorities so that they may practice their faith in peace...He also told them to honor the authorities who was also using the Christian of the day as BBQ lights and lion fodder.
i) Romans was written before the Neronian persecution. Try to pay more attention to dates.
ReplyDeleteii) In addition, there's an obvious difference between a "non-Christian" nation like America, and a "non-Christian" nation like N. Korea, Nazi Germany, or Saudi Arabia. Try to draw some elementary distinctions.
iii) BTW, a US president is not an "authority" in the same sense that Caesar was an authority. A US president is a public servant. An elected official. The electorate is the ultimate authority.
"The electorate is the ultimate authority."
ReplyDeleteThat's the way it's supposed to work anyways.
Except for those times when you have 1 single judge nullify the electorate's decision such as happened in the case of Proposition 8 in California.
Craig,
ReplyDeleteThe majority of your comments had nothing to do with what anyone said. Who argued that we are "a Christian nation?" Of course, that statement is ambiguous as it could refer to the beliefs of the majority of the nation.
Secondly, are you saying we cannot comment on the inconsistencies of liberal tolerance? And why think political commentary is dishonoring? If you had lived in Nazi Germany would you not have spoke out? If you were a German citizen living in America, would you not have spoke out?
"Impact through love" is so ambiguous and vague as to be functionally useless . . .
Is it disrespectful to point out that if, according to Islam, Obama is a Christian then he has committed the unforgivable sin of shirk?
If President Obama is a Muslim, he sure is a bad one.
ReplyDeletedoes not fast during Ramadan
eats pork (ham, hot dogs, bbq), drinks beer
does not get down on prayer rug 5 times a day
has never done a Haj, the required pilgrimage to Mecca
married a Christian woman in a Christian ceremony
has only one wife
allows wife to travel alone, showing face, hair and body in sexy clothes
allows wife to shake hands with men and talk with them
had both his daughters baptized
allows his girls to attend school
attended Christian church for 20 years
pushed for and signed the "Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act"
welcomed New Orleans *Saints* (hello??) to White House
gave a medal to woman whose husband died in plane that hit WTC tower
never kissed the Saudi King on both cheeks (as George Bush did)
took the oath of office as a Senator and President on a Bible
has not once set foot in a mosque since becoming President
says Christ is his Savior and Redeemer
opened Easter Breakfast at White House, "welcome, brothers and sisters in Christ"
appointed a JEWISH WOMAN to the US Supreme Court
2009 tax return claims donations to:
- 19th Street Baptist Church
- St. Leo's Residence for Veterans
- Sidwell Friends School (Quaker)
- St. John's Church
- Habitat for Humanity (ecumenical Christian ministry)
- The Christopher House (means "Bearer of Christ")
- Calvary Women's Shelter
- made zero donations to any Muslim charity
TRUTH UNITES... AND DIVIDES SAID:
ReplyDelete"Except for those times when you have 1 single judge nullify the electorate's decision such as happened in the case of Proposition 8 in California."
But, in principle, the electorate still holds all the high cards. Judicial rulings can be overturned. Judges can be recalled or impeached. Entire courts can be abolished by act of Congress.
For that matter, who said judges have the authority which they arrogate to themselves? The executive and legislative branches of gov't don't have to submit to that type of tyranny.
It's the passivity of the electorate that makes this possible.
harkins.joe said...
ReplyDelete"If President Obama is a Muslim, he sure is a bad one."
You can be a bad Muslim, and still be a Muslim.
Anyway, I didn't say he was a Muslim. Go back and read what I actually said.
Eldnar -
ReplyDeleteWhat does C.I.N.O. stand for?
Christian In Name Only.
ReplyDeleteLike RINO - Republican In Name Only. Specter, Schwarzenegger, etc.
Steve you said...ii) In addition, there's an obvious difference between a "non-Christian" nation like America, and a "non-Christian" nation like N. Korea, Nazi Germany, or Saudi Arabia. Try to draw some elementary distinctions.
ReplyDeleteThere are no distinctions apart from the democratic process...
Paul, your right I wasn't sticking to the topic...however I was speaking about much of the vile that I hear spewed forth that is supposedly representing Christianity.......
CRAIGBENNO1 SAID:
ReplyDelete"There are no distinctions apart from the democratic process..."
That's just an unintelligent smear.
Steve,
ReplyDeleteWithin a Christian basis in that Christianity is and always will be a subset of society until the end of the age... how can you make a distinction between America and any other nation in that America is more Christian?
Are you saying the the American Christians are more Godly then the Christians who live in Korea, or Arab nations are?
Are you saying that the American nation is more Godly than what other nations are?
America is more Christian than N. Korea, Saudi Arabia, or Nazi Germany because it has more Christians per capita, and their influence is more pervasive.
ReplyDeleteChristians are temples of the Holy Spirit. And there's an aggregate holiness when you have more living "temples."
Much of the depravity in American culture is imposed on the culture from the topdown, by the power elite (media, judiciary, academia). It's not a direct reflection of the grassroots. Indeed, it's often at odds even with the general culture.
Don't simply judge by appearances. God often flies under the radar.
Steve... so it seems your alliance is to the worldly nation of America and not to the Kingdom of God which is beyond national boundaries.
ReplyDeleteWhile it is true we are called to live a life of holiness... we are still united with the world through sin.... unless you can honestly tell me your sinless?
Craig,
ReplyDeleteThat has no connection with what I said. You're not discussing the issue in good faith.
As far as national boundaries are concerned, God drew the map, not me:
"And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place" (Acts 17:26).
America is by turns worldly and spiritual, depending on what Americans you have in mind. America in general isn't anything in particular.
"While it is true we are called to live a life of holiness... we are still united with the world through sin.... unless you can honestly tell me your sinless?"
Are you claiming that there's no difference between the regenerate and the unregenerate?
Over 70 prominent Christian leaders and denominational heads from across the ideological spectrum joined together today to call for a stop to the misrepresentation of President Obama’s Christian faith. In an open letter, these Christian leaders called on the media, public officials, and their fellow Christians to stand with them in opposing those who continue to insinuate that the President is a Muslim, not a Christian."
ReplyDeleteContinue reading it all: Here.
"Over 70 prominent Christian leaders"
ReplyDeleteI don't think prominent is the right word.
Barak is very firm on killing humans in the womb. More-so then almost any other elected leader and president this nation has ever known.
He has to be evil if he wants to take a baby botched in an abortion and born alive, and make sure that same baby is not allowed to live.
At least he is not a hypocrite with his evil heart when it comes to the legal kill of humans in the womb.
Steve you asked Are you claiming that there's no difference between the regenerate and the unregenerate?
ReplyDeleteI am saying that both the regenerate and unregenerate are still tied to each other by and through sin...being regenerate doesn't mean we no longer sin nor does it mean we are no longer sinful...what it does mean is that we are forgiven of all our sin.
This then prevents us from taking the moral high ground; rather it grounds us in humility through the Grace of Christ to reach out towards society with the same offer of Grace granted us.
Holiness comprises of a upward, inward and outward journey. It seems to me as from an outside perspective that there is a huge part of the American church / government that shows little symphathy to the widows, orphans, sick, poor and asylum seekers... one only has to read through the 12 Minor Prophets to see that one can't claim to be holy if they neglect social issues.
craigbenno1 said...
ReplyDelete"I am saying that both the regenerate and unregenerate are still tied to each other by and through sin...being regenerate doesn't mean we no longer sin nor does it mean we are no longer sinful...what it does mean is that we are forgiven of all our sin."
i) No one said regeneration eradicates sin. That's a red herring.
ii) There's more to regeneration than forgiveness. There's sanctification.
"This then prevents us from taking the moral high ground; rather it grounds us in humility through the Grace of Christ to reach out towards society with the same offer of Grace granted us."
i) That objection is totally irrelevant to the point of my post.
ii) There's nothing boastful about acknowledging the work of the Holy Spirit.
"Holiness comprises of a upward, inward and outward journey. It seems to me as from an outside perspective that there is a huge part of the American church / government that shows little symphathy to the widows, orphans, sick, poor and asylum seekers... one only has to read through the 12 Minor Prophets to see that one can't claim to be holy if they neglect social issues."
i) You're in no position to make sweeping statements about the American church, which compromises a wide variety of denominations and local churches.
ii) You also disregard Biblical distinctions.
iii) And your complaint is totally irrelevant to the point of my post.