Contrast this one minute video from McCain's website where McCain speaks of his faith in a higher being with what Obama said to Christianity Today:
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.Hmmm.. contrasting
"I believe that a higher being has a mission for me"with
"I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ"I gotta wonder why so many people question Obama's faith in Jesus and not McCain's.. maybe just another example of evangelical politics at their worst.
Because Obama rejects orthodox Christianity.
ReplyDeleteJesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Obama, however, says, "I have a deep faith. So I draw from the Christian faith. On the other hand, I was born in Hawaii where obviously there are a lot of Eastern influences. I lived in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world, between the ages of 6 and 10. My father was from Kenya, and although he was probably most accurately labeled an agnostic, his father was Muslim. And I'd say, probably, intellectually I've drawn as much from Judaism as any other faith. So, I'm rooted in the Christian tradition. I believe that there are many paths to the same place...I think that the difficult thing about any religion, including Christianity, is that at some level there is a call to evangelize and proselytize. There's the belief, certainly in some quarters, that if people haven't embraced Jesus Christ as their personal savior that they're going to hell. I find it hard to believe that my God would consign four-fifths of the world to hell. I can't imagine that my God would allow some little Hindu kid in India who never interacts with the Christian faith to somehow burn for all eternity. That's just not part of my religious makeup."
Good push back Casey.. I think that McCain would say something similar if he ever says anything about Jesus.. doubt that he will.. that is my point.
ReplyDeleteLooking like THIS is the "no spin zone", which is a very good thing.
ReplyDeleteThis was print versus video. I'd like to see it swapped, seeing Obama on video and McCain in print, to really be balanced. I think it might show a different view.
Signed,
LTF
Casey makes a good observation. The "many paths" idea unfortunately is a common viewpoint, even with many Christians. I hear it all the time in my Alpha small group discussions, much to my frustration. In the end, I believe God will bless anyone, and Obama in this case, for his open proclaimation. Quien Sabes! LTF
ReplyDeleteHi Bob,
ReplyDeleteI am a bit more cynical regarding why Christians question Obama's faith more than McCain. I suggest for consideration it has more to do with his politics...and...so many Christians have wrapped their faith around a particular brand of politics that they can longer see the difference between faith and politics...and...in the process have lost some important aspects of the "essence" of faith. I am not suggesting faith and politics have nothing to do with one another but, for the life of me, I can no longer understand why it has become Christian to give a pass to those who supported the invasion of Iraq and wouldn't blink about invading Iran but question their faith if they have a more inclusive view of the nature of the Christian faith.
I don't care what words Obama knows, and how swell he can put them together, when he votes against the "Infant Born Alive Protection Act" and considers the consequences of fertile teen sex, that burden being a BABY, as a "burden" to be disposed of, he is not a Christian.
ReplyDeleteI don't think McCain is precisely where I'd like him to be as a Christian, but I believe that he has absorbed the Christian roots of democracy and is not against. "If he is not against us, he is for us."
"If he is not against us, he is for us."
ReplyDeleteGreat thought TZ! Would you apply that to other issues s well s abortion or do you feel that abortion is the single issue of the election?
Hypothetically speaking, what if one of the candidates advocated an immediate invasion of Iran? Would you think that were against us?
The single issue? No. But a very, very telling one. His voting record is viciously anti-life, and his public opinions have been against food and water for the comatose (Schiavo), against care for a baby born alive in a botched abortion (in other words, set them aside and let them die), against restrictions on providing RU-486 without a prescription or medical care, against abstinence education, for federal funding of abortion not only in this country, but in aid overseas (great, now we can go and kill their babies, too) and on, and on. And let's not forget embryonic stem cell research, forced with funding, when adult stem cell research is unfolding and successful in a truly marvelous way.
ReplyDelete"Abortion" is a simple tag word for his horrid anti-life, anti-family positions. He measures lives, other people's lives, with a dispassionate and chilling "quality" yardstick.
With those positions, do we really want him in a position to appoint Supreme Court justices? He's already made his point about not requiring constructionist judges.
I don't know enough about Iran to answer you. I know that since we invaded Iraq, attacks against our country, military bases and warships have stopped. The invasion was successful at least at that level. I don't get why people are so surprised we invaded: Pearl Harbor was bombed and we were off after them in a heartbeat. The WTC was destroyed (and the Pentagon, etc) and we waited two years!
If there was a clear reason to invade Iran (and I don't think our suspicions about their nuclear program are enough, but again, what do I know?) then I'd have to wait to hear the reasons.
Thanks TZ.. while you say that abortion is not the issue for you I think that from your comment it is.. I am okay with that position as I held it for mot of my life.. I just don't ever see the supreme court overturning roe v. wade.. they have had opportunity.
ReplyDeleteThat being the case I have been trying to think outside the prolife box.. I still may vote McCain but it will be because I believe that he has the best character, experience and judgement to be president.
"I just don't ever see the supreme court overturning roe v. wade.. they have had opportunity."
ReplyDeleteAre you keeping this in your petitionary prayer?
"That being the case I have been trying to think outside the prolife box..."
Kind of sounds like you've given up. Babies are dying, old people are being euthanized, suicide is being legalized, embryos are being sacrificed. Ho hum? What makes you feel that to think prolife is to limit one's thinking? I see it as expanding one's thinking to every difficult circumstance people can face.
Yeah TZ, I have given up on politics as usual.. you can blame Bush for that. As I posted already today, I will vote pro-family & pro-life in today's primary election.. good chance I will in November.. I just don't see myself voting one issue.. and I will try to pray and vote my conscience in November.
ReplyDeleteI know that you pray TZ and certainly respect that.. but I am not sure that I have always prayed before I voted.. most of my votes have been for pro-life (and mostly anti-poor) candidates.
And about petitioning the Lord for our country.. been doing it since 1976.. been fighting in prayer for the unborn since 1980.. asked God to give Bush wisdom about Iraq.. maybe I need to redirect my prayers :)
Here is a question for you TZ - Is there anything McCain can do before November to cause you to not vote or vote against him?
I may vote for McCain but I will vote with both my left eye and my right eye open :)
He'd have to become Obama. I like your last sentence: my eyes will be open too, but McCain is closer to where I want this country to be on life issues.
ReplyDelete(I didn't mean praying before voting, although that is an EXCELLENT idea. I meant "petitionary prayer" where you think over and commend to God the troubles in the lives around you and in your own. And ask for wisdom and compassion is dealing with those people and their issues. The adult version of "God bless Mommy, God bless Daddy....")
Ditto "petitionary prayer" prayer for me TZ.. it is a way of life for me and the way that I survive :)
ReplyDeleteHere is the prayer I pray each almost every election season:
Please reveal the hearts of the candidates to your people Father, so that they might know how to vote.